10 healthy and tasty snacks to pack for your next flight

Photo courtesy of Spread The Love

Flying can be unpredictable, so it's always a good idea to keep some healthy snacks on hand. Ward off hunger in a delicious fashion with these picks. Whether you're craving something crunchy or creamy, sweet or salty, we've got you covered.

Photo courtesy of Lil Bucks

Lil Bucks

Lil Bucks is the first dedicated sprouted buckwheat brand in the U.S., and the raw superfood is perfect for sprinkling on yogurt, oatmeal, toast and salads. Founder Emily Griffith fell in love with the crunchy plant-based protein while living in Australia.

Lil Bucks are available in original, cacao, cinnamon and matcha flavors. Try turmeric lemon myrtle or chocolate reishi Clusterbucks for snacking on the go. The adaptogenic grain-free granola clusters are lightly sweetened with maple syrup.

Photo courtesy of Recipe 33

Recipe 33 Infused Almonds

There are plenty of brands of roasted almonds out there, but only Recipe 33 is slow-roasting almonds and infusing them with bold flavors of Italian black truffle and smoky serrano peppers. The almonds are soaked in water overnight, then roasted at the low temperature of 100°F.

This sprouting process gives the nuts a light crunch and sweet flavor, making them easier to digest, and their nutrients are more readily absorbed. Lemon rosemary, garlic dill and cinnamon vanilla round out the gourmet lineup.

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Photo courtesy of Blake Peterson

Dark chocolate bars

Chocolate is a popular comfort food, and a plain dark chocolate bar has plenty of healthy fats plus antioxidants, without too much sugar. Avoid big brands sourcing their cacao questionably in favor of independent craft chocolate makers, such as Ritual Chocolate, Nuance Chocolate, French Broad Chocolates and Dandelion Chocolate.

Their chocolate bars are made with just a couple of ingredients – cacao and sugar – so you know you're experiencing pure chocolate flavor sourced sustainably from unique origins all over the world. Look for bars with infusions like pine nuts, nibs, sea salt or scorpion pepper to keep things interesting.

Photo courtesy of Whirlaway Marketing

Black Jewell Popcorn

Starting in 1962, in a small Southern Illinois town, Black Jewell Popcorn has been growing an heirloom strain of black kernel popcorn as a high-fiber, heart-healthy snack. The black kernels pop to a pure white, but like many other naturally dark colored fruits and vegetables, these popcorn kernels are rich in both polyphenols and anthocyanins with 95mg of antioxidants per serving.

Ready-to-eat bags come in flavors like aged white cheddar and sea salt & cracked pepper.

Photo courtesy of Spread The Love

Spread The Love Nut Butter

Spread The Love makes the tastiest small-batch nut butters around, and the unsalted almond butter is available in single-serve packs for flights. Instead of using palm oil and adding salt and sugar, there's just one ingredient in these nut butters for a naturally creamy texture and subtly sweet flavor.

Each single-serve pack has less than 200 calories and 6 grams of protein. Don't forget to knead the packet before opening for a smooth consistency.

Photo courtesy of Saffron Road

Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas

These crunchy organic chickpea snacks come in nine different globally-inspired flavors, from Korean BBQ to Bombay spice. Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas have six grams of protein per serving and are available in both larger resealable bags and single serve packs for the sea salt and Bombay spice flavors.

These are a great alternative to chips or pretzels if you're craving something crunchy.

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Photo courtesy of Perfect Snacks

Perfect Bars

These protein bars are so fresh that they're found in the refrigerator, and they're hearty enough to be considered a meal replacement. Each Perfect Bar is packed with 20 superfood powders, freshly ground nut butter and sweetened with honey, coming in a range of flavors from blueberry cashew to salted caramel.

They stay fresh for up to a week at room temperature too, so no need to worry about forgetting it in your backpack.

Photo courtesy of Good King Cacao / Kim Wilson

Snacking Cacao

Single-origin cacao beans sourced from cacao farmer cooperatives in Indonesia and Honduras are the foundation of this fun, crunchy snack that's chock full of antioxidants. Good King Snacking Cacao is certified organic and made in small batches in Seattle – caramelizing whole cacao beans with organic cane sugar, pure herbs and spices to accentuate the bean's natural flavor profile.

The lightly sweet and salty Harmony flavor made with cane sugar and pink Himalayan salt won a Good Food Award in 2018.

Photo courtesy of Quevos

Quevos

These protein-packed low-carb chips are made from crisp egg whites, essentially providing the nutrition of an omelette on the go. Quevos fulfill your crunchy cravings for a savory snack without any guilt.

Keto flavors sour cream & onion and quevos rancheros swap arrowroot starch for milk protein, resulting in fewer carbs and more protein.

Photo courtesy of Sunsweet

Dried fruit

Look to dried fruit with no added sugars for a sweet and healthy treat that's easy to transport. Unlike fresh fruit, it won't get confiscated at the border if you don't finish it in-flight. Sunsweet is the largest brand of dried tree fruits including prunes, dates and apricots, working with nearly 250 grower-members with orchards throughout California's central valley.