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Healthy Eating on the Run
By Martha McKittrick, RD, CDN, CDE
www.martha-nutritionist.com
“I am too busy to eat right”. Sound familiar? Trying to fit in work, family, exercise, friends, etc., can be a daunting task. Unfortunately, our diets often end up taking a back seat. Eating on the run can lead to consuming excessive amounts of sodium, fat and processed foods and inadequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, calcium and fiber. What we eat can have a major effect on our physical and mental health. While a hectic schedule can make eating healthy more difficult, it can be done with a little know how and planning.
Top 6 Tips for Healthy Eating on the Run
- Start your day off with a good breakfast. It may be the one meal of the day that you have total control over. The ideal breakfast is one that contains protein and fiber rich carbs. This will provide your body with the nutrients it needs to start off the day.
Examples of quick healthy breakfasts:
-Whole grain cereal with non fat or 1% milk
-Oatmeal with fruit
-Cottage cheese and fruit
-Yogurt, fresh fruit and ½ whole grain cereal (better to make your own than buy the pre-made parfaits)
-PB on whole wheat toast
-Deli: egg whites or egg on whole wheat toast
- Keep your environment stocked with easy to prepare meals and snacks. This way you'll be less tempted to grab something not so healthy!
Suggestions: nuts, nut butter, whole grain crackers and bread, whole grain cold cereal and packs of instant oatmeal, dried and fresh fruit, yogurt, string cheese, laughing cow cheese, cottage cheese.
- Plan ahead. Your best bet is to bring lunch from home so you can control the ingredients. If that's not an option, you'll need to make an effort to find places that have healthy take out foods for lunch and dinner.
Suggestions for lunch:
-Turkey or grilled chicken sandwich on whole grain bread
-Salad with lean protein, a lot of veggies, vinaigrette dressing and whole grain roll
- ½ sandwich and small soup (avoid cream-based soups)
- Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. They contain many vitamins, minerals and other natural substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Add fruit to cereal, snack on fruit and veggies during the day, add veggies to salads and soups. For more info on the nutritional benefits of fruits and veggies, check out this link: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/benefits/nutrient_guide.html
- Do not go too long without eating. This will lead to low blood sugar, decreased energy levels, cravings and decreased motivation to watch what you eat. Most of us crave junk when we get low blood sugar. Keep healthy snacks on hand. Try not to let more than 4 hours go by without a little snack.
- Keep a large water bottle on your desk. Tell yourself you have to drink at least 64 oz. by the end of the day. Most of us do not drink enough fluid. Having a hectic schedule makes it even harder to remember to drink. Being dehydrated can lead to headaches, low energy levels, “false hunger” (we think we are hungry but we are really dehydrated) and poor energy levels for our workouts.
- No time to cook dinner….find healthy alternatives
Many of us don't have time to cook dinner and end up grabbing something on the run. Take-out food can be loaded with calories, fat and sodium.
Suggestions for healthy take-out dinners:
-Chinese: steamed chicken, shrimp, tofu or scallops and veggies with sauce on the side and brown rice
-Rotissere chicken, baked potato and steamed veggies
-Japanese: 2 rolls and soup or salad or one roll and 5 sashimi and soup or salad *consuming raw fish can increase risk of foodborne illness
-Middle Eastern: chicken kabobs and salad, piece of pita bread
-Frozen dinner (look for one that is lower in sodium and fat - and calories if you are watching your weight). Add a salad and /or side of vegetables (frozen is ok!)
To help get you on the right track for healthy eating, I would recommend that you keep a food record of what you eat and drink each day, along with the time. Once you see your eating habits on paper, you'll be able to set small goals each week as to what you could do to improve your diet. Take one step at a time and soon you will be on your way to a healthier you!
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