ashleyd /

My Favorite Healthy Travel Snacks

Over the past two years, there have been weeks when Bo or I would fly four times in a single week. The constant commute between London and Geneva, weekend adventures and flights back to the United States did a number on each of our waist lines. Without realizing it, one can easily do damage to the healthy eating and workouts enjoyed at home.  Whether it is the complimentary wine and beer served on European flights, the limited airport food options or the sodium and preservative filled meals, flying can easily be anything but healthy.

The good news is that with some simple planning, flying can be far healthier and leave you ready to explore the new city or head to business meetings energized and fresh versus battling a food hangover and bloated. You have no excuse to show up for a flight unprepared or complain about the lack of choice on planes or at the airport. You don’t HAVE to eat the airplane food. In fact, these days, Bo and I typically say no thank you to the food options and only go for the sparkling water. Here’s a glimpse of the carry on bag I brought with me for today’s flights from Geneva to Savannah.

IMG_8008[1] 

Before we get to our five favorite in-flight snacks, here are a few tips for those of you who don’t fly as often.

  • Yes, you can bring food with you through security both in the USA and abroad.
  • You can use a cooler as one of your carry-on bags, which is especially convenient if you are traveling with kids or a group.
  • Make sure that the food is in a small container, smaller than 3.4 oz
  • It is always a good idea to put food in clear containers such as plastic bags or Tupperware.
  • If you’re flying internationally, you will most likely have to throw away any leftover food before entering customs in your destination.
  • If you’re worried about something, search for it on the TSA website to make sure it is allowed.
  • Avoid foods that have a strong smell. No one wants to sit next to someone eating tuna fish sandwiches.
  • Bring an empty water bottle with you so you can fill it once you are through security. Make sure to fill it at a water fountain before boarding the flight as many flight attendants won’t refill the bottle due to lack of water quantity, especially on long flights.

Best Plane Snacks

While we tend to travel with different snacks each time, here is a round up of our favorite snacks when we travel. If we don’t have time to pack a small bag of snacks before our flight, we get to the airport early and go to Pret-A-Manger or another healthy on-the-go restaurant and grab plain yogurt, fruit, popcorn and salads. Healthy food isn’t always easy to find but thus far, the Delta terminal in the Los Angeles airport is the only place I have not been able to find at least SOME healthy snacks.

  • Air popped popcorn
  • Cashews, almonds and other mixed nuts
  • Apples, bananas or clementines
  • Chopped vegetables & a small container of hummus
  • KIND bars or your favorite homemade nut based bar or energy ball
  • Greek yogurt + homemade granola
  • Sandwich (Build your favorite sandwich but make sure to leave the tomatoes off as they will leave it soggy after a few hours.)
  • Mini Babybel cheese
  • Salad with less than 3.4 oz dressing in a separate container
  • Eggland’s Best pre-peeled hard boiled eggs or homemade pre-peeled hard boiled eggs

Your turn: Since we’re on the topic of travel, what snacks do you stash in your carry on bag or purse when you fly?

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

London: Tower of London

Greetings from London! It has been an incredible yet exhausting weekend with Bo and my parents. I love that when my parents visit London we have the opportunity to finally visit historic and cultural spots we’ve heard about so much.

I took Friday off from work so that we could enjoy the day together. Our itinerary included a relaxed morning breakfast, exploring Tower of London, cruising the Thames river, pub grub and toasting pints in a pub.

Tower Hill Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at the Tower of London. Culturally and historically, it was a great starting point for our London history tour. We were blessed with phenomenal weather which meant that we spent plenty of time touring the grounds and walking the perimeter wall.

IMG_4235 IMG_4228 IMG_4229

Did you know that this seal changes for each king or queen, replacing the first letter with their first initial? The R however remains the same as it stands for queen or king in Latin, which is regina for queen or rex for king.

IMG_4232 IMG_4274 IMG_4253 IMG_4262For us, the highlights included the crown jewels, which have been stored at the Tower of London since the 14th century when Westminster Abbey was deemed unsafe.  The Crown Jewels collection includes the coronation objects of the kings and queens such as crowns, robes, sceptres, and rings. IMG_4274

The jewels are guarded by members of the British Army. In addition, the Yeoman Warders, or Beefeaters, only qualify to serve in this role once they have honorably served in the army for 22 years! IMG_4263 IMG_4265 IMG_4268 If you’re planning a trip to the Tower of London, we do have a few tips for you based on our experience.

1. Buy your tickets in advance to avoid the very lengthy queues.

2. Research in advance to understand whether European school children are on holiday. If they are, then make sure you arrive as early as possible.

3. Make sure to allow yourself 2-3 hours to explore the Tower of London as there are many areas to visit and being rushed just isn’t fun.

Have you been to London before? If so, what was your favorite part?

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Travel Tips from the Friendly Skies

Greetings from the friendly skies! I’m typing this during my second and last flight of the day, Paris to Newark!

IMG_3054Last night I stayed up working until around midnight which was of course far later than I wanted. But, luckily I was able to work in my compression socks while sitting indian style at my desk. When I’m working from home in the evening I find that lighting a few candles and changing into my favorite sweats, now that the weather is cooler, is the perfect way to make it more bearable. I knew that “turning off” my brain would be tough and potentially keep me up, so I sipped on some Celestial Seasons Sleepy Time tea during the last hour of number crunching.

The tea worked wonders as I didn’t move a single time during my 7 hours of sleep! I didn’t even hear the phone ring when Delta called 3 times! Ooops! I woke up to news that my Paris – JFK flight was delayed 3.5 hours due to mechanical issues. Luckily Delta was able to move me over to their Paris – Newark flight which was on time and still had an exit row aisle seat available! If you travel a lot, please make sure you take advantage of airline loyalty programs. It amazes me when I talk to bloggers or co-workers who simply don’t opt in. The level of service I receive from Delta due to my status in amazing in comparison to my experience on Swiss Air where I am still building status.

IMG_3069

In order to get my body on Eastern Time as quickly as possible, I reset my watch and computer clock as soon as I arrived at the Geneva airport. Instead of thinking of my flight as a 10:30 departure, I thought of it as a 4:30am early flight. I waited to eat breakfast until my connection in Paris and delayed lunch on my flight as much as possible. Gia and I discussed the benefits of me bringing my own food, as airplane food can be unreliable, filled with sodium and unhealthy. Due to a shorter than expected connection in Paris I wasn’t able to buy a lot of food.

IMG_3060But, I did hit jackpot in the little cafe near my gate which I dashed before boarding. I grabbed yogurt, two salads (one green salad with chicken and one caprese salad), coconut water and 2 bananas for the 8 hour flight. This, along with the chicken and rice they served in flight, should be enough to keep me fueled during the flight. I also asked the stewardess, while explaining my upcoming marathon, for a liter of water versus small cups!

After years of travel, I think I finally have the routine down to an art! Here are a few travel tips!

  • Always wear or bring socks so you can take off your shoes during the flight. Due to swelling which occurs during flight, this tends to be a LOT more comfortable!
  • Invest in a good neck pillow! I’ve had mine for 3 years and use it for not only my neck but sometimes my lower back, depending on the flight. I snap it on my carry-on bag strap instead of trying to stuff it in the bag.
  • Carry a “travel essential” pouch filled with toothbrush, mouthwash, face wash, moisturizer, eye pillow, ear plugs, extra phone charger or USB adapter, $10 or equivalent in foreign money, hair rubber band, and lip balm. These little things can help keep you refreshed on flight and save you from finding yourself with a dead phone or no cash for water or a snack.
  • While it’s often important to look presentable, especially if traveling with colleagues, make sure that you choose comfortable clothing. I love wearing a wrap sweater which can be removed on a hot plane or wrapped tight on a cold plane along with black leggings when I’m traveling for work.
  • Even in the most stressful of situations, kindness goes a long way. Today I watched two travelers treat the Delta associates in totally different manners and in return get very different service.
  • Last but not least, especially if you have status, pick up the phone and call the airline WHILE you are waiting in the customer service or help line. Sometimes you’ll get someone on the phone before you move two feet in the line. The time between when a flight is delayed or cancelled is valuable as every passenger is vying for a different seat. But, do not get out of line until you have a new confirmation and ticket issued. Sometimes the phone support can’t make all the changes necessary and you never want to lose your place in line!

What is your favorite airline? Are you loyal to one or do you follow the cheapest ticket deal? Until moving to Europe Bo and i were both devout Delta customers. Unfortunately Delta and their partner airlines don’t cover Europe the way they cover the US. Therefore we are slowly building miles on Star Alliance since SWISS and UNITED are both part of this alliance and have direct flights between Geneva, London and NYC.

Share Button
Follow: