How To Make Healthy Food Choices on The Go
Avoid Reaching for All the Wrong Things
By Marlene Wagner
We are in the middle of the busiest time of the year, the holidays.
Last week we talked about how to avoid gaining weight during the holidays, and today, I’ll show you how to make healthy food choices while on the go.
Try as you might, it’s not always possible to prepare all your meals.
No one has the time or energy to spend hours preparing dishes packed with nutrients.
Under normal conditions, it’s not easy sticking with a diet plan. When you’re busy rushing from one thing to the next makes it even harder.
Sometimes, it’s just easier to grab food on the go. But the problem is that fast food isn’t always healthy food.
Because we know how important your health is, we rounded up some practical tips to help you make healthy food choices on the go.
These tips can serve you all year, and I hope you carry them over with you into the new year.
Let’s get started.
Be Honest with Yourself
As with any new habit or lifestyle change, you first must be honest with yourself about a few things.
Have an open, serious conversation about your schedule and assess your busiest days.
These will probably be when you don’t have time to prepare healthy meals.
Thus, you’ll need to prepare a couple beforehand to grab them and go.
Another thing you have to be honest about is the types of food you eat. Luckily, we now live in a time when almost any food can be healthy.
Are you craving a burger? Try a veggie burger or use lettuce instead of patties.
Need some chocolate in your life? Grab a bar of dark chocolate for your sweet tooth and a nice boost of antioxidants as well.
Understanding your likes and dislikes can go a long way in helping you make healthy food choices on the go.
Get the Right Tools
Making healthy food choices isn’t just about knowing what to buy at the grocery store.
It’s also about getting suitable tools and materials to help make the process easier.
For example, two great buys are to-go boxes like microwave-safe bento and lunch boxes.
Fill them up the night before. Then, grab them from the fridge, pop them in your bag, and you’re set for the day.
Consider investing in a Dutch oven, Instant Pot, or crockpot for batch cooking.
Each cookware is guaranteed to make meal prep quick and hassle-free.
You add the ingredients, set the timer, and leave it to their thing.
Think Ahead
Why not take several hours out of your weekend to organize a meal schedule for the busy week ahead?
You can go old school and use a pen and paper.
Or you can use today’s technology and download one of the many meal-planning apps available.
These apps help you schedule meals, prepare shopping lists, and even help you manage your budget.
Other benefits of using a meal-planning app include the following:
- Focus only on the items on your grocery list so you only buy what you need
- Suggest new and fun recipe ideas
- No more stressing over what you’ll eat or how much time it’ll take you
- Calculate how much carbs, fat, proteins, and other nutrients you’re consuming each day
- Know your total caloric intake for the day
Some of the suggestions you may not have the time right now during the busy holiday schedule.
Carry these suggestions into the new year and use them all year long next year.
Choose Wisely
Choosing healthy foods when eating out or passing through a drive-thru is hard.
However, the good news is that now almost every fast-food place has a handful of healthy food options to choose from.
Fast-food chains have amended many items thanks to the growing demand for healthier food choices.
Some have even added brand-new ones that are all about being healthy.
In the meantime, try these tips:
- Pick the smaller portion sizes
- Choose a side salad instead of fries
- Choose the grilled chicken instead of fried chicken or a beef burger
- Order water, diet soda, or unsweetened coffee or tea
Be a Smart Snacker
Sometimes we’re so swamped with work that we don’t have time to eat.
We go to the vending machine and get a bag of chips or a bar of chocolate with a bazillion calories.
Sure, it’ll satiate you for about 15 minutes. But then, because they’re also loaded with carbs, your blood sugar levels will take a nose dive.
Soon, you won’t be able to focus on your work and dying to nap.
To avoid putting yourself through all that, learn how to snack smart.
It means choosing snacks that keep you feeling full for hours without all the loaded carbs, sodium, and fat.
Below is a list of some nutritious snacks you must always have in your bag.
From the sweet to the savor, these yummy snacks will ensure you always make healthy food choices.
- Trail mix
- Nuts like almonds, cashews, peanuts, and walnuts
- Chopped vegetables with a side of salsa or hummus
- Cut-up or whole fruit
- Rice cakes and granola
- Frozen yogurt
- Sugar-free protein bars
I am a snacker and big on the above recommendations, and I always have them on hand.
I have a busy schedule like all of you do. This is my go-to list.
One more suggestion to help you through the busy holiday season: how to manage stress.
Deep Breathing to Manage Stress
Here are some tips and tricks to help you reverse your stress responses and feel calmer.
- The trick is to breathe. When stressed, we often hold our breath or have shallow breathing.
By that, I mean we stop deep breathing.
Focus on breathing from chest breathing to abdominal breathing. Slowly take a good long breath in and exhale.
- Pushing out the air from the bottom of our lungs creates a vacuum allowing you to switch to abdominal breath on your next inhalation.
Next, pause for a second or two before inhaling slowly.
- The recommended breathing is through the nose.
It takes a while for some people to get used to nostril breathing. So, in the meantime, you can breathe through your mouth until you’re more comfortable.
- Avoid taking more than five deep breaths. More than five breaths make most people feel light-headed.
If this sounds familiar, take 2–3 breaths simultaneously to avoid feeling giddy or off-balance.
Stop and take a deep breath whenever you feel overly stressed.
This technique will not only serve you during this busy holiday season. It’s one more suggestion you take into the new year and use as needed all year.
This is, without a doubt, the best time of the year!
May these suggestions help make it even better and enjoy every minute of it?
If you have any particular challenges, let me know. I’ll include it in my content.
Starting today, make yourself a priority and begin living your best life.
But before we go, always remember to
Be true to your magnificent self,
Coach Marlene
Connect with me!! I’d love to hear from you.
https://attractloveatanyage.com/
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Email: parkavenueunlimited@midco.net
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