Summer. The season of early morning airport trips, long motorway stretches, and train journeys that somehow always coincide with your hungriest hour. Travelling is brilliant, eating well while travelling is a different story.
It doesn't have to be, though. With a little prep and a realistic approach to the moments when prep isn't possible, eating on the go can be genuinely straightforward.
The problem with travel food
Airports, service stations, and train platforms aren't exactly designed with good nutrition in mind. What's on offer tends to be expensive, heavily processed, and not particularly filling. You grab something because you're hungry and it's there, eat it, and find yourself hungry again an hour later.
The alternative isn't perfection. It's just a bit of forward thinking.
The best on the go breakfast
- Berries on the bottom
- 125g of Greek style yoghurt
- 40g of Purition Wholefood Nutrition on top.
Other meal prep ideas worth making
If you have a bit more time, these recipes from our blog travel well and keep you going:
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Energy ballsSmall, satisfying, and easy to throw in a bag. Made from just 3 whole food ingredients, they are the perfect grab and go snack! You can find the recipe here. |
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Baked oat squaresMore substantial than energy balls and great for longer journeys. Make a batch, slice them up and wrap a couple to take with you. Find the recipe here. |
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Layered yoghurt potsSame as above. Quick to put together, easy to carry, and just as good for lunch as it is for breakfast. |
When you haven't had time to prep
Meal prepping is brilliant when life allows. It doesn't always. If you find yourself at a service station or airport with nothing to hand, here's a quick guide to the most supportive options you're likely to find:
A packet of nuts, an apple or banana, dates, dark chocolate, hummus with crackers, some cheese, a boiled egg if you can find one.
These are whole, real foods that will actually satisfy rather than just tide you over for twenty minutes. Most of them are available in supermarkets, many petrol stations, and most airport shops if you know what to look for.
One more thing: your water bottle
Bring your trusty bottle. Refill it. Hunger and thirst signals are easy to confuse, and staying hydrated makes a real difference to how you feel on a long journey. Buying water at an airport is expensive and unnecessary, as most have refill points once you're through security.
The simple version
Travelling well doesn't require a cool bag full of perfectly portioned meals. It just requires a bit of thought and knowing what to reach for when you haven't had the chance.
A yoghurt pot in a jar. A handful of nuts in your bag. A water bottle you actually remembered to fill. Small things, but they make a real difference to how you feel, and mean that when you do decide to have the croissant, it's a choice, not a compromise.
