I am a foodie who loves to pack food or have junk food and fast food in the evening but I do love fruits and vegetables and gluten free healthy eating to start the day or during a long flight. Luckily for you and I, fruits can be found all over the world for healthy meals though not all are easy to travel with while road tripping.
Many fruits are prone to bruising. As travelers, we all have clumsy moments making some fruits horrendous to travel with on a day trip let alone multiple days. Oh, how I wish bananas had a rock solid skin!
In this post, I'm going to mention some fruits you can find around the world and have a quick chat about their practicalities for traveling (from my experience). Here are the best fruits to eat while travelling.
Uganda has the highest average consumption of bananas per person in the world. 500 pounds annually! I absolutely 100% recommend making a banana with peanut butter and raisins for the ultimate snack. Affectionately named the peanut butter banana boat. The banana is found around the world, although they are often imported in non-tropical climates like in New Zealand.
Somehow they manage to bring bananas all the way from Ecuador to the shop shelf undamaged. Crazy! Bananas are easily identified. Although there are lots of varieties with a bunch of different flavors, you will never have issues figuring out if you are buying a banana.
Price wise they are affordable, even when imported compared to the price of other fresh fruit on a per weight basis. Normally they are ready for you to inhale right away! My favorite part about bananas? No cleaning is required thanks to the easy to peel skins.
Bananas bruise easily. If you plan on putting them in a bag for the day, you need to be mega lucky not to bruise the poor thing and if you are like me, I get weird eating bruised fruit. I am not sure if those plastic banana covers work.
If they weren't so impractical for other reasons at least they won't let your banana get well and truly squished at the bottom of your bag.
The top five producers in the world are China, United States, Turkey, Poland, and Italy. Apples are found in western supermarkets throughout the year, with different varieties having different peak seasons. In places like Asia, you have so many amazing tropical fruits that apples tend to be more expensive and less available.
Apples are a sturdier fruit than the likes of bananas so while they can bruise, you do have to really drop them from a height to do so. Apples tend to stay ripe for a longer time than most fruits, so you can eat them in a variety of ways and as the ole saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Floury apples are the worst tasting thing ever.
I think this is similar to what people describe as meaty, but it's never fun to buy a bag of apples then have the first one tastes floury. It makes me nervous to eat anymore from that bag. The skin of apples can attract plenty of bacteria. Easily solved with a wash (with clean water).
Guacamole is available on chapati for an affordable $2-3 in northern Sumatra. If only guacamole or mashed avocado grew on trees, this would be by far the best fruit ever imaginable. I have actually managed to find avocados in most places I've traveled too, although that will depend on the season. They are full of good fats!
In a world full of complicated nutritional information, no one can argue that the fat content of an avocado isn't good for you.
The core is the devil for your poor fingers. If you somehow have a knife on you, you cut through the skin then there is the risk of cut your finger as it bounces off the core. It is one of most dangerous foods in New Zealand. Disguised bruising.
You might feel like you have found the perfect avo based on the feel of its skin, but when you cut the fruit open, it can be bruised. Losing the taste you were craving before you’ve even begun.
Other than in Sumatra, avocados are an expensive fruit when compared by weight to other strange fruits in most places I've traveled. I am not sure of the reason why but it is definitely something that puts me off getting them regularly and the period of ripeness is narrow.
How many times have you purchased an avocado, waited a few days for it to ripen up and then by the time you remember to eat it, it has gone bad? Life is tough. The drug cartels of Mexico sell avocados from their trees earning over $100 million/year.
The mango is a traveler's favorite in Southeast Asia and South America. Elsewhere they are available, but often in limited time periods and to be honest, the quality is horrendous thanks to being imported. The sweetness of a quality mango is legendary.
The skin on the great to ensure you aren’t eating any unwanted bacteria as well as making it easy to identify how to ripen a mango is. The skin does need a knife, however, not so practical.
In terms of their durability, they aren't easily bruised, though the riper they are the softer they get so popping them in the bottom of your backpack is a no no. I've seen numerous strategies in terms of both preparing and eating the mango and haven't figured out which is best. Which leads to the next point, mangos are messy to eat (the juicier the messier).
Either having a bunch of paper towels nearby to clean your hands of the juice is mandatory. There are more than 100 varieties of mangoes in India, where it is the national fruit.
Not to be confused with the similar shape and color of oranges, the Mandarin is the small of the two. I am not a fan because it is so hard to know whether you are going to get a seedless mandarin or not. I’m not a fan of surprises?
I am in the pineapple on a pizza is a good thing camp, so take this with a grain of salt. When it has been prepared for you pineapple is a quality and versatile fruit. But let’s be honest, the skin is prickly and tricky to cut making it a bad fruit in its whole form but a great fruit on the move when prepared for you.
Like the pineapple, they are not the easiest fruit to prepare on the road. A time when they are good is when you are slow traveling. You can buy an entire watermelon, cut it in half and simply eat the melon with a spoon from there for breakfast.
The best! If you are buying an entire watermelon, take a read of this, before you end up buying a rotten one like me.
Oh boy, I am a massive dragon fruit, but given people say it’s tasteless it is not a popular fruit. Maybe it is the excitement of not knowing whether the flesh will be purple or white on the inside that excites me. I told you I wasn’t a foodie.
People think New Zealanders are called Kiwis because of the fruit. If you haven't traveled there yet, knowing New Zealanders are referred to as kiwis because of the bird is useful.
Guarana or paullinia cupana is a climbing plant of the Amazon, found in Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. The guarana is known throughout Brazil for being a bright red fruit. The Guaraní tribe uses it to prepare stimulant drinks. Among the benefits of guarana, the famous Brazilian fruit stand out being a good stimulant and aphrodisiac, in addition to contributing to lose weight.
If you have walked through a market in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore (among other cities), and you have noticed an intense smell, you have probably passed close to a fruit stand where they sold the infamous Durian. It is actually infamous for the unwary tourists who have dared to try it, because it is actually known throughout Southeast Asia as the king of fruits.
The durian grows in trees known as durio and is present throughout Southeast Asia, although it is a fruit native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. It is an easy fruit to recognize, not only for its intense smell, but for its appearance. The pulp of the durian is fleshy and of a yellowish-orange color, with a sweet flavor, although it is difficult to tolerate.
Tambun town is located about 240 km north of Kuala Lumpur, and is notable for its pomelo produce - which is sought after by locals and tourists alike. Many planters in the mostly agricultural district were originally Hakkas from southern China. The fruits are yellow or light green in appearance, but the immense size is striking measuring about 6 inches to 8 inches in diameter.
The fruit was originally brought in from Southern China together with the travelling Chinese as a good source of Vitamin C on extended ship journeys. The plant adapted well to the Tambun region's dark and ferrous soil conditions. The smell of the fruit is not pronounced, but it has a bitter grapefruit scent. Upon scraping the rind to release some of the oil, the scent becomes lemon-y and sweet.
Pomelos are very juicy, sweet with a hint of bitter; it is considered a citrus fruit, and is closely related to grapefruit. Nonetheless, pomelo is much bigger with more juicy pulp without being tangy in taste. Most pomelo farms in Tambun harvest twice a year in conjunction with Chinese New Year and Mid Autumn Festival.
Persimmon fruits also known as sharon fruits for the USA are sweet and delicious fall and winter fruits. There are two kinds in the market the astringent and non astringent fruits, where you must freeze the fruits to help lose the astringent taste. Even if the fruits turn orange they may not be ready to eat.
Some varieties are ready to eat when it is orange or soften. Many people love to eat persimmon when its crunchy and sweet. While some wait till its fully ripen and soften on tree. Those are a delicasy and honey sweet.
Almonds are one of the versatile options found in dried fruits that are easily available in grocery stores. Apart from their much appreciated nutritional value, they compliment savory healthy snack and sweet dishes quite well. We all know that almonds are the best source of good lean protein and fats. Almonds are one of the finest super foods available to us.
Soaked almonds are easy to digest and there are a number of reasons behind it. When soaked in water, almonds swell up, which makes them less dense. Moreover, when the skin is peeled off, they are easy to digest, letting the pregnant women easily avail the nutrition of almonds when her digestive system is already sluggish.
Almonds are a great source of antioxidant agents that are known to ward off oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Therefore, among healthy foods to eat it is recommended to have almonds in daily routine to keep the cardiovascular system healthy.
Sure, not all fruits can grow everywhere but thanks to transportation, most fruits can be found around the world. One last thing, I think we all agree, a high-quality fruit shake made in front of you is one of the nicest things nature has helped create. Now I want to hear your two cents on the best and worst of travel fruits.
Many fruits are prone to bruising. As travelers, we all have clumsy moments making some fruits horrendous to travel with on a day trip let alone multiple days. Oh, how I wish bananas had a rock solid skin!
In this post, I'm going to mention some fruits you can find around the world and have a quick chat about their practicalities for traveling (from my experience). Here are the best fruits to eat while travelling.
1. Banana
Uganda has the highest average consumption of bananas per person in the world. 500 pounds annually! I absolutely 100% recommend making a banana with peanut butter and raisins for the ultimate snack. Affectionately named the peanut butter banana boat. The banana is found around the world, although they are often imported in non-tropical climates like in New Zealand.
Somehow they manage to bring bananas all the way from Ecuador to the shop shelf undamaged. Crazy! Bananas are easily identified. Although there are lots of varieties with a bunch of different flavors, you will never have issues figuring out if you are buying a banana.
Price wise they are affordable, even when imported compared to the price of other fresh fruit on a per weight basis. Normally they are ready for you to inhale right away! My favorite part about bananas? No cleaning is required thanks to the easy to peel skins.
Bananas bruise easily. If you plan on putting them in a bag for the day, you need to be mega lucky not to bruise the poor thing and if you are like me, I get weird eating bruised fruit. I am not sure if those plastic banana covers work.
If they weren't so impractical for other reasons at least they won't let your banana get well and truly squished at the bottom of your bag.
2. Apples
The top five producers in the world are China, United States, Turkey, Poland, and Italy. Apples are found in western supermarkets throughout the year, with different varieties having different peak seasons. In places like Asia, you have so many amazing tropical fruits that apples tend to be more expensive and less available.
Apples are a sturdier fruit than the likes of bananas so while they can bruise, you do have to really drop them from a height to do so. Apples tend to stay ripe for a longer time than most fruits, so you can eat them in a variety of ways and as the ole saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Floury apples are the worst tasting thing ever.
I think this is similar to what people describe as meaty, but it's never fun to buy a bag of apples then have the first one tastes floury. It makes me nervous to eat anymore from that bag. The skin of apples can attract plenty of bacteria. Easily solved with a wash (with clean water).
3. Avocado
Guacamole is available on chapati for an affordable $2-3 in northern Sumatra. If only guacamole or mashed avocado grew on trees, this would be by far the best fruit ever imaginable. I have actually managed to find avocados in most places I've traveled too, although that will depend on the season. They are full of good fats!
In a world full of complicated nutritional information, no one can argue that the fat content of an avocado isn't good for you.
The core is the devil for your poor fingers. If you somehow have a knife on you, you cut through the skin then there is the risk of cut your finger as it bounces off the core. It is one of most dangerous foods in New Zealand. Disguised bruising.
You might feel like you have found the perfect avo based on the feel of its skin, but when you cut the fruit open, it can be bruised. Losing the taste you were craving before you’ve even begun.
Other than in Sumatra, avocados are an expensive fruit when compared by weight to other strange fruits in most places I've traveled. I am not sure of the reason why but it is definitely something that puts me off getting them regularly and the period of ripeness is narrow.
How many times have you purchased an avocado, waited a few days for it to ripen up and then by the time you remember to eat it, it has gone bad? Life is tough. The drug cartels of Mexico sell avocados from their trees earning over $100 million/year.
4. Mango
The mango is a traveler's favorite in Southeast Asia and South America. Elsewhere they are available, but often in limited time periods and to be honest, the quality is horrendous thanks to being imported. The sweetness of a quality mango is legendary.
The skin on the great to ensure you aren’t eating any unwanted bacteria as well as making it easy to identify how to ripen a mango is. The skin does need a knife, however, not so practical.
In terms of their durability, they aren't easily bruised, though the riper they are the softer they get so popping them in the bottom of your backpack is a no no. I've seen numerous strategies in terms of both preparing and eating the mango and haven't figured out which is best. Which leads to the next point, mangos are messy to eat (the juicier the messier).
Either having a bunch of paper towels nearby to clean your hands of the juice is mandatory. There are more than 100 varieties of mangoes in India, where it is the national fruit.
5. Mandarin
Not to be confused with the similar shape and color of oranges, the Mandarin is the small of the two. I am not a fan because it is so hard to know whether you are going to get a seedless mandarin or not. I’m not a fan of surprises?
6. Pineapple
I am in the pineapple on a pizza is a good thing camp, so take this with a grain of salt. When it has been prepared for you pineapple is a quality and versatile fruit. But let’s be honest, the skin is prickly and tricky to cut making it a bad fruit in its whole form but a great fruit on the move when prepared for you.
7. Watermelon
Like the pineapple, they are not the easiest fruit to prepare on the road. A time when they are good is when you are slow traveling. You can buy an entire watermelon, cut it in half and simply eat the melon with a spoon from there for breakfast.
The best! If you are buying an entire watermelon, take a read of this, before you end up buying a rotten one like me.
8. Dragon Fruit
Oh boy, I am a massive dragon fruit, but given people say it’s tasteless it is not a popular fruit. Maybe it is the excitement of not knowing whether the flesh will be purple or white on the inside that excites me. I told you I wasn’t a foodie.
9. Kiwi
People think New Zealanders are called Kiwis because of the fruit. If you haven't traveled there yet, knowing New Zealanders are referred to as kiwis because of the bird is useful.
10. Guarana
Guarana or paullinia cupana is a climbing plant of the Amazon, found in Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. The guarana is known throughout Brazil for being a bright red fruit. The Guaraní tribe uses it to prepare stimulant drinks. Among the benefits of guarana, the famous Brazilian fruit stand out being a good stimulant and aphrodisiac, in addition to contributing to lose weight.
11. Durian
If you have walked through a market in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore (among other cities), and you have noticed an intense smell, you have probably passed close to a fruit stand where they sold the infamous Durian. It is actually infamous for the unwary tourists who have dared to try it, because it is actually known throughout Southeast Asia as the king of fruits.
The durian grows in trees known as durio and is present throughout Southeast Asia, although it is a fruit native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. It is an easy fruit to recognize, not only for its intense smell, but for its appearance. The pulp of the durian is fleshy and of a yellowish-orange color, with a sweet flavor, although it is difficult to tolerate.
12. Pomelo
Tambun town is located about 240 km north of Kuala Lumpur, and is notable for its pomelo produce - which is sought after by locals and tourists alike. Many planters in the mostly agricultural district were originally Hakkas from southern China. The fruits are yellow or light green in appearance, but the immense size is striking measuring about 6 inches to 8 inches in diameter.
The fruit was originally brought in from Southern China together with the travelling Chinese as a good source of Vitamin C on extended ship journeys. The plant adapted well to the Tambun region's dark and ferrous soil conditions. The smell of the fruit is not pronounced, but it has a bitter grapefruit scent. Upon scraping the rind to release some of the oil, the scent becomes lemon-y and sweet.
Pomelos are very juicy, sweet with a hint of bitter; it is considered a citrus fruit, and is closely related to grapefruit. Nonetheless, pomelo is much bigger with more juicy pulp without being tangy in taste. Most pomelo farms in Tambun harvest twice a year in conjunction with Chinese New Year and Mid Autumn Festival.
13. Persimmon
Persimmon fruits also known as sharon fruits for the USA are sweet and delicious fall and winter fruits. There are two kinds in the market the astringent and non astringent fruits, where you must freeze the fruits to help lose the astringent taste. Even if the fruits turn orange they may not be ready to eat.
Some varieties are ready to eat when it is orange or soften. Many people love to eat persimmon when its crunchy and sweet. While some wait till its fully ripen and soften on tree. Those are a delicasy and honey sweet.
14. Dry Fruits
Almonds are one of the versatile options found in dried fruits that are easily available in grocery stores. Apart from their much appreciated nutritional value, they compliment savory healthy snack and sweet dishes quite well. We all know that almonds are the best source of good lean protein and fats. Almonds are one of the finest super foods available to us.
Soaked almonds are easy to digest and there are a number of reasons behind it. When soaked in water, almonds swell up, which makes them less dense. Moreover, when the skin is peeled off, they are easy to digest, letting the pregnant women easily avail the nutrition of almonds when her digestive system is already sluggish.
Almonds are a great source of antioxidant agents that are known to ward off oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Therefore, among healthy foods to eat it is recommended to have almonds in daily routine to keep the cardiovascular system healthy.
Sure, not all fruits can grow everywhere but thanks to transportation, most fruits can be found around the world. One last thing, I think we all agree, a high-quality fruit shake made in front of you is one of the nicest things nature has helped create. Now I want to hear your two cents on the best and worst of travel fruits.
