I’ve always loved the feeling of going on a trip, no matter how far or close I’m going. The parts I do like: packing (I’m weird), planning what to eat, the hopefully nicer weather, and the snacks (duh!). Things I don’t like so much: delays, unpacking, saying goodbye to dear friends who live far away, and being hungry in an airport without snacks. One of the worst hangry (hungry/angry) situations I’ve been in is when I’ve had a flight delay and am just SO hungry. Most of the options at the airport are kind of gross or wayyy overpriced and none of the above appeal to me when I’m just hungry and want to be home or at my destination (especially is it’s a beach, hello!). I used to think that I could survive on finding something to eat at the airport or just wait to eat until I got to where I was going. But, sometimes life and delays and weather happens and I just get really testy and the only thing to solve it is a solid snack. I’m not talking a tiny bag of peanuts or a few crackers that I packed away in my bag, but a solid, honest to goodness snack or portable meal that will fill me up and make me MUCH less hungry/angry. On the other hand, it is way cheaper than paying $6 for a soft pretzel, no matter how good those are, they just aren’t worth it, am I right?
So let’s get down to what I normally pack into my carry-on to keep me full and happy. With a little bit of preparation, these come together pretty quickly and won’t make your seat neighbor hate you (hellllo no one wants to smell your egg/tuna/insert smelly thing here salad).
Roasted Chickpeas– Roasted chickpeas have become one of my favorite snacks over the past couple of years. Who knew that roasting beans would make them all crispy and addictive? These salt and vinegar chickpeas have consistently turned out for me. Some recipes don’t get all the chickpeas crispy or burn them and then I’m just disappointed I wasted a sheet full of  chickpeas. Make sure you let these cool all the way before transferring to a container or bag, or they will get mushy again and all the crispiness will be gone.
Oat Bran Granola Bars- (recipe coming soon!) These were born out of running out of rolled oats and needing something just a bit different rather than regular ol’ granola bars. Vegan granola bars can be tricky sometimes, since you can’t use eggs as a binder, but dates or peanut butter are perfect as a substitute! I like to individually wrap these to prevent crumbs or mess. Plus, they are a great substitute if the hotel breakfast is sketchy/sparse and you are in a pinch.
White Bean Dip with Almonds and Rosemary– This recipe is originally from 101 Cookbooks and has been a consistent winner for me as far as snacks go. The white beans, almonds and rosemary sound fancy and like they don’t really go together, but trust me, it is so so good. I like to pair these with these crackers, match made in heaven. I know making your own crackers sounds like too much work, but it’s totally worth it.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Dough Bites– I don’t always use this exact recipe, but in form or another they involve oats, peanut butter, chocolate (duh) and other odds and ends. These are perfect for popping while waiting in line to board or a ‘tide-me-over-until-dinner’ snack. I always tend to eat these first because they are more like dessert and fill me up super quick. I mean, I’ll take a cookie any day, but these are a good travel-friendly substitute.
Loaded Veggie Sandwich- Again, this is more of a what I have on hand situation, rather than a real recipe. I like to grab a small baguette from Trader Joe’s to make sure the bread stands up to any spread or pesto I pair with this sandwich. Plus, it feels a little fancier so I’m not tempted to splurge on that expensive Chili’s To Go stand at the airport. I take any veggies I have on hand, roasted or raw, slice them up and build a nice, hefty sandwich with hummus, pesto or any other kind of spread. I will maybe get a bag of chips to round out the meal and to feed my potato chip addiction, but otherwise, this is a pretty good way to keep on track with meals at the airport.
Empty water bottle- Because, duh and no one wants to pay $4 for your tepid bottle of water, please and thank you. I also threw in some smoked almonds from TJ’s because those are my favorite!
There you go! Where are you traveling this year? I have a Galentine’s Day reunion coming up (if you don’t know what that is who are you and also, use this for reference), a wedding and of course, honeymoon at the end of the year! I’m sure there may be weekend trips sprinkled here and there, but those are the major ones for now. What do you pack when you travel? I’m always on board for new/more snacks!
Kath says
GALENTINE’S REUNION STARTS TODAY!!!! <3
Julia says
I’m going on two trips over the next two months and was thinking I needed to plan some snacks. I just cannot staaaaand airport food, so I tend to arrive at my destination starved (and cranky, ha!). I’m thinking that loaded veggie sandwich is going to save me from elbowing other travelers in the rib cage 😉
The Frosted Vegan says
Ahhh have so much fun on your trips gurlfriend!!