IBS Friendly Travel Snacks

If you have an upcoming flight booked, or a road trip to take then you might be concerned about what you will eat while you are on the go. Because you’ll likely have to deal with stress, unfamiliar toilets, queues and boredom, being hungry is not something you want to add to your list of things to worry about!

Traveling while hungry with IBS

It can be tricky finding things to eat that don’t cause your symptoms to flare up and it can be difficult being away from your own kitchen and your regular go to places to eat. When traveling I always like to take a few things with me that will ease the hunger until I can find something suitable, because there is nothing worse than traveling and being hangry (hungry plus angry!).

Travel snacks for people with IBS

These snacks don’t require refrigeration, won’t take up much room in your carry-on bag, and won’t make the person seated next to you wish they were allocated a different seat! Different countries, states, and airlines may have their own restrictions regarding food so it’s always a good idea to check what you can take with you, and what you may have to eat or dispose of, before leaving the plane, state, or country.

All of these items can be tailored for gluten free, dairy free, artificial sweetener free, vegetarian/vegan and low FODMAP friendly requirements. However, because IBS affects us all so differently, there may be some items here that you can't tolerate and some that you can, so it's always best to stick to what works for you.

Pancakes

Yes, pancakes. Not just breakfast food, pancakes can be taken with you as a snack too! This recipe for Low FODMAP Pancakes is tasty enough to eat on its own without any toppings. When pouring them into the pan, make them smaller than you normally would (about palm-sized or smaller).

Sliced vegetables and fruit

Depending on what you can tolerate, slicing up some veggies and fruit makes for easy snacking. If you place them in little bags, they’ll take up less room and turn into good little garbage bags for skins or pips when you are finished. Carrots, cucumber, green beans, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, oranges, mandarins, grapes, and bananas can work well.

Rice crackers or rice cakes

These versatile crunchy bites are generally gluten- and dairy-free, vegetarian, and readily available.  Plus, two plain rice cakes or up to 20 plain rice crackers at a time are considered low FODMAP friendly, which means they’ll be easy to digest if you have trouble with high FODMAP foods.

Nuts and seeds

A little bag of nuts and seeds can make for a simple, filling, and nutritious snack. Options that are low FODMAP-friendly include almonds (10 nuts), chestnuts (10 nuts), macadamia (20 nuts), brazil nuts (10 nuts), peanuts (32 nuts), pecans (10 halves), pine nuts (1 tbs), walnuts (10 halves), pumpkin seeds (2 tbs) and sunflower seeds (2 tsp).  Pick your preferred choice and bag them up!

Homemade cake

The benefit of making your own is knowing exactly what is in it. This hearty and nutritious recipe for Low FODMAP Carrot Cake, is quick and easy to make, satisfying, and has minimal sugar.

Do you have any other snacks that work well for you when traveling? We’d love to know so please comment below!