5 Ways to Stay Healthy When Traveling

My calendar is packed with flights, road trips and impromptu vacations so what better timing to talk about healthy travels than now! And I am not the only one! So many of you have been either struggling about finding ways to stay consistent and on track while vacationing or embarking uncharted territory when it comes to staying healthy while traveling.

The thing is, healthy traveling doesn’t have to become this huge, all encompassing event. It’s about doing the things that make you feel your best and balanced eating and movement is part of enjoying yourself. All you have to do is find organic ways where these actions will be displayed into your travel schedule. 

To make this simple and doable, I’m sharing my favorite tricks and tips for staying healthy when traveling or on vacation. Also, remember that having a few days “off” or even the entire vacation doesn’t break the healthy habits that you have already established in your life. This is just to show you that you can still have fun while making healthy choices on vacation.

1 | Moving that bod!

Some of my most favorite travel experiences are when I stumbled upon a beautiful view, hole in the wall restaurant, or photogenic spot - and that is simply by traveling by foot. Whether you are vacationing in a remote location or you will have a dedicated day in one location, find ways where you can walk to these locations instead of taking an uber, train, or cab. 

2 | Plan an outdoor excursion

Plan out outdoor excursions! For the most part, if you are on vacation, your destination will encompass some sort of outdoor excursion. And this can range from an overnight hike to renting bicycles for half a day.This is also a great bonding opportunity with your family and friends on the trip. Depending on your comfort level, you can usually find things that will appeal to you and your party. 

3 | Snack Stock

It’s so easy to go for that greasy slice of pizza in New York or a scoop or 3 of ice cream at the tourist Ben & Jerry locations. Trust me. Been there, done that, and got the ice cream melt on my t-shirt. So what I have found is that if I have at least 1-3 snack options in my bag or pack prepped meals ahead of time so that I know something healthy is close by when I get back to my hotel, I am less prone to these fast food traps. Snacks can be as easy as picking up fruits, raw nuts, and jerky at a local grocery store or gas station close by. You can check out my favorite healthy travel snacks and meals in this post.  

4 | Hydrate

Whether you are vacationing during the summer or winter months, staying hydrated is key to feeling our best! Ways that I make sure to stay hydrated is by bringing an empty water bottle with me. You can fill your water bottle after TSA checkpoints before you board your flight and refill it when you arrive at your hotel or Airbnb. It’s also great to carry it with you when you're traveling on foot or walking for most of your day.  

5 | Make Food an experience

 A lesson learned when traveling to Italy is that food is an immersive experience! It deserves time, appreciation and enjoyment shared with family and friends. So even if you are enjoying wine, pasta, and desserts, you’re bonding over traditional foods and exploring other cultures of food with friends and family. But more-so, you are taking the time to do it. In our fast paced culture, we are constantly eating on the go, which creates digestion disruption. But if you are eating in a parasympathetic state (rest and digest), relaxing and enjoying the food and company around you, you're more apt to digest food properly. Bonus, if you are sharing several dishes with your table, then you are more likely to apply moderation and balance tools to your meals!

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If you would like to know more about mindful eating, how to eat in a rest and digest state or would like to learn how to enjoy food again, check out the Nourishment Program for more info!

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

A sweet, salty and acidic appetizer or snack delight that features figs stuffed with goat cheese and pistachios, wrapped with prosciutto, and air fried or baked to tender goodness.

Confession time: I don’t like figs, there I said it! Dried figs, sure. Fig newtons as a kid when that was the only snack you could find in the pantry, you bet. But fresh - you can forget it! 

So when my personal training client handed me a bag of freshly picked figs, I had no idea what to do. But she entrusted me to create a recipe using them and I didn’t want to let her down! So not only does this recipe goes out to my client … you know who you are ;) This fig recipe also goes out to my newfound fresh fig taste buds! 

The secret to enjoying fresh figs is wrapping them in prosciutto and roasting or air frying them. Having the addition of goat cheese and pistachio for added creaminess and texture doesn’t hurt either. And to take it to an even magical level, enhance the complexity in sweet, salty, and acid flavors with a drizzle of honey. 

It quite literally cannot get any better than this! 

So if you are looking for a summer appetizer, macro balanced snack, or trying to figure out ways to use figs, then this is your recipe ladies and gentleman! 

And feel free to switch out ingredients: figs for dates, goat cheese for blue cheese, pistachio for almonds, honey for balsamic glaze, prosciutto for bacon, air frying for baking…you get my drift ;) 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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A sweet, salty and acidic appetizer or snack delight that features figs stuffed with goat cheese and pistachios, wrapped with prosciutto, and air fried or baked to tender goodness.

Servings: 4 | Prep Time: 4 min | Cook 5 min

Ingredients

• 8 figs

• ⅓ cup goat or blue cheese, softened

• 8 prosciutto slices

• 2 Tbsp raw pistachios, chopped

Garnish

Local honey and chopped pistachios

Directions 

1. Cut the figs in half and set aside. 

2. In a small bowl, mix softened goat cheese and chopped pistachios until well combined.  Dollop a small amount on one fig half and place the other fig half on top like a sandwich. Repeat with the remainder of figs where you should have 8 fig sandwiches. 

3. Wrap the prosciutto around each fig sandwich. The ends of the prosciutto should overlap. Place a wet toothpick through prosciutto wrapped fig so that it doesn’t fall apart. 

4. If using an air fryer: preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees and cook for 5-7 minutes flipping halfway until prosciutto is crispy. 

5. If using the oven: preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place in the oven on the top rack and roast for 8-10 minutes. 

6. Garnish with honey drizzle and leftover chopped pistachios and enjoy! 

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Air Fryer Catfish Nuggets

Air Fryer Catfish Nuggets - childhood nostalgia in every crispy gluten free, fish battered bite! 

One of my fondest food memories as a child during the summertime was fried catfish! My brothers and uncle would spend the day fishing out on the lake and come home with catfish up to their ears! My mom would deep fry catfish filets and homemade hushpuppies and have coleslaw and tartar sauce on the side. It truly didn’t get any better than that! 

My childhood years were really the only time I ate fried catfish. So when I moved back south this past year, not only was I craving fried catfish, but the exact preparation on how my mother used to make it. 

With that being said, I am so thankful that the air fryer was created in my adult years because I am not quite sure how my thirty one year old body would react to deep fried foods again! 

Now that I have a healthier way to prepare this dish, I need the catfish! 

After one night of nighttime fishing out on Lake Hartwell, I caught my first 15 pound blue catfish! 

We put that bad boy on ice for three days (to help draw the blood out / gives it a less “fishy” taste), filet it, brined it and here we are in the recipe storyline. 

Now if “lake to table” isn’t your journey and you want more “frozen fish to table”, then that is okay too! When choosing a fish, neutral flavored and lean fish is the best way to go like bass, trout, tilapia, Alaskan cod, and halibut.

I have also included a paleo, keto, sugar-free and Whole 30 approved tartar sauce recipe that pairs perfectly with the catfish nuggets. 

And I promise you, even though these catfish nuggets are gluten-free and air fried vs deep fried and tartar sauce is made with cleaner ingredients, you will not be able to tell the difference! It is truly childhood nostalgia in every crispy fish battered bite! 

Want more seafood recipes, here is a list to get you started: shrimp and grits, air fryer honey mustard salmon, fresh and easy ceviche 2-ways, smoked sardine toast with radicchio salad and pickled onions, ahi poke bowl & stack, healthy salmon patties with lemon dill potato salad, grilled shrimp summer salad, and pecan crusted spiced salmon

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Air Fryer Catfish Nuggets - childhood nostalgia in every crispy gluten free, fish battered bite! 

Servings: 9-12 | Prep Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 7-10 min

Ingredients

• 3 lb prepared catfish filets

• 3 Tbsp creole seasoning

• 2 cups gluten free cornmeal

• 1 cup 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour

• ½ cup dijon mustard (or classic yellow mustard)

• Cooking oil spray (avocado, olive, or coconut)

Tartar Sauce

• ½ cup mayo (primal kitchen brand)

• 3 Tbsp dill relish or finely diced dill pickles

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp whole grain mustard

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• Salt and pepper to flavor

Garnish

Hot sauce, lemon wedge, fresh parsley

Directions

1. Cut your catfish filets into 2” nuggets. Lightly season catfish nuggets with salt and transfer to a resealable bag with mustard. Fully coat nuggets with mustard and allow to sit in the fridge for at least one hour. 

2. To make the tartar sauce: combine all ingredients into a bowl and stir well. Add any salt and pepper as needed, or additional diced pickles for a chunkier tartar sauce. 

   1. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate at least a half hour prior to serving to allow flavors to meld together.

3. To another large resealable bag, add the flour, cornmeal, and creole seasoning and mix well. 

4. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.

5. In batches of about 10-12 pieces, add catfish nuggets to the flour mix and shake to coat the catfish well. 

6. Place 10-12 pieces onto the air fryer rack (don’t overcrowd!) and spray the tops with cooking oil spray. Air fry for about 7 minutes total, flipping nuggets halfway and adding another coat of cooking spray.

Notes

• Don’t add too many catfish nuggets to the flour mixture at one time, or the pieces will not get coated well. Do it in stages. 

• Once the fried catfish nuggets are cooled completely, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in a resealable bag in the freezer for up to a month. 

  • To reheat, pop them in the air fryer on 400 degrees F for 3-4 minutes.

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Peach Crisp Skillet For One

Peach Crisp Skillet For One - Healthy peach crisp that is easy, gluten-free and no leftovers!

Summertime = peach season, here in Georgia and I am HERE. FOR. IT! 

My favorite thing to do is turn on the grill to make my favorite go-to summer salad Grilled Peach and Steak Salad and with the leftover peaches, make this single serve peach crisp skillet! 

With that being said, this recipe is flexible as you can cook the peach crisp on the grill or in the oven, up to you! 

Individually portioned desserts have been my new favorite - especially during the summer time when I don’t want an entire tray of brownies staring me down, begging to be eaten! 

If you would like to share this recipe with friends and family, then simply double, triple, etc the recipe ingredients and use a bigger skillet or dish! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Peach Crisp Skillet For One - Healthy peach crisp that is easy, gluten-free and no leftovers!

Serving: 1 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients

• 1 fresh peach, sliced and peeled (optional)

• 3 Tbsp gluten free oat flour

• 1 Tbsp butter or coconut oil

• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar

• ¼ tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp vanilla

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• 1 Tbsp chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Spray cast iron skillet or small ramekin with cooking spray oil and lay peaches in a spiral. Dust peaches with cinnamon and coconut sugar and set skillet or ramekin aside. 

3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients until fully incorporated and the mixture is crumbly. 

4. Cover peaches with the crumble topping and bake for 18-24 minutes or until topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling. 

5. Top with a scoop of ice cream and garnish with chopped pecans (optional) and enjoy!

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Air Fryer Honey Mustard Salmon

Air Fryer Honey Mustard Salmon - quick and flavorful healthy seafood dinner. 

Not sure what is wrong with me, but I am JUST now getting on the air fryer train! Maybe it’s because fried foods never did it for me, (hello sweet tooth) but now I am a changed woman. 

Veggies, desserts, meats, I put EVERYTHING in my air fryer now! 

And since air frying salmon has been the recent craze, I knew that was the first recipe I needed to post because it is quite literally the best cooking method for salmon. 

No need to worry about drying out your salmon or undercooking it, air frying is the foolproof method. Every time. And the best part - it only takes 8 minutes! 

So here is a great air fryer salmon recipe that requires 5 ingredients to make a sweet and tangy sauce and that tastes absolutely amazing! 

Pair it with some air fryer veggies like zucchini and asparagus, garden salad, starchy carbs like mashed or roasted potatoes, quinoa, or anything your heart desires for a well-balanced and delicious dinner. 

More salmon recipes? Check out these on the blog: Healthy Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Potato Salad, Pecan Crusted Spiced Salmon, Everything Bagel & Lox Socca Pizza, Fresh and Easy Ceviche: 2-Ways

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Air Fryer Honey Mustard Salmon - quick and flavorful healthy seafood dinner. 

PREP TIME 5 MIN | COOK TIME 8 MIN | MAKES 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 salmon filets (4-8 oz each)

• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard

• 1-2 clove garlic, minced

• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: fresh chopped parsley, lemon wedge

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients (dijon and whole grain mustard, honey, garlic, paprika, and salt and pepper). 

2. Marinate the salmon in ⅔ of the sauce for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. 

3. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F and place the salmon filets in the air fryer. Air fry for 7-8 minutes, depending on the salmon’s thickness. 

4. When ready to eat, drizzle the remaining sauce over the cooked salmon and garnish with chopped parsley and juice from a lemon wedge. Enjoy! 

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