Wheels Up! What's In Your Carry-On?

I’ve officially succumbed to the reality that my new normal is flying on an airplane at least once a month, but usually twice. This means at least 4 different trips to various airports, 4 different security lines, waiting at 4 different gates, and of course, a minimum of 4 flights that average about 5 hours each leg. If your first thought is “yikes,” we’re on the same page. If your second thought is, “that sounds miserable,” I completely agree. If any part of you is thinking, “how much airport food does she eat!?” you’re in the right place.

Whether you fly once in a blue moon, or you have enough miles to send you to the moon (note: donations are accepted in the form of miles or points), it’s important to be wise about the foods you choose to fuel your on-the-go self. I’m also going to be realistic here. I’d love to tell you all to remember to bring your BPA-free water bottles and your crust-cut sandwiches packed in lunch boxes, but if you’re airport-bound straight from the office or you’re like me and already have 100 bags to hold, that’s probably not the most realistic approach to traveling healthfully. So before we dive into some healthy travel tips, please make sure your seat-backs and tray tables are in their upright position and that your seatbelts are securely fastened… or something like that.

Eat before the airport

If you can. Obviously this depends on the time of day your flight is, but if you have an afternoon or evening flight, try not to save your meal for the airport. If you’re ravenous while you’re walking to your gate, you’re obviously going to stop at the newsstand and buy the chips.. and the candy. Probably the chicken caesar wrap too. If you’re even just a 5 on the hunger scale (that means neutral), you’ll think with your brain and not your stomach when making food choices.

Your PB & J

If you do have the time to pack some food before the airport, that’s best case scenario. You’ll have control of what you’re eating and you won’t have to pay triple the price for it. But be realistic about what you can bring with you. AKA, don’t make yourself a turkey sandwich if you may not be eating it for another 4 hours. When I have the time, I usually play it safe with a whole wheat PB&J and banana sandwich, because I don’t feel pressured to eat it as soon as I get on the plane. Let me tell you, airplane bathrooms are not conducive to the post-consumption symptoms of 4-hour-room-temperature turkey...

The bloat is real

And hydration is key! At 35,000 feet up, we need to drink more than we normally do at sea level. I always buy a 1 liter water bottle and place it in my seat pocket to remind myself to drink throughout the flight. If you’re typically more of a seltzer person, this isn’t exactly the best time to be picky about your liquids (sorry). Reduce the risk of bloat by ditching the fizz, or any sugary/salty/alcoholic beverages before or after takeoff. Remember, salty foods and beverages will make you retain water and thus feel bloated. I promise, you can go back to seltzer or have a bloody mary as soon as you land.

Give me some easy airport snacks already!!

Okay, okay! You want me to cut to the chase and tell you what to buy before you board. Will do. Note, these are just some of my go-to packaged airport snacks, and no, not every single terminal is guaranteed to have them. But if you happen to find them, you have the green light. (PS: you may click below for links). 

• Eat enlightened 100 calorie bags of roasted bean crisps
• Seapoint farms dry roasted edamame
• Chobani vanilla Greek yogurt + apple
• Superseedz pumpkin seeds
• Nuts.com nut mix + piece of fruit
• Apple + individual packet justin's nut butter
• Individual bags of Mary’s gone “pretzels”

Are you prepared for an emergency?

...is something you never want to hear on an airplane. But when all else fails and you have to eat the airplane food for one reason or another, there’s still strategy involved. This actually happened to me on my most recent flight from LAX to JFK. I was so excited about a quinoa greek salad bowl that I found from one of the shops at LAX - but the ingredients turned out to be pretty gross. I’m talking wilted lettuce and sour tomatoes type of gross. So not surprisingly, I found myself super hungry 2 hours in and had no other choice but to order from the sky menu. Here is how I navigated, and here is how I recommend you do the same:

1. Assess your level of hunger. Is this your dinner? Do you plan on eating when you land? If this is going to be your complete meal, you want something that's really going to fill you so you don’t end up being that person with 20 stacks of mini airline pretzel packets on their tray table. This means you should opt for something with a decent amount of protein. Ie. the turkey sandwich. If you just need a quick holdover before you land, the veggie and hummus option may be better for you.
2. You don’t have to eat it all. And you shouldn’t if it’s blatantly unhealthy! My turkey sandwich came on one of those giant white bread rolls with some kind of aioli sauce. So I ditched the bread and ate the turkey, cheese, tomatoes, and arugula.... and honestly, it wasn’t bad. (but apologies to my seatmate who watched me tear apart my sandwich).
3. Resist the junk. This can be the hardest part. After all, you’re stuck on an airplane and your only activity options are to watch a movie, read a book, or eat. My sandwich came with a bag of chips and a brownie. I decided after picking out the insides of my turkey sandwich, that I wanted a bite of one or the other. I read both nutrition labels and surprisingly they were comparable in calories and fat. The major difference was that the brownie had 17 grams of sugar (cringe) and the chips had close to none - but the chips were fried and salted, and the brownie of course was not. I went for half of the brownie, and immediately discarded the other half. *Warning* do not leave opened bags of food temptation in your vicinity! Get out of your seat and bring it to the flight attendant to toss. You’re welcome.

FINALLY! Protein and energy bars we can get behind

Had enough of the high sugar and artificial protein bars that saturate the aisles of grocery stores? Us too. That's why when we came across Shanti Bars, we were so excited that we immediately contacted the founders to find a way to spread the word to our followers. We chatted with Lauren and Ashanty to hear their story.

Shanti bars are vegan, raw, kosher and organic. They are packed with superfoods such as chia and hemp seeds, acai, spirulina, cacao, goji berries and mulberries.  The founders take their passion and purpose seriously, as they created this bar to provide active, busy people with real, natural, sustainable energy.

Lauren and Ashanty are both chefs and fellow health nuts living in sunny Miami. As an outdoor cycling fanatic, Ashanty grew frustrated with the lack of healthy, natural protein bars on the market and therefore decided to put her culinary skills to work. She created the Shanti bars in her kitchen and used friends at her gym as guinea pigs.

Lauren, a fellow chef and one of the first guinea pigs, quickly became hooked and they partnered up to turn their passion into a business. They had to find a way to take these bars from Ashanty’s kitchen to store shelves for the masses to enjoy. Their hard work has paid off as their partnership with Whole Foods launched just this week! 

The protein bars offer 17 grams of natural protein, which are great for a pre or post-workout snack, while the energy bars provide 7-9 grams. All of the bars are between 220-260 calories, have around 5 grams of fiber, and around 11 grams of sugar. With all natural, raw, and vegan ingredients, the nutrition label is most certainly Tovita approved! Rather than the traditional and familiar chocolate or vanilla bars, Shanti bars have unique flavors like goldenberry, coconut, turmeric, acai, cacao and goji. 

Lauren and Ashanty were kind enough to provide our clients and followers with a 15% off discount code! Order online now using our code TovitaForShanti.

We recommend getting the variety pack to try all the flavors, but our personal favorite is the cacao protein bar… just saying!

Try them all and let us know which is your favorite flavor! 

Thanks, Lauren & Ashanty!

Berry-Mango Smoothie

Today we are featuring a smoothie recipe created by our friends at Healthsomeness, a great page to find creative and healthy smoothie recipes! This one is delish, let us know what you think!

Ingredients and health benefits

1 cup of frozen mixed berries: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries to be precise, all of which are rich sources of antioxidants. One particular antioxidant that they contain in large amounts is vitamin C, perhaps the most well know vitamin. It helps with iron absorption, the healing of wounds and boosting your immune system.

Numerous studies have shown that berries help to reduce mental decline, promote heart health, assist with weight management and can also help reduce cholesterol levels & blood pressure.

1/2 a cup of frozen mango: mangoes contain naturally occurring sugars, which is why they are so delicious. Their sweetness is advantageous when preparing smoothies because you don’t need to add in any extra sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Mangoes, like many other orange coloured foods, are a rich source of vitamin A. This vitamin is important for eye, skin and hair health.

1 cup of spinach: it is important to get at least 3 servings of vegetables a day, and one cup of vegetables counts for one serving. Leafy greens like spinach are mainly made up of water, which is why they are so low in calories. Indeed, a cup of spinach has only 7 calories!

However with that being said, spinach is still very nutrient dense. It is a great source of vitamin K, folate, manganese and iron.

1 cup of coconut water – coconut water is super hydrating and is often used by athletes in place of ordinary sports drinks. Two electrolytes that it contains in large amounts are potassium & magnesium. The former regulates fluid balance and controls electric activity of the heart whilst the latter promotes bone and gut health.

1 tablespoon of chia seeds – when these tiny seeds are introduced into liquid, they swell up and form a thick gel like consistency. This in turn means they make you feel full faster when you eat them.

Nuts & seeds are some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet because they contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals. This is one of the primary reasons why they are so often recommended by nutritionists.

1 teaspoon of spirulina – this rich green powdery substance is an algae that is an excellent source of protein. You don’t need much in order to reap its benefits, one teaspoonful is enough. Studies have shown that spirulina boosts energy, helps prevent cancer and is good for cardiovascular health.

Preparation

Pour the coconut water into a blender and then add in the rest of the ingredients. Blend well and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Newsette Interview

Check out our interview for The Newsette below! 

Today we’re introducing the girls behind Tovita Nutrition, a virtual nutrition counseling and concierge service. Leah Silberman and Molly Rieger are both registered dietitians and entrepreneurs who have brought a fresh perspective to the health and wellness industry.

They conduct sessions over videoconference in order to maximize convenience for clients and their mission is to help them reach their nutrition goals by creating a program that includes individualized meal plans, 24/7 support, and client accountability. And the best part? As young girls based in Manhattan, they understand that late night pizza and seamless Sundays happen. No judgement. So we sat down with these two nutrition experts to ask our biggest healthy living questions, and snatched a business tip or two. 

1. We have a section at the top called "Thing to do today." What is one thing you advise your clients to do everyday?
Leah: It’s really important to drink enough water. We recommend filling a 32 oz water bottle up at least twice a day. It’s easy to get caught up at work and simply forget to hydrate. Even mild dehydration can make you feel exhausted, dizzy, and reduce your overall productivity. 

Molly: Turn off all your screens at least 25 minutes before bed. Shutting down your phone, laptop, and TV before bed will help you wind down, take time to yourself without constant distractions, and get to sleep faster. Getting a good night sleep is absolutely crucial to staying on track with clean eating. 

2. A lot of our readers are in their early twenties, what's the healthiest drink they can order at a bar?
Leah: Pick your liquor of choice and add a non-caloric mixer, like seltzer. Throw in some lemons or limes. I’d recommend a mixed drink versus, let’s say, a vodka on the rocks because it takes longer to drink and provides a bit more hydration. 

Molly: If liquor isn’t your thing, go for a 5 oz glass of wine or a light beer. If you’re a red wine drinker, you’ll reap the benefits of resveratrol, an antioxidant naturally found in the skin of red grapes. Also try to have a glass of water between drinks and before going to sleep to avoid a nasty hangover that can sabotage your healthy eating.

3. What's your favorite healthy snack?
Leah: I love making popcorn either over the stove with a little olive oil or air-popping it. I add spices like rosemary, garlic powder, or turmeric. It’s SO good. Popcorn is a good source of fiber and adding spices gives it a little antioxidant boost. 

Molly: My favorites are an apple with a tablespoon of almond butter or cut up bell peppers with hummus. Both great combinations of protein and fiber with the crunch factor that I crave. 

4. What inspired you two to start Tovita Nutrition and what was the most important lesson you learned while launching?

Leah: We were both working in hospital settings prior to launching Tovita. We are fortunate to have had those experiences because they exposed us firsthand to the relationship between health, nutrition, and disease. We saw how poor nutrition over time could ultimately lead to chronic health complications, like diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. It is sometimes difficult for young people to think that far down the line, which got us thinking, “how can we help people from a prevention standpoint?” 

Molly: Making dietary changes isn’t easy for anyone. It takes a combination of motivation, discipline, and willingness to be flexible. Our goal is to help clients reach their health goals by setting small, measurable objectives along the way while still enjoying whole, real, and natural foods. Leah and I share this health philosophy and knew we wanted to work together in a space where we could really instill lifestyle changes. We came to the conclusion that we would be able to reach the widest array of people, and of course, most conveniently, by conducting virtual sessions. So far our clients are VERY happy with this. 

Leah: We’re still learning new lessons all of the time! So far, the most important lesson I have learned is to be flexible and stay open to new ideas. Whether it’s a new partnership, product, or recommendation for clients, I’ll never know the outcome unless I give it a chance. Of course it is important to exercise judgement and maintain a line of focus, so my passion and purpose never stray too far from one another. But generally speaking, tunnel vision can only get you so far. 

Molly: As Leah said, we’re constantly learning and adjusting accordingly along the way. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to constantly try to see things from different perspectives and take advice from those who have been around longer than us. It’s easy to get really excited about new ideas and we are always eager to execute, but it’s equally important to use mentors as a soundboard. Additionally, brainstormingwith friends in the field has been important, but sometimes those outside the industry bring a fresh viewpoint. 

5. What is one food/ingredient that our readers should stay away from? One they should always have in their pantry? 
Leah: Stay away from foods that are neon. Your fingers just shouldn’t be bright orange after you eat something. On the flip side, keep a nut butter (ie. peanut butter, almond butter) on hand in your pantry. It’s always an easy go-to to top a fiber cracker or throw into a smoothie. 

Molly: Protein bars. There are so many great, natural sources of protein so I see no need to have a processed, sugary protein bar. For my clients who are pressed for time, I suggest throwing together a ziplock of nuts or Justin’s individual packets of almond butter in their bags. Both are excellent sources of natural protein along with healthy fats for sustained energy. I always have blueberries in my refrigerator. I throw them in my yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, or eat them plain for a boost of fiber and antioxidants. 

Love them as much as we do?
Follow: @tovitanutrition for some healthy inspiration
Visit: www.tovitanutrition.com