Healthy Travel Snacks & Reflections from Alaska

My first hike near Denali National Park!

When I had a last-min nudge and opportunity to go to Alaska for a week, I made sure to leave some space in luggage for some healthy snacks along the way. Whenever I travel, I make a point to bring some food so I’m not in a situation where I have to purchase an overpriced iceberg lettuce salad or sugar-laden muffin.

In anticipation of less food options when I’d be off-the-beaten track in Alaska, I made a point to plan even more. I’ll start by sharing the list of what I brought & then share a little about my solo adventure (which was amazing!!!)

Breakfast Items: 

(I never had to buy a single breakfast on my trip and had enough substance for long hikes)

-Protein Powder---My latest favorite is “Double Chocolate Paleo Protein” by Amy Myers. I like this one because I find it tastes the best when you just add water to it & mix it up. When I make the water a little hot (but not too hot to damage the nutrients) it literally tastes like a cup of thick hot cocoa! It’s high in collagen and comes from grass-fed animals. If you are prefer a vegetarian option, “Hemp Protein Powder” by Foods Alive is a good alternative, though not nearly as tasty. You can get both of them for 20% off by ordering from my Fullscript account!)

-Organic, Gluten-Free Oats---Normally, I wouldn’t recommend the instant variety, and would suggest old-fashioned or steel-cut for more balanced blood sugar response, but when you are staying in places where you may only have a microwave to heat up some water to add, the instant is more convenient. I make sure to pack a small bag of sea salt & cinnamon so they have some flavor, and a small lightweight backpacking bowl & spoon. I’ll often cut up an apple to go with it, or buy some berries to add once I’m there.

-Instant Coffee packets—Four Sigmatic “Focus Organic Coffee with Lions Mane & Chaga mushrooms” packets are my favorite high-quality instant coffee that are mold & chemical free (unlike the coffee pods that comes with most machines which is running hot water over plastic & low-quality coffee). You can also find these for 20% at my Fullscript account!

Lunches & Other Snacks:

-Yupik Organic trail mix -- For healthy fats & protein! Yes, organic matters when it comes to nuts & seeds since the fats in these foods are prone to accumulate pesticides.

-Kale chips -- This is a great way to get some nutrient-dense greens along the way. (Personally, I only like them if they have a cheese flavor, even though they don't use real cheese)

-Aloha Protein Bars – These are a plant-based, low sugar protein bar which are helpful in a pinch. They are also organic, which is hard to find in a bar!

-On the fresher side: Organic apples, bell peppers, cucumbers, and snap peas are some of my go-to’s that don’t require a knife and travel well. I make sure to always include some fresh/alive food, not only for nutritional content but also to help with bowel regularity while traveling.

While it can take a little extra time on the front-end to pack some of these items, I find that I not only eat healthier, but I save money, and can then devote more of time to hiking and exploring new places rather than trying to figure out what/where to eat.

Going out to eat can be fun too, it just means that I get to choose when to go out rather than to feel like it’s a necessity.

So, what was it like as a solo-traveler in Alaska? 

I’ll preface this by sharing that I did very little research ahead of time, but knew that I wanted to be able to spend time in some beautiful, wild landscapes, without getting eaten by a bear. Fair enough.

But when I first arrived, and went to the local outdoor store to buy some “bear spray”, I’ll admit that I felt a bit out of my league. I'd hiked in areas with black bears, but never grizzlies. The first two locals that I asked about hiking alone there said that they always travel with a gun. (Gulp!) But….they also said I should be fine if I make a lot of noise along the trail and if I ever needed to use the bear spray, to always point it downwind so it wouldn’t fly back into my face.

I couldn’t help but envision a scene with me dancing around some angry bear, trying to maneuver myself to be upwind in time to spray before it attacks! My back-up plan was to creepily wait at the entrance to all trail-heads until other hikers came along, and then follow in their path, about 10 yard behind ;)

Luckily, I met other locals along the way who said that they had hardly ever encountered a bear in the areas I was in (Denali & Fairbanks regions), and had never had any issues. My first trail that I set out on was an off-the beaten trail outside of Denali National Park that a local tipped me off to, so there were no other hikers to lurk creepily behind...

I faced my fear, bear-spray in hand, and belted out my favorite tunes top-volume, so as not to surprise any predators along the way. It was liberating!! I meandered along a river with some of the freshest, turquoise, glacial-melt waters, through forests, and into open meadows with views of snow-capped mountains and the famous “fire weed” purple flower which sprouts up everywhere.

Returning to my cozy log cabin that eve felt especially satisfying, as I set out to do what I hardly ever make time for in my regular day-to-day life: journal, draw, and paint.

As a solo traveler, here are some items that I found especially helpful to bring for the quiet time:

~Journal (preferably thicker pages if you plan to do any watercolors, or bring extra watercolor postcard paper)

~My favorite water-proof “Micron Pens” in various thicknesses for drawing & writing

~A small, travel watercolor set

~A good book (hardcopy)---I chose “The Great Alone” since the story-line took place in Alaska.

~A good book (audible) for train & bus rides if you are prone to motion-sickness with reading. My recent favorite is "All Fours" if you are down for some lurid surprises.

~An intention or two for the trip---I find this gives me a sense of purpose when I have that much more time alone with my thoughts.

Those items, along with tasty snacks, and comfortable sneakers made for a great trip!

That, along with some of the friendliest people I’d ever met. Genuine kindness & warmth like none other I’d encountered before. I came to Alaska to experience the wide-open wilderness, and while this was definitely a highlight, the time spent with locals and small interactions along the way, made the trip particularly special.

I asked a few locals along the way why they thought Alaskans were particularly friendly, and I got everything from, “You never know when you’re gonna need help from someone,” to “Trauma-bonding through the winters”. Whatever the reason, I hope to take some of this good-natured, warmth back home.

As our world gets more and more unpredictable, we could all stand to take a page from the Alaskan playbook when it comes to looking out for each other, genuine kindness, and an appreciation for wild, untamed nature.

Here's to solo adventuring!