Healthy Travel: 9 Tips and Best Snacks To Bring

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The goal of vacation is to feel better, so why shouldn’t it be enjoyable from the very beginning? As a seasoned traveler (my first trip to Australia happened when I was two months old!), I’ve collected tested tips for your healthiest travel yet, from wholesome travel snacks to tricks to avoiding jetlag that really work. Now the question is, where will you travel first?

1. STAY HYDRATED

If you’re flying, make sure you drink tons of water–before, during and after the flight. I usually drink coconut, maple or watermelon water before I leave the house and bring my Swell or shaker bottle with water or a smoothie to drink on the way to the airport. Once I’ve passed through security, I refill it at the water fountain instead paying an unjustified price for airport water (it’s better for the environment, too!)

2. EAT YOUR BREAKFAST

When you eat a nourishing, nutritious breakfast in the morning, you reduce your chances of overeating and craving “bad” food later in the day. So make sure you take the time to eat a proper meal to start the day right. Try a green smoothie or a blueberry ginger oatmeal.

3. TAKE VITAMINS

Make sure you take your vitamins a few days before and on the day of the trip, as your body needs support while changing time zones. My go-tos are Life Equals multi, omega-3, a probiotic and Vitamin C. I also noticed that Wellness Formula really gives my immune system a boost, especially if I feel like I’m about to catch a cold (it’s great to have handy while traveling!)

4. BRING SNACKS

While I don’t recommend eating much while you fly, especially if it’s an overnight flight (your body clock gets thrown off when it’s digesting when it’s supposed to be resting), bringing healthy snacks is always a good idea.

It’s hard, sometimes impossible, to find healthy meals and snack options at the airport and even more so, on the plane. Simplify your life by bringing your own snacks. Here are some of my favorite options:

Nuts and seeds: Raw almonds and roasted pumpkin seeds are among my favorites. Sunbiotic raw sprouted almonds with probiotics and truffle oil will change your opinion on raw nuts–that I promise.
Seaweed snacks: A satisfying snack to munch on (make sure to have tissues handy as it can get messy.)
Dried fruit: Two dates will give you plenty of energy and satisfy your sweet tooth so that you don’t have to reach for the chocolate chip cookies served aboard.
Whole fruit and vegetables: Apples, banana, berries, sliced celery and carrots are all perfectly balanced travel snacks.
Plant-based protein powder: Great for a longer flight and looking for a meal replacement. My favorite is Sprout Living protein, made with clean organic ingredients and no artificial flavor additives. Just bring your travel bottle with you, and shake up one serving of protein with 1.5-2 cups of water.
Tea bags: I often bring my own favorite green and herbal teas, and ask for hot water at airport cafes.
Aloha Daily Good Greens: A great portable way to get your greens on! Instant green juice made from finest whole food ingredients.

5. GET COMFY

Make sure you give yourself plenty of comfort while flying! My favorite on-board necessities to relax and really enjoy my travel time include a cozy pillow, a soft oversize scarf that I can wrap myself into (instead of the staticky one provided on-board), sneakers instead of heels to give my feet a break, a pair of warm socks, Kindle, my favorite Bose Noise Cancelling earphones and iPod, a sleeping mask, and a hoodie. I also don’t travel without Glossier’s balmdotcom — a moisturizing balm that goes on your lips, cuticles and elbows (and it’s travel sized!). Also Aura Cacia lavender chakra roll-on always gets me relaxed and cozy.

6. STRETCH IT

Getting up to stretch every hour will help your body avoid stiffness upon landing. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated: get up, roll your head, roll your shoulders, stretch your arms, twist your body to both sides, bend over. Get the blood flowing to your legs. Just breathe deeply and let your body move how it wants to move within the space that’s available.

7. REST UP

If you want to arrive to your point of destination well rested and ready to enjoy the trip, resist the urge to watch every movie in the “new releases” section. You’ll miss out on precious rest that your body needs when changing time zones.

8. TAKE MELATONIN

If you need a little help falling asleep on the plane, melatonin to the rescue. While it has a similar effect of a sleeping pill, it also helps to reset your internal clock, while avoiding the side effects that sleeping pills might have. If you’re taking on overnight flight, you can try taking a smaller amount around 1pm the day you will fly, and then a larger amount once you board. I followed this when flying to India, and it helped me get quality sleep on the plane with only a very mild case of jetlag.

9. NOTE ON FLIGHTS OVER 8 HOURS

I learned this trick from my meditation teacher David H. Wagner when I went on a pilgrimage to Maharashtra with him. One to two days before the flight, start thinking in terms of the timezone you’ll be in. For example, when we flew to India, we started thinking in Indian time, which is 9.5 hours ahead.

Set your watch to that time or add a time zone to the World Clock if you’re on iPhone, and let your body “consider” how it would feel at that time. If you have the luxury, you can even nap at your destination time zone’s bed time and get up super early as much as possible. Try it out and see what happens.

Bon voyage!