I see it more and more when flying these days: travelers carrying their own food onto a flight, from bags of smelly Mexican from the terminal, to entire coolers crammed into the overhead.  With most airlines now charging for anything beyond peanuts, people are taking their edibles with them more and more – and, very often, edibles that are anything but high-octane fuel for the trip ahead. 

It's easy to become a slave to food when exploring new culinary delights and crossing time zones, the end result being you packing on travel pounds or being sapped of energy from either too much crap or not enough food at all.  For those unforeseen times when food is not the event, but, rather, the necessity, pack some healthy snack options for your journey.  Here's my personal favorite traveling chow that I never leave home without:

1) LÄRABARS: I prefer these over protein bars for everything they DON'T have: no sugar, dairy, soy, wheat, or gluten, nothing processed, and they're kosher.   Pure energy perfect for any diet, with flavors like chocolate, banana cookie, and apple pie, these lightweight, pack-easy, “fruit and nut” bars won't mess with your blood sugar levels when your patience is already being tried on the road.

2) NUTS: Need more protein?  Opt for organic nuts: almonds, cashews, or pistachios are a great handful-at-a-time snack that's easily packaged in Ziploc bags.

3) FRUIT: If only you knew how many times I've thrown a banana or pear in my bag, promising myself I'd eat it before I got to my location, only to pull a smashed mess from my purse on the other end.  Learn from me, and stick to apples and oranges – unless crossing borders where importing produce may be prohibited; in that case, bring longer-lasting dried fruit like unsulphured apricots or raisins instead.

4) CARROTS: Pre-cut carrot snack packs are a perfect veggie balance nibblet that also packs well.

5) TEA: When Starbucks is nowhere to be found (yes, there are still some places in the world without Starbucks), tea is a bit easier (and healthier!) to prepare in single-cup servings than coffee.  Just order some hot water and bring your own bags: herbal chamomile or peppermint will sooth any stomach where the local diet might not be sitting well, whereas black tea brings a quick caffeine antidote to jetlag.

6) SWEETENERS, SPICES, AND CONDIMENTS: I always bring an emergency stash of “seasonings”: fake-sugar sweeteners, such as aspartame tablets that come in a Tic Tac-size dispenser, and extra packets of salt, pepper, and ketchup from any fast food restaurant in the States; these items can be tough to find when on the move, and even cost extra abroad.

7) WATER: The bigger the bottle, the better, to wash everything down with, and stay hydrated.

With these sensible snacks stowed in your carry-on, you'll never go starving, overpay, or get stuck eating crap again when traveling…especially expensive, terminal-bought crap that stinks up the entire plane.  Your fellow, odor-sensitive passengers will thank you.