Katie Lee Biegel Swears By These Walking Shoes: "I've Been Wearing the Same Sneakers for a Decade"

As a cookbook author, chef and co-host of the Food Network's The Kitchen, Katie Lee Biegel loves to keep busy. So when it's time to take a needed vacation, she makes sure that she does it right by traveling in the easiest ways possible.

That's why when Trainline reached out to Biegel to partner up and help the brand kick off their first consumer activation event in New York, the television star was fully on board.

"I have always been a big fan of train travel," Biegel tells EatingWell in an exclusive interview. "I grew up in a family that [train travel] was important to because my grandfather was actually an engineer on the railroad, so we were always thinking about trains."

Because of this opportunity, we had the chance to sit down with Biegel to talk about all things travel. Read on to learn more about her tips for packing for a trip, her go-to travel snacks and her favorite walking sneakers that she's sworn by for a decade.

EatingWell: What are your favorite memories traveling by rail?

Biegel: When I was in college, I was lucky enough to study abroad and every weekend, I'd hop on a train and move around Europe. It's so easy to get around Europe by train. It just felt like it was part of the adventure: to hop on the train and go from place to place. My husband and I go to Italy—we'll usually go to the Amalfi Coast—and we'll fly around and go on the train in Rome to go to Naples and work our way down the coast. So there's a lot of happy memories traveling by train in Europe. We actually got engaged in Paris, and then we got on a train from Paris to Venice, which was amazing.

EatingWell: What are some of your travel must-haves to pack for a trip?

Biegel: First of all, I love my backpack. I'm all about having a backpack when I travel because I think it's so much easier to carry your stuff when you can just throw it on your back. Especially now as a mom, to be able to put on a backpack and have both hands is important to take care of my daughter. My must-haves: I always have to have an iPad to entertain my 2-year-old, lots of snacks for both her and myself, and I always have a book. I really like to pack my clothes like a capsule wardrobe. I usually pick a couple of colors that are pretty neutral and clothes that can be mixed and matched, and I like to have different bags within my suitcase so everything is grouped together. Swimsuits in a bag, undergarments in a bag; it makes it easier to pack, unpack and get dressed.

EatingWell: Favorite travel snacks?

Biegel: For some reason, I always think that I'm going to be starving on any trip, so I'm always packing snacks. I pack peanut butter and jelly for my daughter because it's not going to go bad or spoil, so you can carry it for a good length of time and she's going to be totally happy with it. I like to have dried fruit and nuts, and if I'm traveling in Europe and sitting on the train, I want to pack those great European snacks. If we're in Italy, I'm bringing some paninis on the train to have a little picnic.

EatingWell: What are some of your favorite dishes you make at home inspired by your European travels?

Biegel: I'm always looking for inspiration for recipes when I'm traveling. I take pictures of my food and then come back and try to re-create dishes that I really love. One dish that we make constantly at home is spaghetti with zucchini. We got married in a little town called Murano, and that's the dish of Murano. That's the one that I make all the time; it has become our family favorite!

EatingWell: What's your go-to meal you make after vacation when you need to reset?

Biegel: I think that when you're on vacation, you should try everything and immerse yourself in the culture and not feel like you're having to hold back. You should just dive right in! When I'm on vacation, I eat all of the things, so I always make it a point to have exercise wherever I can fit it in. It can be walking around a lot to see the sights; I want to feel like I'm getting some movement. When we're at the beach, we're getting in the ocean and swimming. It's not about feeling so full and not like myself during the vacation; I want to leave feeling fulfilled, healthy and satisfied. So when I get home, I do like to have a reset, and for me it's usually about eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. Even on vacation, for the most part I always stick to my fruit routine in the morning: I eat a bowl of fruit every morning, and that just makes me feel like I got my fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. It's just a really nice, clean way to start the day, so I do that both on vacation and at home.

EatingWell: For long travel days and walk-heavy adventures, what's your favorite pair of walking shoes?

Biegel: I've been wearing the same sneakers for a decade. I always wear the Asics Gel-Kayano sneakers, I've been wearing them for years. When I want a pair of sneakers that look stylish for walking around, I do the APL sneakers in white.