Travel Hack: Chia Seed Protein Pudding

For me, one of the most difficult things about maintaining a healthy lifestyle / staying on your nutrition game is traveling. It’s one thing to eat in a way that makes you feel your best when you have all your kitchen staples at home, but traveling requires some extra effort.

When I travel for work (which up until recently, has been monday- thursday, every single week), breakfast is the one meal that used to really trip me up. Between getting ready (lets be honest I’m not a wake up and run out the door kinda girl), trying to squeeze in a work out or some physical activity, and ideally getting at least 5 minutes of meditation in there, having the time to find and stop by a healthy breakfast place in the AM is tough.

I’ve tried different things from trying to subsist on a Starbucks latte until lunch (do not recommend), relying on protein bars, eating the weird powdered hotel eggs, etc. But I’ve happy to report I’ve finally found the perfect travel breakfast. Now this does require some pre-planning, but trust me its so worth it.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Mason jar 
• Chocolate collagen protein powder (bring from home in a small Tupperware or pick up single-serve packets)
• Chia seeds (bring from home in small Tupperware)
• Nut butter packets (bring from home or pick up singles at WholeFoods)
• Cinnamon (optional – pro tip: steal some cinnamon from a coffee bar)
• Stevia (optional depending on the sweetness of your protein powder)

HOW TO DO IT:

• Before bed, add 2 tbsp of chia seeds and 2 scoops protein powder to your mason jar
• Fill with water, stir/shake up and place in the fridge overnight (soaking chia seeds also increases the bio-availability of the nutrients, and reduces the impact of the phytic acid in the seeds, which can impair absorption of key minerals) 
• In the morning, add in nut butter + cinnamon/stevia to taste

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT

• Keeps you FULL AF – high protein, high fiber, and healthy fat – trust me you will not be checking the clock for lunch
• COLLAGEN – I’ve talked about this in depth here, but collagen protein directly supports the collagen in your body AKA hair/skin/nails (and the also important joints, tendons, ligaments) on point. And the protein keeps you full
• CHIA SEEDS – Chia is the Mayan word for “strength” as was known for supporting Aztec warriors during battle. If they can do that, I think they’ll get your through your morning meetings. Chia seeds are also loaded with fiber (a serving has 10g (30% your daily recommended allowance) and are high in antioxidants 

And while I originally discovered this breakfast solution for travel, it works just as well for a commuter breakfast, or if you simply want to save time in the morning which a make-ahead breakfast option. And if you do whip this out while traveling with coworkers, yes, they will look at you weird the first day you show up with this, but when 1pm rolls around and their Starbucks muffin breakfast has them crashing and hangry, they’ll be asking just what was in that mason jar of yours 🙂

What are some of your go-to breakfasts when traveling?