I thought this week I would take a look at some of the foods that I carry with me when I travel.

I have to say right up front that I’m a relatively healthy eater. Though I don’t always live by this rule (like when I succumb to the call of M&M’s), I do generally try to live by Michael Pollan’s theory that you shouldn’t eat anything processed with more than 5 ingredients (or filled with ingredients that your grandmother wouldn’t recognize!).

Snack foods, unless they’re raw, rarely fall into the less-than-five-ingredient category. So, I carry a variety of foods, depending on my mood, length of travel and whether I’ll have access to goodies when I’m on the road.

My own snacks
I carry enough of my own snacks to cover at least getting TO my destination. This usually includes a small bag of walnuts and raisins and some fruit, such as an apple or two.

Lara Bars
These are amazingly healthy energy bars that have very few ingredients – all good. The Cashew Cookie, for example, includes only cashews and dates. They are moist and tasty and about 200 calories per bar. Note that they are relatively low in protein so if you’re looking for a protein lift – these aren’t the best option.

Clif Bars
Of all the protein bars, these are my favorite because they are tasty, moist and won’t melt in the heat. The Crunchy Peanut Butter bar has 11 grams of protein and about 230 calories. Unfortunately, Clif Bars do have lots of ingredients, including “natural flavors” and evaporated cane juice. I’ll carry these with me on longer trips where I know I’ll be active and where I might not have access to vegetarian-based protein.

Attune Probiotic Bars
These “wellness” bars are meant to be good for you because they contain 5X the amount of live cultures (probiotics) found in yogurt. I can’t say whether they are going to help your tummy but the granola bars (half covered in chocolate) are certainly tasty. Not necessarily “healthy” in the few-ingredient sort of way, but they are healthy because of the purported digestive benefits.

Starbucks VIA
If you’ve visited your local Starbucks recently, you might have noticed a new display of, well, instant coffee. I thought these little packets were actually instant liquid coffees but they are powdered. I like coffee but, just as I like my dogs to be cat-sized, I like my coffee to be as weak as tea. That means that just one of these little packets provides me with 3 good cups of coffee but most coffee junkies will need one packet per cup. Needless to say, these are perfect for travelers.

Travel Well,

Beth

Donut photo: Pink Sherbet Photography

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