Traveler Approved Plant-Based Snacks & Meals To Bring On Flights

What inspired me to write this post was the moment that my Wild Life chocolate pumpkin-spiced peanut butter jar was taken by the TSA on my way home from California. I had bought it at Food Fight! Grocery (a small vegan grocery store, how epic) in Portland, Oregon at the beginning of a spring break road trip to San Diego. It was super on sale so it was probably around $10 cheaper than its normal price, so naturally I fell in love and had to buy it.

Well, of course I didn’t finish it by the end of the road trip so I tried to take it home with me. I challenged the TSA guy but he wasn’t having any of it. My peanut butter was trashed. What a waste!!

So I’m deciding to give back to all those whose food has been taken or who went hungry on their flight because they forgot to request a vegan meal (or their airline doesn’t even have vegan options). Here are some ideas for snacks and meals that you can easily bring on a flight either by themselves or in reusable tupperware:

Savory snacks

• veggies & hummus or avocado
• mixed nuts like cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios and peanuts
• my personal favorite… Brami beans
• an avocado, straight up (you could ask the flight attendants for salt and pepper to jazz it up)
• kale chips
• Hippeas
• rice crackers with avocado or your favorite spread
• olives

Sweet snacks

• dark chocolate bar
• dried fruit (my favorites are banana chips, cranberries, pineapple, apple, strawberries, mango, and papaya)
• Justin’s nut butter cups
• hard fruits that won’t bruise easily (oranges, clementines, kiwis, pomegranates, grapes, less ripe bananas..)
• homemade cookies or muffins 
• power bites from the Whole Foods (or local co-op) bulk food section (I always find yummy small, square bites made with dates, gojis, cacao, coconut, seeds, nuts, etc..)
• pitted medjool dates stuffed with cashews or nut butter
• Larabars or gomacro bars

Meals (bring a combination of these)

• homemade salads (like pictured above… I made a salad with arugula, lentils, chickpeas, zucchini, leftover baked sweet potato, with a simple vinaigrette on top)
• roasted potatoes and veggies
• grilled, marinated tofu
• boiled sweet potato with cinnamon and walnuts or nut butter
• hearty sandwich made with Tofurky vegan deli slices
• chickpea “tuna” (here‘s a good recipe)
• rice & beans with salsa, avocado, and nutritional yeast
• mixture of dry quick oats, seeds, dried fruits and your favorite superfoods (ask the flight attendant for a cup of hot water and boom! oatmeal!)
• pasta with olive oil, salt, herbs and spices (or pesto)
• lentils mixed with a bit of tomato sauce
• leftover pizza slices
• tomato slices, vegan mozzarella, balsamic drizzle, and basil leaves
• PB&J!
• bagel & vegan cream cheese (Tofutti, Kite Hill, Trader Joe’s, Daiya, etc… or make your own!)

I hope this helps with planning for your next travel experience. Remember to stay super hydrated (bring a reusable water bottle!) and nourished with probiotics (labeled capsules like Culturelle are your best option) to avoid dehydration and travel diarrhea or constipation. That’s never a fun time!

Happy travels!

Kayla