Hello Reader,

Are you planning any travels this summer? It can be challenging to stick to goals and food plans while traveling or when on a different schedule. One of the best strategies is to make a plan ahead of time and just pick one or two things to focus on.

Personally, I've had a busy first half of the year visiting the UK, New York, Tennessee, and Texas... and I am quite happy to be staying home in July. But I will pass the travel baton to you, along with my travel tips -- already tested in 2025 via trains, planes, and automobiles!

Nutrient highlight: protein

I love to focus on getting enough protein during a trip -- it's just a small mindset shift that doesn't take over all the vacation plans.

Protein can be a hot topic these days, but let's start with the basics. Protein provides the material that we are made of, so we need plenty of it! Our cells and tissues, plus all signalling molecules, are made up of proteins and need to be replenished to allow for repair and healthy function.

Many health professionals are now recognizing that the RDA for protein is only sufficient to prevent disease, but more protein is needed for optimal health. We are all bioindividual, and may have different needs, but many people find that eating more protein can lead to more energy and better function.

How do you feel when you get more protein in your day?

Label decoding... KIND bars, a good choice for protein?

Product: KIND snack bar, Dark Chocolate Nut Protein bar

What the label says: "12g plant protein", "Protein from real food", "gluten free" -- sounds pretty good, right?

Let's read the ingredients: PEANUTS, ALMONDS, GLUCOSE SYRUP, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, HONEY, PALM KERNEL OIL, SUGAR, CHICORY ROOT FIBER, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, ALKALIZED COCOA, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, SEA SALT, COCOA BUTTER.

What do you think of that list? I see some good ingredients right away -- real peanuts and almonds, unsweetened chocolate, and sea salt. Other ingredients like honey and palm kernel oil are not bad (depending on amounts in our overall diets). But there are also a few red flags -- glucose syrup is a blood sugar roller coaster waiting to happen, and it turns out the protein in this bar comes mainly from highly processed soy. Chicory root fiber can lead to digestive issues in some people, and "natural flavor" can be a cover for many dubious ingredients.

Travel snacks - we all like a good snack!

So what could we eat instead?

One idea is to choose the good ingredients from the list above -- grab some peanuts/almonds and dark chocolate. It's always a good idea to check the ingredients on any food we buy (for example, opt for nuts that do not include canola oil). Some lunch meats have short and clean ingredient lists, and cheese can also be a good option.

One of my favorite snacks is a meat stick like Chomps or EPIC (<-- literal favorite!) with minimal ingredients and easy to keep on hand without refrigeration. Great for a protein boost, too!

Or try foods that don't even have labels! Fresh fruit and vegetables like blueberries, apples, bananas, and celery all travel well. Boiled eggs are a great little package of healthy fat and protein for a trip.

Pro tip: You can take all kinds of food through TSA and on flights, just not liquids. There are more restrictions when crossing international borders (raw fruits and veg, meat and dairy, etc), but feel free to take your own food for domestic flights. And yes, I have some airport security stories (ask me about the tuna sandwiches...), but they always let my food through in the end!

How about you?

Do you have any favorite travel snacks for flying? Or anything that works better on a road trip? Let me know how you manage travel food, or if you have specific challenges to navigate!

Warm regards,

Amanda