14 Healthy Travel Snacks For Long Flights

14 healthy snacks for long flights, all gluten free, vegan, & TSA approved to keep you full throughout your travel day!

Let’s talk healthy snacks for long flights!! So my trip over to Indonesia last month, took about a total of 22.5 hours of being in the actual air. Which is a lot haha! And any time the flight attendants came around with carts of pre-made air plane food, I politely declined. I swear they thought I was crazy, LOL! They were probably like, how is this girl not eating on this long flight?! They were so sweet though, & kept trying to offer me different options while I continued to assure them that I was indeed, okay!

Icecream?

Bread?

Yogurt?

It was a “no” to all of the above! LOL

The lack of food options while on my flight did not at all come as a surprise to me. As someone who has had Celiac for years & now being vegan, there really aren’t a lot of options in regards to travel food, & especially the food served on airplanes. It is what it is & I knew that!

So I came prepared!

I read some blog posts about healthy travel snacks to help me think of anything I wasn’t initially thinking of & really stocked up to make sure I had a handful of options to satisfy my hunger throughout my 24 hour travel day.

And that’s really all it comes down to. Preparation. If you eat a certain way, have food allergies, IBS, or any digestive issues, you know how important it is to plan ahead to make sure you aren’t going to be hungry & that you do have safe options available! Because when you’re traveling & you’re not prepared, it can definitely be tricky to navigate options, especially when you’re traveling in a foreign country, & there is an apparent language barrier.

For me personally, I’d rather not risk anything, so I’m more than happy to take care of my travel snacks on my own! That way it’s fully customizable & you have plenty of options that you know will satisfy your hunger & will also nourish your body! Bringing your own snacks also saves money too because airport food/snacks definitely tend to be a bit pricey!

So with that said, here’s the list of healthy travel snacks I packed for my journey over to Indonesia!

Healthy Snacks for Long Flights

1. An empty re-useable water bottle

It’s crucial that you stay hydrated anytime when flying, but especially on long flights! I think it’s always smart to pack an empty re-useable water bottle in your carry-on to make sure you’re consuming enough water throughout your travel day & you don’t have to rely on the water the flight attendants give you or spend unnecessary amounts of money on water bottles in the airport! And like I said, you’ll want to make sure it’s empty so that it makes it through TSA! Once you’re through security, then you can fill it up! Most airports have a water fountain that also has a little area to fill up your water bottle which is really convenient & perfect for staying hydrated!

2. Lots of tea

Red Rooibos & Peppermint specifically…both very soothing & calming for the digestion system. I flew on Japan Airlines & they also offered the option of hot green tea, which I actually did take advantage of as well, for some extra antioxidants! As a tea-drinker, I love bringing along tea anytime I travel. Just kindly ask your flight attendant for a cup of hot water & I’m sure they’d be more than happy to accommodate you – I’ve never had an issue!

3. GoMacro Plant Based Protein Bars

GoMacro bars are always my go-to. I’m beyond obsessed with them…they’re vegan, gluten free, have great ingredients, are so filling, & never upset my stomach! Overall a really good brand too, I like supporting them & the bars are seriously awesome. I brought a TON on this trip. A few in my carry on & the rest in my checked luggage! Feel free to use code madi_rowan for 25% off your goMacro purchase!

4. Banana

Self-explanatory…I ate this before I boarded my first flight.

5. Chopped Carrots & Hummus

This was kinda a last minute decision but I’m SO happy I brought these two. I got a pack of mini Cedar’s hummus from Whole Foods, that I was planning to dip pretzels in, but when I was cleaning out my fridge the night before I left, I decided to peel & chop up the remaining carrots I had. Like I said, so glad I did that! The carrots & hummus were delicious & kept me full for a few hours! The Cedar’s hummus pack came with three little hummus containers & I went through them all. They were such a great snack & since they were mini, they met the 3 oz. TSA security requirement!

6. From The Ground Up Cauliflower Original Pretzels

Who doesn’t love a good crunchy bag of pretzels?! And these are made from cauliflower & cassava flour?! Yum! I first found this brand at my local health food store, but I know Whole Foods carries them too! They were really delicious dipped in the hummus I brought.

7. Trader Joe’s Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn

Idk if you’ve ever had this popcorn from Trader Joe’s but wow is it tasty & contains just a few simple ingredients! This kettle corn comes in a larger pack with 6 small snack bags. I just brought one, because sometimes if I eat a lot of corn-based products it messes with my stomach & I didn’t want to risk it!

8. Purely Elizabeth Oats

I thought this would be a great idea because it’s so simple, but so nourishing & filling. Aside from everything else mentioned on this list, instant oats can act as a full “meal”, you can add in nuts or seeds, a nut butter, & these specific ones from Purely Elizabeth already had some freeze-dried fruit in it which was nice. I’ve really come to love Purely Elizabeth. Everything I’ve tried has been amazing & you cannot beat how clean the ingredients are! Two thumbs up! I’m really happy I brought along these! Super easy to make too – just add a little hot water, stir, & let sit for a few minutes!

9. Dried Mango

I like to get my dried mango at Trader Joe’s because there isn’t any sugar or nasty preservatives added to it, it’s just plain old mango. I ended up not eating it while on the flight, but did enjoy it as a little breakfast the morning after I landed! Any dried fruit is a great snack for flying though!

10. Medjool Dates

Like the carrots, I didn’t have the heart to throw away all of my Medjool Dates that I had left over in my fridge, so I brought them! I love a good date! They are delicious with almond or peanut butter too..seriously tastes like candy!

11. Almond & Peanut Butter Single Packets

Speaking of almond & peanut butter, I brought 5 individual packets of the two. I didn’t go through them all on the flight, but the single packets are really convenient if you want to spread it on a date, like I mentioned, if you want to pack celery, you can eat it that way, or you can add it to your instant oats, which was my reasoning for bringing it along. Another good source of protein, healthy fat, & will help keep you fuller for longer – I bought the little single packets from the brand Justin’s, they’re like $1.00 at Whole Foods!

12. Alter Eco Chocolate

Every traveler (near or far) needs some chocolate IMO! This is a brand that I’ve found within the past six months & I’ve really enjoyed their dairy-free dark chocolate…my favorite is the Quinoa Crunch, so that’s the one I brought! Find them at Whole Foods!

13. Smart Sweets

I’ve been hearing a ton about Smart Sweets lately, so I really wanted to give them a try on my trip! In case you’re not familiar, they’re a “healthy” gluten free, vegan, low sugar, non-GMO candy brand that has put their own healthy spin on classic candies such as peach rings, Swedish fish, & gummy bears. Peach rings, were a favorite of mine growing up, so that’s what I brought along!

14. Ginger Chews

Love a good ginger chew!! I usually find mine at either Trader Joe’s or Marshall’s actually & if I’m being honest, I prefer the ones from Marshall’s! They’re both the same brand, same type of idea, but just a little different. Ginger chews are great to freshen up your breath, settle an upset stomach, kick a sugar craving, & are the best little things to have on hand, especially when traveling! Also great if you’re looking for something to chew on while the plane is taking off, landing, etc.!

I know this all may seem like a lot to bring along with you through the airport, but trust me…it’s SO worth it! I was able to fit all of the above, plus a ton of other things rather comfortably in my carry on. And obviously, as you eat snacks throughout the duration of your travel day, it frees up space in your bag, so it really doesn’t end up being bad at all! In my opinion, I’d rather be prepared than left with nothing to eat or snack on – trust me, being “hangry” when traveling is never fun!!

Do you pack your own snacks for long flights?