Travel Hacks: Nutrition While Traveling

This is the real deal. As I write this I am in the middle of a 30 hour day of travel from Australia back to home in Toronto. During my trip I will cross many time zones, make many connections, my schedule will be erratic but my nutrition wont be compromised!

Travel junkies, I get you- your love for travel means living in the moment, tasting the cuisine of the culture and occasionally living off airplane peanuts and pretzels. This guide is your ‘go-to’ for airport and in flight nutrition; avoid some of the stress that travel puts on your body!

HACK 1: GREENS AND ELECTROLYTES

Breathing in recirculated air along, changes in elevation and temperature leaves your body dehydrated. Purchasing bottled water can be expensive at the airport, bring an empty reusable water bottle and use the many water stations at airports (these are typically filtered AND free). Drinking water might not seem like a “hack worthy” tip, but stay with me, hydrating with water alone is not enough. Add greens and electrolyte powder to your water to help with stiff and cramped muscles, efficiently hydrate and lower inflammation. Electrolytes and greens powders come in individually sealed travel packs at most grocery or health food stores, stock up on these for your flight and travel days. Quality vegetables are hard to come by in airports and on flight meals, packing pre chopped veg is a great option but many airports do not allow produce on board.

HACK 2: PROTEIN

I don’t care if you splurge for the first class ticket, your in flight meal is a glorified microwave dinner (processed, refined and lacking in nutrition). Hack #2 starts BEFORE you board your flight, when you are booking your ticket find out about meal options in flight (if you are booking with an agent they can help with this too). Look for the ‘Raw Vegetable’ or ‘Vegan’ option, these meals will contain a good amounts of fresh vegetables that you can add travel friendly protein options to. Some of my favourite travel proteins are sustainably sources, canned pop top tuna packed in water, individually sealed collagen protein/protein powder packets (I make my own with plastic zipper bags) or bars (Jullian’s Bakery Paleo Bars are great)

HACK 3: Nuts and Seeds

Have you ever gotten sick after a vacation? Frequent flyers know that travel can affect your immune system. Another common inconvenience of travel is the stress of long layers, turbulence and airport hustle and bustle. Zinc and Magnesium are two nutrients that support your bodies stress response and immune function. The roasted and salted trail mix and nut mixes at airport kiosks are full of inflammatory oils and refined sugar/salt (dehydration, inflammation, BLAH…) Raw nuts and seeds are a perfectly travel friendly snack, make your own trail mix with raw nuts, seeds, shredded unsweetened coconut and cocoa nibs for a huge magnesium and zinc hit!