Admittedly, I prefer to chew my food, not drink it. There is even some research to show that taking in the same amount of calories in liquid versus solid form can easily lead to consuming more calories later. Liquids just don’t satisfy the same way solid food can, in particular due to the fact that food is stripped of some beneficial nutrients – in particular, the fiber. I realize this preference for chewing is not held by all and I admit smoothies can be quick and easy solutions for people who might otherwise be skipping meals (or not eating their veggies).

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I am the definition of a chocoholic. And there’s only one thing I love more than chocolate – and that’s peanut butter and chocolate together.

I was raised on artificial sweeteners (sorry to call you out mom!) so my sense of sweet was out of whack from the get go. A few years ago I started to rid my diet of all artificial sweeteners. So I began taking in a lot more actual sugar to compensate for the excessive sweetness I was used to. Well that wasn’t gonna fly. My energy tanked and my waistline suffered. Onto the next challenge I went – reducing my sugar intake to as little as possible (within reason). I have a sweet tooth, I know myself but also believe food should be enjoyed. As I made all these changes (and it was a rough go the first couple of weeks) my cravings started to dissipate as I no longer reached for the processed artificial stuff. In the most shocking turn of events…I’m now satisfied by a small amount of the real thing, whereas before I could inhale anything low sugar, sugar free, or fat free and never feel satisfied. I don’t count calories and I trust my body much more than I used to.

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I by no means live at the airport (and thank goodness), but I’ve travelled enough recently to notice that airports in general are seriously upping their game in the healthy food arena. Yes you might spend your entire paycheck on it, but let’s keep the focus on the positive.

There’s no special trick to eating well while traveling, though without a doubt it’s a bigger challenge. My best advice is to pack your own snacks. It’s cheaper (yay) but more effortful (boo). Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it’s well worth the trouble. Understandably, there will be times you can’t plan ahead, especially if you’re a DIY newbie. If that’s you, it’s smart to do your homework – check online to see what’s available at your airport/terminal and check the menus ahead of time when you can. Most airports nowadays at least clue you into what’s available in each terminal.

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