Traveling? Bring Your Own Healthy Snacks

Even if you ate before you left home, you are still going to get hungry. We often underestimate the amount of time a trip can take. A two-hour flight could mean four or five hours of travel.

• Water: Buy it after the security checkpoint to take onboard. Dehydration can cause or exacerbate hunger, jet lag, and fatigue.
• Cereal: Kashi (a variety of healthy versions) or Cheerios are both portable, low-calorie choices.
• Beef jerky: Especially if you're a low-carb fan -- but not if you're watching your sodium.
• Fruit: Apples, pears, and grapes are durable, and almost any other fruit can be stored in a container.
• Rice cakes: Be selective, since calorie and fat content vary widely.
• Energy bars: Although they tend to be high in calories and fat, they are generally better than a slice of pizza or a candy bar at the airport.
• Nonfat yogurt: Yogurt is a great portable snack (although it is perishable). You can pack a 3-ounce container or less in an insulated bag or take a small cooler, but understand that this can be counted against carry-on bag limitations.
• Sandwiches: Pre-cut them into portion-controlled sections so you can pull them out at different times during the trip without making a mess. Chicken, turkey, cold cuts and cheese (on 100 percent whole wheat bread) are all great options for sandwiches on the go.
• Soy chips: These are yet another portable, low-cal, high-fiber snack.

Make sure to check with the Transportation Security Administration for the latest in-flight rules on bringing food and water.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder and editor of DietDetective.com, the health and fitness network, and author of The Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible. Copyright 2008 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission from www.dietdetective.com, May 2008.