BYO Airplane Snacks – Nutritious, Delicious, Healthy

The time has come to go on your Under30Experiences trip, but is everything checked off the packing list? One of the most underrated, but important items that should be on every packing list is airplane snacks. No one wants to pay for overpriced food at the airport, yet it can be hard knowing where to begin. The best airplane snacks are healthy snacks that are packed with nutrients for the long flight ahead. However, these snacks should also be comforting so they can remind you of home while you are away. Fortunately, there are some easy tips and snack ideas for airplane travel that can help get you started.

The Travel Snack Duo – Protein and Carbohydrates

Having high protein snacks and carbs is like traveling with your best friend. These nutrients will have your back and keep you energized while you travel. For instance, protein works like building blocks that keep your body strong, while carbs, especially whole grains, are packed with micronutrients that can maintain our health. These powerhouse nutrients can be paired together to create a lot of delicious airplane snacks. The ideas listed below are a few examples of protein and carbs that are approved by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Some of the foods listed below need to be at or less than 3.4 ounces in a carry-on bag. 

Airplane Snack Ideas 

               Protein                                         Carb

     peanut butter or nut butter                crackers

     boiled egg                                         bagel or pita chips

     nuts and/or seeds                             slice of bread

     hummus                                            popcorn

     deli meat                                           cereal

A few of these foods listed above require refrigeration. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that “…foods held at temperatures above 40 °F for more than 2 hours should not be consumed”. To prevent food-borne illnesses, if you know that you will not be able to eat snacks that need refrigeration within 2 hours, it is not recommended to pack them. Fortunately, though, there are many other plane snacks to choose from and bring with you on your flight.

Are You Team Sweet, Salty, or Sweet and Salty?

Making healthy and delicious mini meals that have protein and carbs is a great starting point, yet from there, your snacks need to be personalized for you. The snacks that you choose need to be foods you know you’ll eat or at least foods you want to try. Although the USDA reported that 30-40% of the food in our country is wasted, figuring out a plan before plane travel can reduce food waste and keep you full and nourished while traveling to your final destination. One way to think of this is by choosing sweet snacks, salty snacks, and/or sweet and salty snacks.

You may have seen many sweet snacks, such as candies and sweet treats, in passing while walking around the airport before your flight. While these snacks bring up nostalgic feelings, there are, fortunately, other sweet snacks packed with protein and carbs that can nourish you during your flight.

Healthy Travel Snacks that Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

• 1 small apple or 1 large banana with peanut or nut butter with a little bit of cinnamon or with chocolate hummus are twists on classic sweet snacks that are perfect for your flight
• There are a lot of recipes available online for no-bake high protein balls that can be packed with flavor and nutrients
• Chocolate-covered berries (such as blueberries, cherries, or strawberries) with ½ cup of Greek yogurt sweetened with a little bit of honey is a great snack to have on handy if you are craving something creamy and sweet. 

While there are plenty of sweet snacks, salty and savory snacks can also be a great option to have on your flight. Despite the fact that many of these crunchy and salty snacks can be high in sodium, there are other options that have similar flavors, but they will be a bit more nutrient-rich.

Healthy Airplane Snacks that Bring on Salty Flavors

• Bring back those childhood memories by having one slice of deli meat with cheese cubes/slices and whole wheat crackers. For that extra bit of nostalgia, try cutting your deli meat and cheese slices with a cookie cutter. Additionally, instead of having cheese and deli meat, try making a vegetarian option by making a high-protein pizza dip with tomato sauce, cheese, cottage cheese, and your favorite veggies that you can have with whole wheat crackers.
• 1/3 cup of pita or bagel chips with homemade hummus or white bean dip is a timeless snack that can keep you full on your flight.
• ½ cup of roasted chickpeas mixed with small pretzels that are seasoned with a low-sodium spice is a new take on trail mix. If you want to experiment with new flavors, try seasoning your chickpeas and/or pretzels with a low or no-sodium seasoning or a homemade spice blend before roasting.

There are plenty of delicious and healthy airplane travel snacks, yet some of the best snacks have sweet and salty flavors. Sweet and salty snacks bring the best of both worlds; the sugary punch found in many sweet snacks balances beautifully with strong, bold salty flavors. Many of these snacks too may be some of your favorite snacks that you eat every day. There has been a growing trend in these types of airplane snacks, and many of them can be healthy and keep you nourished on your flight.

Read More: A List of Healthy Airport Restaurants

Healthy Airplane Snacks that Bring Sweet and Salty Flavors

• Charcuterie boards are becoming very popular, yet they can also make delicious and travel-friendly airplane snacks. Skewering a cube of cheese and apple along with some deli meat onto a toothpick and serving it with whole wheat crackers creates a few mini charcuterie sticks that are perfect for traveling.
• Homemade cereal peanut butter breakfast bars can be especially useful for morning flights. This sweet and salty snack can be made with most cereals, nut butter, and a few other ingredients; however, a whole grain cereal will give you the energy you need for flight.
• Chocolate bark with almonds or other nuts, seeds, and dried fruit like apricots is a unique airplane snack that can combine chocolate with some common salty foods. Each bite of chocolate bark will have its own taste of sweet and salty flavors

Many of these airplane snacks can be personalized to meet your tastes, dietary needs, and allergies. When you find the ones you want for your flight, they will need to be easily accessible when you get hungry on the airplane.

Storing Your Airplane Snacks

• If you’d like to store your snacks in a small bag, try using a reusable food-grade bag. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Along with being eco-friendly, reusable bags can be used again for your airplane snacks on your future Under30Experiences trips
• Another way to store your healthy airplane snacks is by putting them in food-safe metal or silicone containers. Each snack can be stored in its own container or they can be placed in a snack organizer. With these organizers, each snack food is stored in its own compartment. These snack organizers can be bought online.
• Healthy airplane snacks can also be stored in food-safe containers that you already have around your home. Sometimes, there may be containers around that have been forgotten, yet finding and using them can be a cost-effective way to store your airplane snacks.

It’s time for takeoff! All your airplane snacks are ready to go for your flight. Although the journey may be long, the snacks you bring on the plane can prepare you for the trip ahead. Snacks that have a balance between protein and carbs along with fruits and veggies will keep you nourished and energized on your flight. Many of these healthy airplane snack ideas can be followed as is or personalized to your own tastes, but from there, the sky’s the limit. Each snack should be nutritious and delicious so you can be prepared for your Under30Experiences adventure ahead.

Read More: How to Eat Healthy in a Hotel Room for a Week.