Covering All Your Nutritional Bases On The Run

One of the most difficult diet related tasks and one of the top reasons people give for not sticking to their diets is trying to eat healthy while on the run. Between work, family time, working out and all the other errands that come with everyday life, we seem to be spending alot more time away from home. This extra time spent "on the run" tends to lead us down the wrong road when it comes to eating healthy. Fast foods, high calorie coffees/drinks, and convenience store snacks seem to have become most of the populations 3 main food groups. However, there are some ways to overcome this "fatty" dilemma. Here are 5 things you can do to get you on a new healthy track when you are away from home.

1. Purchase a portable lunch cooler/tote- This is an absolute no brainer. These are a must for anyone who spends a descent amount of time on the run. Not only do these "diet savers" come in many different sizes, most of them can be purchased for under $20.00. One of the great things about these "lunch boxes" is that you can get ones that keep your food (or beverages) cold or hot. In other words, this enables you to bring hot or cold food/beverages with you on the road. There is absolutely no excuse for you not to be able to eat your favorite "healthy" meals away from home.
*Favorite lunch cooler-Little Playmate Ultra by Igloo

2. Prepare meals ahead of time- If you are a picky eater or someone who never has enough time in the morning, this one is definitely for you. Preparing meals ahead of time not only saves you time in the morning, but more importantly, it will ensure that you stay consistent with your healthy eating habits away from home. I personally prepare all my meals for the week on Sunday which enables me to just "grab and go" in the morning. And don't worry... most cooked foods will stay good for at least 5 days if they are refrigerated properly. Just remember, consistency with your diet is definitely the key to reaching your goals and staying healthy.
*Favorite "on the run" prepared meal-Whole wheat pasta salad with tuna

3. Protein supplements- If you want to stay energized and keep your metabolism humming, you should be consuming 5-6 small meals, approximately 2-2 1/2 hours apart, every day. One of the most easiest and convenient ways to accomplish this is by supplementing in between meals with protein shakes or bars. They have come along way in the last few years and are super convenient, good tasting (most of then anyways), and real easy on the bank account. They come in a ton of different flavors and most are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Just beware of the shakes and bars that are high in sugars and saturated fats and have more than 250 calories in them. These so called "supplements" are actually just junk food disguised as a healthy protein supplement. Also, make sure if you pre-mix your protein shakes you keep them in your lunch cooler until you drink them or else they can spoil. The easiest and safest way is to throw your 1 or 2 scoops of protein powder in your shaker and mix with water right before you drink it. This will not only take away the chance of your shake spoiling, it will also free up some much needed room in your cooler. If you would rather not do shakes or bars or if you haven't found any that you like, a serving of low sugar/low fat yogurt (Greek is the best), low fat cottage cheese, or a handful of nuts/seeds will surely do the trick.
*Favorite protein shake-Next Nutrition Designer Whey
*Favorite protein bar-Pure Protein (high protein/low carb) Bars-Blueberry Cheesecake

4. Drink plenty of water- If you are not doing this, then you are doing your body a huge disservice. Water makes up approximately 60% of the adult human body by weight. Consuming adequate amounts of water will benefit your body in many ways including: alleviating fluid retention, increasing the percentage of fat used for energy by improving liver functions, decreasing appetite, improving metabolic functions, and easier distribution of nutrients throughout the body. On the other side, the body cannot adapt to dehydration (excessive loss of body water), which impairs every physiologic function. Past studies have shown that a fluid loss of even 2% will affect bodily functions and decrease performance levels. In other words, drink plenty of water!

5. Keep it Simple- I cannot stress this enough! Keeping your nutritional program as simple as possible will definitely contribute to its over all success. If you are spending many hours planning, preparing, or meticulously weighing every portion of your meals, you will probably burn out quickly by making your diet a time consuming, burdensome task instead of the easy healthy life style it should be. Keep everything simple and don't let it consume your whole life.

As Always,

Stay Motivated, Stay Fit

Best Regards,

Andy Moses
Ultimate Physique PT
http://ultimatephysiquept.com/
http://ctfitnesscoach.com/
andy@ultimatephysiquept.com