travel salad
Quick detour from the deep thoughts — let’s talk survival salad for the road.
I’ve been on the move: five states in about fifteen days. My goal? Keep the habits going, stay healthy, and not fall face-first into a pile of fast food.
Let’s talk food. Eating out constantly is expensive and exhausting. And finding something nutritionally dense while traveling? Forget it.
So I’ve landed on a go-to: a salad that’s easy to make, cheap, and keeps well for multiple meals.
🛒 The Grocery Run
Trader Joe’s is my go-to (cheap, everywhere, and solid produce), but any decent grocery store will work. Grab:
- 1 bag of Tuscan kale
- 1 bag of spinach
- 2 large bell peppers (yellow and orange hit nice)
- 1 lemon
- 1 apple
- 1 cucumber
- ~500g of tomatoes
- 1 red or yellow onion
- 1 pack of frozen breaded chicken
Assuming you’ve got these wherever you’re staying:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
🥗 Assembly Time
When you’re ready to build your kingly salad — massive, colorful, full of life — grab the largest bowl in the kitchen and go to work:
- Pour in the whole bag of Tuscan kale. Drizzle with olive oil and massage it. (Seriously, this step matters — it softens the texture and makes it actually enjoyable to eat.)
- Add a couple generous handfuls of chopped spinach.
- Chop the following and toss it in:
- Cucumber
- Bell peppers
- Apple
- About 1/4 of the onion
- Quarter the tomatoes and mix them in.
- Squeeze in the lemon, hit it with salt and pepper, and mix well.
Now for the protein:
- Toss the frozen breaded chicken into an air fryer. Cook until crispy (usually ~10–12 minutes depending on the brand and thickness).
- Let it cool slightly, then chop it up and mix into the salad.
Game-changer.
💡 Notes from the Road
Boom — a crunchy, colorful, nutrient-loaded salad that actually travels well. It keeps in the fridge for 2–3 days, so you’re not scrambling for every meal.
This has been a game-changer for me while bouncing between cities. Minimal tools, maximum nutrition.
Got your own go-to travel meal hack? I’d love to hear it.
