Our Top Snacks to Avoid Seasickness And Enjoy Your Trip
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Nothing makes you question your life decisions to go sailing like feeling seasick does. It can be brutal. At its worst you’re laid up unable to move, your head in a bucket, your crew looking a bit worried and trying avoid the smell of vomit. But even if (touch wood) you’re not totally debilitated, just a hint of nausea can shift enjoyment from what should be a great trip out on the water to wishing you were back on land. NOW.
There is plenty of advice out there about how to avoid seasickness. Everyone has their own ‘what works for me’ system. Unfortunately, what works for one human doesn’t always work for another.
So, I can only share what I’ve found to keep myself and my family feeling good while sailing and hope that it helps you too. And a lot of that comes down to eating the right food.
After years of cruising and crewing, I've learnt that the best thing I can do is start eating for the trip before we even leave the dock or up-anchor. An empty stomach almost always makes things worse, while the right snacks can help keep nausea at bay.
These are our tried and tested (borderline lived-on-for-days) snack foods my family reaches for when we’re adjusting to rough conditions.
Our Essential Snacks
Stock up: These are the essential snack items (including must-eat-breakfast) that we keep onboard
Chip and Vegemite Sandwiches (Trust Me)
The chip’n’vegemite roll delicacy
An easy-to-eat snack on helm
The more chips/crisps the better
To be specific: A Bluebird salt and vinegar chip and vegemite sandwich. This is my all-time favourite sailing snack combination. There's something about the salt and vinegar and buttery bread that cuts off any quease at the door like a nightclub bouncer eying up my fake ID when I was 17 going on 21.
Now, likely if you’re in the northern hemisphere you might be questioning this one. A) What’s vegemite? And B) Chips?
Here’s a brief induction to this Kiwi institution of a meal. Vegemite is a yeasty spread that we New Zealander’s inherited from our Australian neighbours across the ditch in response to a wartime shortage of Marmite. They sent it over. We said ‘Hey this is great!’ and took it to the next level by lathering the thick black stuff over buttery bread, piling on chips (or crisps if you will). Why? I’m not sure. But the crunch factor is unbeatable. A tastebud sensation.
A simple vegemite and chip sandwich is one of the few things I can happily eat whether I'm sitting at anchor or bouncing around boisterous coastline seas. I’ve even had one for dinner on a questionable passage where there was no way I was standing in the galley cooking any real food. It's tangy, sits easy in my stomach, and doesn't require much effort. And if you’re going to do this one right — it’s got to be white death white bread — either in slices or a fresh bun, or a French stick.
No one said this was healthy —but it certainly feels healthier than puking bile.
Krispie’s, Biscoff Biscuits and Homemade Baking
If you’re not into the aforementioned Kiwi delicacy of a chip sandwich. Crunchy biscuits and homemade baking are a close second. Literally (since they usually follow the chip sammie with a cup of tea). Yes this is turning into lunch.
One thing I've learnt about seasickness is that eating little and often seems to work better than waiting until you're starving. Definitely don’t wait until you’re starving.
That's where biscuits come in.
Krispie biscuits are a coconutty distraction. Biscoff biscuits are a can’t-stop-eating favourite too. Oreos are a solid choice onboard my American friends’ yachts. But homemade goodies like choc-chips and ANZAC biscuits are super good because they’re filling, can be frozen and munched on cold. Biccies are easy to pack and provide a quick energy hit to keep your stomach level when the horizon is not.
Bananas
I enjoyed the snack size bananas in Thailand (as did the monkeys)
Easy to buy. Easy to stow. Easy to grab. Easy to eat. Are they the perfect snack food onboard for a trip? They could well be. I rate them pretty highly for avoiding the seasickness blues. (Just ignore any superstitions about bananas on boats).
Peanut Butter Crackers (Or Fix & Fogg Peanut Butter On Anything)
Peanut butter and avocado on bread (And yes you’re right — that is also butter you see)
Crackers appear on just about every seasickness list for a reason.
They're salty, bland, easy to nibble on, and seem to sit well when your stomach isn't feeling its best.
I like lathering on thick crunchy Fix & Fogg peanut butter (the BEST PB in the world) to any multi-grain cracker onboard (we usually have Vita-Weat). It makes them a 25g protein hit which is a pretty ideal snack at sea.
2 Minute Noodles
A hot cup of chicken noodles is good for the soul AND your stomach
Not exactly gourmet cruising food.
But if conditions are rough and we need something warm, simple, and comforting, two-minute noodles are hard to beat. And my daughter is guaranteed to say yes to eating them.
Simple carbohydrates like noodles, rice, toast, crackers, and pasta are easier to tolerate than rich meals when underway. Pre-made spaghetti bolognaise is a perfect sailing lunch or dinner.
Breakfast: The Most Important Meal Before a Sail
Skipping breakfast and leaving on an empty stomach never goes well on the ocean. So breakfast has become our most important meal to fuel up for the day. If we’re not in a rush then that’s poached eggs on toast. But usually it’s porridge — combined with anything I have to add to it. It’s filling and easy to make interesting with throwing some seeds or mueslie and fruit on top. Plus it’s low GI so it keeps me full. If we’re anchored and have bread, my husband will cook us a few pieces of toast underway. That keeps me chipper.
Is that vegemite again? Yes. It’s a winner on toast with butter, and jam
If I know the forecast is for rough seas, I'll often simplify things even further and just have a banana and continually snack after that. In terms of my daughter’s brekky — she likes plain uncooked oats and peaches, or on the occasion we have a treat breakfast like Cocopops onboard — she’ll wolf those down dry.
One thing I generally avoid early on in a trip is coffee. It can make my stomach churn. Having said that a cup of English breakfast tea (while still caffeine) feels much gentler and still gives me that warm morning ritual underway. And definitely no alcohol the night before a trip (I have been there done that with cocktails, and it’s just asking for trouble).
Cocktails are out
Cocopops are in
Electrolyte Drinks
On the topic of drinks, electrolytes are worth mentioning, because dehydration can bring on seasickness. Keeping water and electrolyte drinks within easy reach is one of the smartest things you can do. My teenager complained about drinking water but would happily sip on electrolytes from a drink bottle in her bunk and she made many a moderately rough passage without incident. But I could put that down to all the salt n vinegar chips she ate…
Other Snacks Sailors Swear By (But I Just Can’t Go There)
Just because they're not my personal favourites doesn't mean they don't work. Plenty of sailors swear by these and are worth a try for you too!
Ginger
Ginger is probably the most commonly recommended natural remedy for motion sickness, and many sailors swear by ginger chews, ginger tea, ginger beer, crystallised ginger, or ginger tablets. Some studies have even suggested ginger may help reduce nausea symptoms.
Personally, I've been somewhat put off ginger since suffering severe morning sickness during pregnancy and later bringing ginger tablets straight back up again (the burn is real).
So while I know plenty of sailors swear by it, you'll rarely find ginger in my snack bag.
Pretzels
Pretzels are easy to keep onboard and encourage small, regular snacking throughout the day. Maybe if I scooped these in peanut butter I’d be won over?
Apples
Apples appear on almost every seasickness snack list.
They're refreshing, last well without refrigeration, and many sailors find them easy to eat when feeling queasy.
For me, eating apples on the ocean can make me feel a bit bloated so they're not usually my first choice. But I’m sure the extra hydration from a juicy apple would be helpful for some people.
Here Are The Other Essentials To Avoiding The Quease
Food is only one piece of the puzzle.
I've also found it helps to:
Stay hydrated
Avoid getting too hot or too cold (these cosy layers are my go-to for avoiding seasickness)
Stay out in the fresh air as much as possible
Look at the horizon
Avoid spending too much time below deck (I usually only go down below to use the head/toilet until my sea-legs are in)
Get enough sleep before a passage
Try not to fixate on how you’re feeling — if you can ignore thinking about seasickness I’m sure that helps!
My Biggest Seasickness Lesson
The biggest lesson I've learnt is not to wait until ‘I think I might start feeling nauseous soon’ before I eat or take proactive steps to make myself more comfortable.
A few bites of toast, half a banana, a couple of crackers, or a biscuit are much easier to manage than trying to recover once nausea has fully hijacked my stomach.
Seasickness is different for everyone, and none of these foods are a magic cure. But if there's one thing I've learnt over the years, it's that a well-stocked snack bag within reach can be as important as good wet weather gear when you're heading out on the water.
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