5 Tips: Nutrition on
the Go
Stay fueled with nutrients.
Feel great throughout each busy day.
I care for two
children a few days a week. Maci is my Cousin Lauren’s son; he’s thirteen as of
May 12th. Sophia is my boyfriend Adam’s daughter. She’s six and is so much fun! I love spending
time with them, and we all have to eat!
Adam and I both
have big tight-knit extended families. We are gratefully obligated to attend a
family gathering of some sort almost every weekend. Many weekends we go to more
than one family gathering. We are incredibly lucky to have such full
lives!
I wish my
scheduled allowed more time to prep meals. Every day, I come home at dinner
time; HUNGRY! I have piles of homework on my mind, and a never ending list of
chores to do. I work five or six days a week, and go to school half time. Lucky
for me, Adam loves to cook. He’s great at it too! Still, I have to fuel my body
with nutrients so I can feel energized & happy through each busy day.
Mine is a common
scenario. We all have too much to do and not enough time.
·
How
can we eat nutritious whole foods on the go?
·
How
can we fuel our bodies with nutrients at family gatherings and parties?
Here are 5 tips that
will help you stay fueled with nutrients throughout each busy day.
1. Clean up your grocery list
List only the necessary
foods that provide nutrients. Varieties of protein, whole grains, and produce
fill the list and the cart. Include whole foods that are easy to grab on the go.
Here is an example
of my grocery list:
·
Protein
o
Chicken
o
Fish
o
Ground Turkey
o
Ground Sirloin
o
Organic black bean noodles
o
Black Beans
o
Eggs
o
Cottage Cheese
o
Plain Greek yogurt
o
Wallaby organic vanilla yogurt
o
Organic string cheese
o
Fresh Mozzarella
o
Organic crunchy peanut butter
o
Whey Protein; chocolate & vanilla
o
Protein bars – high protein low sugar
o
Hummus
o
Mixed Nuts
·
Whole Grains
o
Oats
o
Quinoa
o
Brown Rice
o
Whole grain bread
·
Produce
o
Apples
o
Clementine
o
Lemons
o
limes
o
Bananas
o
Berries
o
Spinach
o
Romaine
o
Mint leaves
o
Cucumber
o
Sweet peppers
o
Carrots
o
Celery
o
Tomatoes
o
Avocado
o
Sweet potatoes
o
2 green vegetables for cooking each week
§ Brussel
sprouts
§ Asparagus
§ Broccoli
§ Cabbage
§ green
beans
There is no need to pencil
in junk food snacks on your grocery list. Your kitchen will fill up with more
nutrients and less junk this way. This trick will set you up to grab an apple,
banana, handful of nuts, or string cheese instead of a hand full of cookies.
Bonus, your loved ones will follow your lead and make better food choices as
well.
2. Snack Prep
Meal prep is a hot
topic. What about snack prep? We need snacks throughout the day to stay fueled.
Get your healthy snacks easy to grab & go.
·
Celery and carrots
o
Wash & chop before putting them away
o
Store portions in sandwich bags
o
Grab & go when you need some fuel
o
Take the hummus with you too
·
Apples, bananas, and clementine
o
Store in a fruit bowl
o
Place fruit bowl in path to the door
o
Grab & go
·
Protein Smoothies
o
Wash and chop spinach, mint leaves, and berries
o
Store portions in small freezer bags
o
Freeze
o
When you’re hungry for a refreshing
fulfilling smoothie, pull out a pre-portioned bag. Mix contents with a scoop of
Vanilla whey protein, ice, lemon/ lime juice, and almond milk or water.
o
Pour & go
3. Dine clean
In the past
eating healthy and eating out did not mix. Now day’s the importance of
nutrition is well known, and valued. Most restaurant menus offer clean
nutritious choices for health conscious guests. You don’t have to order a salad
every time you eat out.
My favorite
restaurant choices are:
·
Fish Tacos
o
Skip the sour cream
o
Replace the simple carb tortillas with
romaine leafs if available
·
Calamari & House Salad
o
Calamari is a filling protein fried or sautéed
o
Skip croutons
o
Replace salad dressing with squeezed
lemon & olive oil salt & pepper.
·
Fish, starch & veggies
o
Most restaurants serve white fish salmon
or both.
o
Choose sweet potatoes or brown rice for
the starch
o
And of course opt for the vegetable of
the day as the second side
·
Out to breakfast go to
o
Eggs scrambled with feta spinach tomato
o
Dry rye
4. Clean your Dish to Pass
It is easy to eat nutritious
clean food when there is not any tempting junk food near-by. What do we do at
social gatherings? All the scrumptious homemade dishes are too tempting to turn
down. Don’t turn them down! Just be sure your contribution to the menu is
plentiful and packed with nutrients. This way, enough nutritious grub will be available
at the party for you to fuel up and fill up. A few of my favorite dishes to
pass are:
·
Veggie Tray
o
I have a huge Longaberger basket veggie
tray. It has eight deep veggie slots and two deep dip slots
o
Cucumbers, celery, broccoli, red pepper,
carrots, and grape tomatoes.
o
Garlic Hummus & Homemade Greek
yogurt veggies dip
§ Season
Greek yogurt with garlic powder celery salt, sea salt, and pepper. Mix in
finely chop red onion.
·
Guacamole
o
Mash avocado
o
Mix finely chopped garlic or garlic
powder
o
Mix lime juice
o
Sprinkle with salt & pepper
·
Caprese Salad
o
Layer ¼ inch slices of fresh Mozzarella,
roma tomato slices, and basil leaves
o
Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top
5. Balance is Key
We know that
what we eat determines how we feel. We have to fuel our bodies with essential
nutrients to feel energized and happy. It is important that we make healthy
food choices for our own well-being, and to set a good example for our loved
ones.
Fighting
cravings is tough! Give in once in a while. It’s impossible to eat healthy all
of the time. Busy schedules make the challenge even greater.
Maintain balance
in your life. Be aware of your food choice. Make efforts to choose clean
nutritious foods more often. Over time, good choices will turn into healthy habits. You’ll notice your cravings for French fries and fountain coke changed
to cucumbers and fresh mozzarella with lemon water. A package of Oreos or a bag
of Doritos will find its way to your grocery cart list or no list. Order a
cheeseburger and chili fries. Always indulge in pizza cake and ice cream at
birthday parties. You will have already gotten your veggies from that huge
veggie tray.
