Summertime means being on the go. Out with friends, time at the beach or park and often plans can change quickly and keep you on the out for the whole day! All this go-go-go can make it tough to eat healthy, especially if you’re trying to watch your weight. Don’t leave your hunger in the hands of the greasy burger shack or ice cream vendor. With just a little planning ahead, you can be ready for anything.
I learned a long time ago that if I didn’t plan ahead and got too hungry, I’d be grabbing the first thing I could find; (which was usually NOT a healthy or calorie conscious choice). Now when I leave the house, I’m prepared. Here are some of the tricks I’ve learned:
Keep snacks in the car. Light, quick bites can help keep hunger at bay and save you from eating something you might regret later. Look for things that won’t spoil in a hot car - 100 calorie snack packs, small boxes of raisins, granola bars, snack size bags of nuts or roasted soy nuts work great. Throw a few into a gallon size zipper bag in the back seat of your car.…you’ll be so glad you did.
Keep a small cooler in the car. Before you leave the house, grab a couple beverages, a piece or two of fruit and a couple low fat cheese sticks. Or you can stop on the way to the park or beach and pick up a healthy sub (like turkey or lean ham with lots of veggies and mustard) and some fruit to toss into your cooler.
Get creative! If you know you’ll be at the beach all day but don’t want to fuss, try filling your cooler with some of these quick and easy combos. All are easy to pick up at your local supermarket. Just grab a box or container of each, throw it into your cooler and go!
- Whole grain crackers, hummus and baby carrots.
- Apples and a small chunk of low-fat cheddar cheese (both can be purchased pre-sliced).
- Low-fat string cheese and grapes.
- A few thin deli slices of turkey, ham (or other low fat lunchmeat) and cheese and a bag of breadsticks. Wrap the meat and cheese around the breadstick for an ‘inside out’ sandwich.
- Small take out veggie salad (with low fat dressing), low-fat cheese sticks, and pita bread (stuff pita with salad and a cheese stick, then add dressing).
Have some more good ideas? Let me know, I might use them this weekend!
- Renee
Labels: Diet, Fast Food, grocery shopping, healthy eating, Healthy Planet, Mindful Eating, nuts, Renee
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