O2 Fitness Club Recipes: 5 Airport Travel Rules + Healthy Recipes!

Written by: Kat Gunsur, Chapel Hill Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Chatham

With Thanksgiving and holiday travels on the horizon, I wanted to take a moment to talk about traveling and airport food! Airports can be a scary place when all you see is McDonalds, Ben and Jerry's, Cinnabon and Carolina Pit BBQ, but not to fear....

Kat G's 5 Travel Rules (check out my video on YouTube!)

1. Bring your own food.
2. Prepare for longer travel.
3. Be prepared! (Educate yourself on restaurants; bring extra food just in case)
4. Stretch! (click the link for my video).
5. No excuses!!! ***This one's the most important, it is your choice whether you workout or eat healthy while traveling.

Places to eat in the Terminal with Healthy Options

• Starbucks - Perfect Oatmeal w/nuts and dried fruit - 340 calories
• McDonalds - Bacon Ranch Salad with grilled chicken - 230 calories
• Chili’s - Guiltless Salmon with steamed veggies - 480 calories
• Panda Express - mixed veggies with steamed rice - 390 calories

Want to bring your own food? Try these simple and healthy recipes:

Curry Chicken Salad

Ingredients - 4 chicken breasts, 4 celery ribs chopped, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1 tablespoon green onions chopped fine, 1 yellow onion chopped, 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 2-3 tablespoons curry powder

As the chicken is cooking prepare the rest of your ingredients by chopping the onion, celery and green onion
Mix together the Greek yogurt and curry powder
Once chicken is cooked, chop the chicken fine and then combine all the ingredients into large Tupperware of stirring bowl.
You now have curry chicken salad for the rest of the week
Add to rice, salads, sandwiches or wraps!

Asian Chicken Salad

Ingredients - 4 chicken breasts, 1 red pepper, 1 tablespoon green onion, 1/2 tablespoon ginger, 1/2 tablespoon, garlic, salt, pepper, shredded carrots, walnuts
Rice Wine Vinaigrette
6 tablespoons rice vinegar, 5 teaspoons soy sauce, 4 teaspoons green onion chopped fine, 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 4 tablespoons olive oil

Combine chicken, green onion, ginger, and garlic in a pan. Add salt and pepper to taste
As chicken is cooking, make rice wine vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients except olive oil together in Tupperware. Stir and then slowly add olive oil to mixture while whisking the ingredients.
Serve your chicken on top of a salad with the chopped red pepper, shredded carrots, walnuts and rice wine vinaigrette

Chunky Light Tuna Salad

Ingredients - 10 small cans of tuna in water drained, 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of honey, 3 celery ribs chopped, 1 tablespoon green onion chopped fine, 1/2 yellow onion chopped, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper salt and pepper to taste

Combine Greek yogurt, honey and cayenne pepper together in separate bowl. Once whisked pour mixture over tuna, celery, green onion and onion
Add salt and pepper to taste. Use the tuna salad for spinach salad, wraps or sandwiches! Add red pepper, kidney beans, carrots or nuts to mix it up during the week!

and since you've been so good staying on track, here's a special treat for you!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream.... it's AH-mazing!!!

2 frozen bananas broken up into small pieces
4 tablespoons natural peanut butter
Quarter cup of almond milk, skim milk etc.

Blend in blender or food processor
Delicious!!!