These healthy on-the-go tips are great for any person who needs a little extra help streamlining their meals and snacks while still focusing on healthy options. Do you know this popular saying: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”? Well… it couldn’t be more accurate! The more preparation you do, the easier staying healthy on-the-go will be. Don’t get nervous, these healthy on-the-go tips are simple to do and will impact your life positively tenfold. Eating healthy can be easy if you take the initiative to set yourself up for success.
Healthy On-The-Go Tip #1: Plan Ahead
This sounds like a no-brainer, but many of us push this off thinking we’ll be able to figure it out on the way. Usually, that’s not the case, and being unprepared can have you reaching for a trigger food or succumbing to the drive-thru. Get in the healthy habit of planning ahead for the week by meal-planning and grocery shopping. Planning ahead will help prevent you from eating out without a plan, and choosing unhealthy food choices.
•Create your meal plan for the week. Plan recipes and be sure to make your grocery list with all ingredients needed.
•If you have plans to eat out, review the menu online and decide on the healthier food options you will make before you get there- do not budge on your choice and don’t let peer pressure alter your choices. Remember to put yourself and your needs first, there is nothing wrong with keeping your health and wellness a priority.
•Plan for buys days by portioning and packing up breakfasts, lunches, and dinners ahead of time.
•After grocery shopping, prepare healthy snacks (cut veggies, portion nuts or hummus, wash fruit) so you have healthy on-the-go grab-and-go options.
•Avoid going to the grocery store hungry or without a plan!
Healthy On-The-Go Tip #2: Meal Preparation & Tricks
•Make hard-boiled eggs ahead of time to use for protein sources or meals and snacks.
•Pre-cook chicken or turkey to create healthy meals with throughout the week.
•Portion out nuts and seeds for snacks.
•Have low-sugar protein bars available as a last-resort emergency snack.
•Make homemade salad dressings to avoid unhealthy fats, sugars, sodium, and preservatives.
Healthy On-The-Go Tip #3: Time Saving Cooking Tips
•Save time using cooking appliances such as crock-pots, rice cookers, pressure cookers, and portable grills.
•Make large batches of hearty soups and stews in a crock-pot for eating at multiple meals and freeze the leftovers for quick and easy meals that keep for a long period of time and can easily be re-heated in a few minutes!
•Utilize the crock-pot for making large batches of meat or for days when you are short on time.
•Use a rice-cookers for a variety of purposes such as making whole grains like steel-cut oats, whole-wheat couscous, quinoa, and brown rice.
Healthy On-The-Go Tip #4: Self Reflection and Preparation Questions:
•List some ideas to help plan healthy meals for the week ahead.
•Identify barriers to planning head.
•Idetify strategies to overcome each of these barriers.
•When you are pressed for time, what are some quick, healthy on-the-go options? List ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.