Time Zone, No Problem: Best Foods for Jet Lag

The best cure for jet lag is properly timed, quality sleep, which is easier said than done. Planes aren’t exactly built for quality rest—between the cramped seats and flimsy blankets, you can easily lose a day of your trip just trying to recover. Crossing time zones leaves us dehydrated, exhausted, and debating whether that airport coffee is worth the risk. The following foods can support your recovery from that long-haul flight and help you feel your best throughout your travels.

Foods with High Water Content

• One cause of the hangover-type malaise that long flights can induce is dehydration. For proper hydration, water is essential, but it doesn’t have to exclusively come from your water bottle. In fact, 20% of our hydration needs are met through the food we eat. Some examples of hydrating foods with over 90% water content include watermelon, cucumber, and cantaloupe.

Coconut Water and Other Electrolyte-Rich Foods

• Electrolytes play an important role in keeping us properly hydrated by maintaining the fluid balance in our bodies. In addition to your water and cucumber intake, consider adding some electrolytes to your post-flight routine. Coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Electrolytes aren’t just in drinks—they’re also found in foods like bananas, avocados, and leafy greens.. When you are looking for a snack, reach for foods rich in electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, like bananas and nuts.

Foods to Support Your Gut

• There is growing evidence that shows a healthy gut microbiome can lead to better sleep. Fermented foods like kefir, yogurt, and kimchi can also support your gut microbiome. But you don’t have to wait until you’ve arrived at your destination to boost your gut health. Leading up to your trip, you can support your gut by eating a variety of plant foods to meet your daily fiber intake goals. 

Tart Cherries to Support Your Sleep

• Tart cherries are filled with healthy nutrients, specifically the antioxidant “anthocyanins“ that give the cherries their vibrant red hue. They are also one of the few food sources of melatonin. Melatonin is a molecule that our brain makes, and it plays an important role in our sleep-wake cycles. Studies suggest that drinking tart cherry juice may improve sleep duration and quality. Enjoy some tart cherry juice with soda water for a fizzy sleepy mocktail!

Nutrient-Dense Meals

• Prioritize making your meals and snacks ones that will energize you. For your evening meal, prioritize building a balanced plate that includes complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats to keep your body fueled. Only eating foods that are high in refined carbohydrates and devoid of protein, fiber, and healthy fats can exacerbate already low energy levels. Huel Ready-to-drink meals can be a convenient option that covers protein, fiber, and essential nutrients when your appetite is off.

Eat With the New Time Zone

• Once you have arrived at your destination, be sure to schedule your meals to match the new zone. This helps reset your body’s internal clock. A study from Northwestern University found that having a substantial breakfast that aligns with your new time zone can significantly reduce recovery time. 

Caffeine—Helpful or Harmful? 

• Caffeine can be helpful so long as it aligns with the new time zone. For instance, having your morning tea or coffee in the morning and avoiding caffeine consumption later in the day can help reinforce your sleep-wake cycle. 

TL;DR: Ease jet lag with hydrating foods, gut-friendly snacks, tart cherry juice, balanced meals, and eating on your new time zone’s schedule.

Words by Madeline Peck RDN, CDN, Huel nutrition team