Being on-the-go doesn’t mean letting yourself go. With all the festivals you’ll be going to and the Holy Week trips lined up, it’s important to keep in shape and stay healthy to maximize your travel experience!

Resist the urge to buy unhealthy snacks by bringing your own homemade alternatives. Here are recipes to some of our favorite easy-to-make travel snacks.

Sweet & Salty Banana Chips

Ingredients:

2 under-ripe bananas
¼ cup brown sugar
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Slice your bananas into thin strips.

Coat both sides of each strip in brown sugar.

Lay the dipped bananas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 400°F for 16-20 minutes.

Storage Instructions:

Keep in room temperature for one to two days.

Maple Almond Granola Jars with Dried Fruit

Ingredients:

⅓ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup brown sugar
4 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
½ cup vegetable oil
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups whole raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped dried apricots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Gradually mix in the vegetable oil.

Add oats and almonds, and fold the mixture together with a rubber spatula.

Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Compress until the mixture is compact.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Rotate the sheet halfway through to get an even golden brown color.

Remove the granola from the oven and let cool on a wire rack at room temperature, about an hour.

Break the cooled granola into any size piece, and pile it into a mason jar or any airtight container. Mix in dried cranberries and dried apricots.

Storage Instructions:

Kept at room temperature. Each serving will last for up to two weeks.

Trail Mix

Ingredients:

1½ cups whole wheat flour
1½ cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup cold, unsalted butter (chopped into ½-inch cubes)
2 tbsps cold water
¾ cup fruit preserves or jam

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together.

Storage Instructions:

Preserve the mix in a mason jar or a portable glass container at room temperature. Each batch can last for up to a month.

Homemade Whole Grain Fruit-Filled Bars

Photo courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:
1½ cups whole wheat flour
1½ cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup cold, unsalted butter (chopped into ½-inch cubes)
2 tbsps cold water
¾ cup fruit preserves or jam
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Add flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt into a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds
Add in the butter and cold water. Pulse until the dough holds together.
Grease the base of a 9×13-inch baking dish, line it with parchment paper, and grease the top of the paper.
Divide the dough mixture in half and press one of the halves onto the baking dish
Spread the preserves evenly on top of the dough. Pack the remaining dough evenly on top and use the back of a spatula to press down.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool and cut into 1½ x 4-inch bars.
Storage Instructions:

If kept at room temperature, each batch can last for up to three days. If refrigerated, it can be kept for up to a week.

Tip: Save yourself the time by buying ingredients online using your Maya card and having it delivered right to your doorstep via Walter Mart Supermarket’s online grocery delivery.