Have you ever pulled up to a grocery store in your rental car, fresh from the airport and starved for food to take back to your hotel room, rented home, condo or apartment? Have you ever been on a long road trip and needed fuel for real meals to eat on the go? Have you ever wondered if there is a better alternative to canned food, jerky and trail mix when you’re camping?

If so, then keep reading! Personal trainer, Ben Greenfield, is here to tell you about the top 13 healthy grocery store items you should grab to make quick meals while traveling. Print this list and bring it with on your next trip. You’ll feel more energy, perform better, and stay lean and healthy!

1. Wraps – Wraps are perfect for preparing a quick snack from your hotel room, apartment, or condo, and are usually found near the bread section of the grocery store. The sky is the limit when it comes to choosing what you want to use as a wrap. You can try gluten-free, sprouted wraps if they're available! Other favorites include spinach wraps and whole grain wraps. If you are gluten intolerant, watching your waistline, or limiting carbs, then opt for large pieces of romaine lettuce or cabbage that you can use as a wrap.

2. Spinach/Mixed Greens – During a week of travel, you can use spinach and mixed greens for two primary recipes: salads and wraps. The darker greens are richer in iron, although some varieties like bok choy or kale can be a bit chewy and not good in a wrap. Buy more greens than you think you'll need because you can't ever over-eat these superfoods!

3. Tomatoes – Chopped tomatoes can be thrown over a salad, and sliced tomatoes are perfect in a wrap. If you're going to be walking or biking to the grocery store, choose the small Romaine tomatoes, which travel better and bruise less than the juicy, plump variety.

4. Avocado -  Full of appetite-satiating fats and wrapped in a natural protective layer, avocados, like tomatoes, can be chopped and used as salad-topping, or sliced and placed into a wrap. Do not choose overly-soft avocados, which do not travel well, and rot more easily.

5. Cucumbers – “Cukes” round out the “Big Three” for salads and wraps. When included with tomatoes and avocados, along with a base of spinach and mixed greens, they add a perfect crunch and texture to the meal.

6. Cheese – If you are lactose intolerant, you may want to skip cheese, or double up on nuts, which can often be used in the same way as cheese. You can use cheese in wraps, melt cheese over an avocado for a quick snack, or top tomatoes with a slice of cheese and splash of olive oil or salad dressing. Some tasty choices include feta, swiss and mozzarella.

7. Yogurt – Follow the same rules as cheese: if you are lactose intolerant, substitute soy milk, rice milk, almond milk or coconut milk. Fat-free, plain yogurt is useful as a low-calorie topping for a wrap, good with fruit and nuts for breakfast, and versatile enough to be used with almond butter and dark chocolate for dessert.

8. Almond Butter – Compared to peanut butter, almond butter is higher in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and lower in potentially inflammatory omega 6’s. Don't buy too much almond butter because it's very easy to eat too much of this spread. Use it with breakfasts and desserts, as mentioned earlier.

9. Cashews/Walnuts/Almonds – Mix nuts with fruit and yogurt for breakfast, toss into a wrap for extra calories and crunch, or grab a handful to satiate the appetite in the afternoon. Go for the unsalted, raw, non roasted option.

10. Salad Dressing – Perfect for salads and wraps, a salad dressing is a smart choice only if you can find a variety with A) an olive oil base; and B) no high fructose corn syrup and added sugars. Look along the top of the salad dressing shelf for the smaller designer varieties, which will more often fit these criteria. In a pinch, just grab a small container of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette instead.

11. Sweet Potatoes/Yams – If your travel involves physical activity, such as cycling, large amounts of walking, or a triathlon, then these cab form the crux of your carbohydrate intake, since they “burn clean” and also have high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and beta-carotene. In a pinch, they can be microwaved for 5 minutes, but it is better to boil them for 20 minutes or bake for 40 minutes. You can also salt then and then serve them with almond butter and honey.

12. Fruit – If you are traveling to a new or unique region, try experimenting with varieties of fruit that are hard to get at home. For example, in Florida, you can stock up on juicy oranges and grapefruit; in Hawaii, stock up on fresh papaya or pineapple; and in Thailand, grab a handful of dragonfruit. Fruit is perfect for a mid-morning snack, salad topping or breakfast addition.

13. Dark Chocolate – Chock full of antioxidants and lower in sugars and dairy than milk chocolate, a 70%+ dark chocolate bar is a good nightcap snack after a long day of travel, and is also useful for sweetening oatmeal, breaking chunks into yogurt, or dipping in almond butter. Keep it in the freezer.

To wrap it up (no pun intended), eating a primary diet of wraps and salads while traveling, supplemented with fruits, nuts, potatoes, yogurt or milk based snacks is the way to go. You’d be surprised at how healthy you can eat and how good meals can taste by simply using the 13 healthy grocery store travel foods listed above.

If you want just a little extra flavor, grab salt, pepper, turmeric and cinnamon. These four spices can really dress up any of the meals discussed in this article. Bon Appetit! Finally, be sure to address your nutritional needs!

For even more information just like this, you can visit Ben’s free blog and audio podcast, at http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com. He is a member of the non-profit Nutritional Magnesium Association www.nutritionalmagnesium.org

Bio:
Ben Greenfield, M.A. Sports Science and Exercise Physiology - Mr. Greenfield was voted the 2008 Personal Trainer of the Year, by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is the author of “Shape21 -- The Complete 21 Day Lean Body Manual” along with several other books including “Top 12 Resistance Training Routines for Triathletes”, “Run With No Pain”, and “100 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism”. Ben is also is an expert in metabolic-based weight loss, bicycle fitting, running gait analysis, swim stroke analysis, VO2 max testing, blood lactate testing, resting metabolic rate analysis, and other cutting-edge procedures for weight loss and performance.