7 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling & Healthy Snacks on the Go

It's that time of year again. The kids are out of school, the weather is gorgeous and you're ready to pack up and take a vacation. I can hear the beach calling my name right now.

Costa Rica anyone?

This is a picture from the boat of the sunset cruise in Tamarindo when I went a few years ago.

I wish I was there right now!

Maybe next year. But, when you do set off on vacation especially when its a road trip, how do you continue to eat healthy and stick to your clean diet? I know I certainly don't stop at road side McDonald's among other gross fast food stops and eat greasy food, but unfortunately, most of the time that's all there is to be found. It seem's like no one is looking out for the mindful eater. Let's face it, fast-food restaurants are called fast-food for a reason, the food is almost always full of bad fats, high levels of sodium,preservatives, artificial flavours, and empty calories -and let's not forget about portion distortion. Even their "healthy options" aren't exactly nourishing.

That's why I'd like to share with you today my favourite healthy travel tips and tricks and also some great snacks that are portable and easy to take with you while you're on the go.

With a little bit of effort and planning you'll be on your way.

Tips and Tricks to Stay Healthy While Traveling:

• Start your day by eating breakfast and avoid excess sugar. This will get your metabolism going first thing.
• Drink plenty of water.  I can't underestimate the importance of this one. It keeps you hydrated, keeps your body running smoothly and also helps to detox.
• Pack a cooler with healhty food before you leave home. 
• Find the local grocery stores or farmers markets. Summer is a great time to hit up the local farmers markets and almost every community has one. You can pick up fresh fruits and pre-cut veggies, and stock-up your hotel mini bar with them.
• Choose healthy options while dining out. Being on vacation doesn't mean you have to splurge at every meal. Eat like you would if you were enjoying a meal at home. Enjoy your time with the people you are dining with.
• Incorporate some fun activities for exercise. Take walks on the beach with your family as a way to start or end the day, find bike or hiking trails, explore the area by foot. The list can be endless!
• Enjoy and indulge in a treat. Everyone loves a good ice cream, and eating out at restaurants is all part of the fun of going on vacation so don't beat yourself up about it, just be mindful and keep a balance. Have something you really want and enjoy every bite. Have fun and relax, you will get back to your regular clean eating when you get home.

Healthy Snacks For the Car:

• Fresh-cut veggies. Remember that cooler I told you to pack, well this is where it comes in. Fresh cut veggies are great portable snacks when they're cut into small bites. Remember the ice packs to help keep them fresh.
• Sandwiches made with baked or grilled chicken breast and mustard or natural peanut butter/ almond butter and homemade chia jam or sliced bananas. These can be cut into triangles for snacking.
• All Natural Nut Butters.
• Individual containers of oats. All you have to do is add a cup of hot water cover it back over and wait 5-10 minutes and viola, oatmeal on-the-go. Add some fresh fruit and nut butter or protein powder.
• Whole grain crackers or tortilla chips. 
• Homemade humus, guacamole, or salsa. All great condiments that are clean eating.
• Low-fat mozzarella string cheese. A great source of calcium and protein.
• Mini yogurts. Also a great source of calcium and protein.
• Hard boiled eggs. The perfect portable protein
• Fresh fruit. Apples, bananas, pears, peaches, grapes, oranges, apricots, cherries, berries of all kind are the perfect hand sized portable snack.
• Individual bags of mixed dried fruit and nuts. Great sources of healthy fats and fiber, and even protein. Almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, raisins, dried apricots, cranberries, dates. You can even add some healthy dark chocolate chips and make it a real trail mix!
• Lara Bars. These are a little high in sugars but the ingredients are all real foods. No preservatives.
• Vega also has some great on the go products that I sometimes buy like their Vibrancy Bars, energizing smoothie snack packs (individually packaged - all you have to do is and it to juice or water), and their savi seed are a great healthy superfood snack rich in nutrients. I really like Vega because they base all their products on real whole foods and use no strange ingriendents. They are also completely Vegan. If you're interested in finding out more about them, their web site is full of info.

Here are a couple of other great snack recipes that you can make at home:

Adding Some Chia Into Your Life

 

Okay, so in last Thursday's post I touched on some of the benefits of chia seeds. Well I love these little superfood seeds so much, I thought it would be great to write about those benefits a little more in-depth.

Let's start with a list shall we?

1. They balance your blood sugar - The gel that Chia forms can slow digestion and help to balance blood sugar levels.
2. They Energize you - There is no insulin spike needed to lower your blood sugar level after eating Chia. This is because the gel that they create when mixed with water or liquid helps to digest carbohydrates at a slow and uniform rate. That means fewer energy crashes and cravings for refined or sugary foods.
3. Omega 3s & Weight Loss - They have more omega 3's than Atlantic salmon does and contain more than 60% of the essential fatty acid in one serving. We need those healthy fats in order for our bodies to stay lean and believe or not, these fats will also help you lose weight. Yep, that's right. Fat is not the enemy (unless its hydrogenated or trans fats were talkin' about). This is because they aid in balancing key hormones such as cortisol and insulin that exert tremendous control over your weight. Omega 3's are also a great way to improving your immune system.
4. More fiber than your bran cereal - depending on the brand you choose, 2 tablespoons will give you about 7 grams of fiber! Don't forget to drink water though. Since these little seeds absorb so much of it you want to keep things moving in the right direction. This will also help to reduce blood cholesterol and keep you feel satiated longer.
5. Calcium & Protein - Drum roll please......15% of your daily calcium intake in a single serving, which is 200 mg! That's just over 1/3 of the amount that's in a glass of skim milk. It also has 4 grams of protein. It is one of the most complete plant based proteins out there. Great news for vegetarians!

They contain more calcium, protein and fiber than flax seeds. Plus they do not need to be ground up to reap their benefits, which adds some nice fast convenience. Chia seeds are also naturally gluten free.

I should also mention that they are very high in antioxidants including vitamin C and E, minerals magnesium and potassium, and vitamin B, which are essential for good health. They are full of cleansing and hydrating properties that hydrate you from the inside out. Ancient Mayans and Aztec warriors would cross the dessert for days at a time, keeping chia seeds under their tongues to prevent dehydration.

What would a serving be?

A typical serving would be 2 tablespoons a day. That would give you 100% of your omega 3's per day.

Is there any difference between black and white chia seeds?

I've been wondering this for a while myself and after a little internet digging I found that there really is no major difference between the two. There seems to be a consensus that the white ones are higher in nutrition, but it appears to be a myth.

Where can I buy them?

You can find them at your local health food or grocery store. For the Canadians out there I usually like to buy my chia seeds at the Bulk Barn. It's just a little cheaper to buy in bulk. You can also purchase Bob's Red Mill chia seeds online here for a good price. I also like Prana's organic raw chia seeds which you can also buy online.

What is the shelf life of chia seeds?

They will last for up to 5 years when you store them in a cool, dry place.

Sounds too good to be true right?

Here's the nutrition profile for Prana Chia Seeds:

Chia seeds don't have any strong flavour so they blend well with almost any food. That's the great thing about chia!

Have you tried chia seeds before? What is your favourite way to use them?