Healthy Eating on the Go!
Heather Agnew

The most common barrier to healthy eating, weight loss, and wellness is a lack of time. Our days seem to shorten as our schedules build in intensity, until we become dependant on fast food, conveniently packaged pre-prepared meals, or skipping meals, just to save time. Well, these options may seem like a survival necessity, but over time, you are actually limiting your productivity and efficiency by not taking the time to eat properly. A healthy diet will help you to maintain a healthy weight, will keep your body and your brain energized, will keep your mind clear and focussed, and will keep your immune system functioning on high.

To make healthy eating a little easier on your schedule, try some of the following suggestions for Healthy Eating on the Go!

Meal Options:

Breakfasts:

• Whizz up a fruit smoothie to drink while you get dressed
• A sugar free muesli bar will give you a long-term energy boost
• Fruits like bananas and apples come in their own package, require no preparation, and can be eaten on the run.
• Fruit juices offer the body and the brain a supercharge.
• A handful of almonds will satisfy the body and offer a rich source of protein.

Lunches:

• Limit your sugar intake at lunch, and you can reduce the 'two o'clock slump'. Keep your lunches low on the glycemic index for long term energy to keep you running all afternoon.
• A salad with a protein source like chicken, fish, nuts, or beans
• A wrap with veggies, organic chicken or beef.
• Lentil, black bean, or split pea soup, with whole grain bread
• Lunch is a great time to make use of leftovers, a mix of different dishes will satisfy your body and your mind.
• Rice crackers, hummus, and veggies on your desk can serve as a great lunch or snack while you are working.

Snacks:

• Water before anything else. Keep a bottle on your desk, in your car, and in your briefcase. Quite often your body is thirsty rather than hungry between meals.
• Apples, Oranges, Bananas and fruit juices can be stored at the office and in the car for a quick (and cheap) snack.
• Before you surrender to the biscuits and donuts in a meeting, bring your own fruit, nuts, yogurt or muesli bar.
• Steer clear of caffeine after 12:00. This will help you sleep easier, and will help you make better food choices.
• Keep the treats out of your desk. Maintaining a stash of high calorie, sugary, nutrient-poor foods is a form of self sabotage.

Make Ahead Ideas:

To turn these Healthy Eating suggestions into a reality, Make It Ahead!

Roast vegetables in a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and add some fresh or dried herbs of your choice. Choose carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, capsicum, anice (fennel), grape or cherry tomatoes, parsnips, pumpkin, red onion, Keep them in the fridge up to 5 days.

• Add some to your mixed salad for a more substantial meal.
• Make a grilled sandwich with Turkish bread and some goat cheese melted on top.
• Toss with some freshly cooked spaghetti, olive oil, salt and pepper, add some protein from chicken, beef or fish.

Salads. When you get home from the grocery store, prepare all your salad veggies in advance and store for up to 4 days in a Tupperware container. When you are hungry, it will be easy to just toss some salad in a light balsamic or lemon juice and herb dressing and snack away.

• To make a salad more substantial, add roasted vegetables, steamed vegetables, feta cheese, grilled chicken, fish, or beef.
• If you are really short on time, try grabbing a couple of salads from the deli counter at the grocery store. Mix tabouleh, bean salad, rice salad, potato salad, or greek salad with some extra lettuce and chopped veggies for a healthy meal.
• Toss some salad in dressing, and add some protein from hummus, chicken, beef, ham, or cheese, roll it up in a wrap, and off you go!

Soups. Soups can be made ahead and refrigerated, frozen, or you can buy ready made soups from the grocery store. Try some new flavours to keep the variety in your diet, butternut squash, pumpkin, Thai vegetable, and carrot & butterbean are some of my favorites. On the side a few pieces of whole grain toast, a sandwich or a wrap can make a full, satisfying and healthy meal out of a quick fix.

Healthy on-the-go essentials:

• Tupperware containers large size for home, and lunch size to go.
• A variety of fresh fruits, baby carrots, chopped fresh veggies, and rice crackers.
• Bottled water, or water in bottles.
• Raw almonds
• Organic juices
• A few carefully chosen "treats" to keep you on the straight and narrow. Try to choose foods that have some nutritional value.
• Try to get a few friends together for a cooking day. You can prepare big quantities of things together, then split it all up so you don't have to eat a whole pot of split pea soup to yourself. This will give you time with friends to support each other in your goals, and will spice up your diet with variety.

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