Staying healthy on The Go

When I presented in a webinar in a healthy living series the other day, I did not just stick to my topic of tips for when you work in the virtual environment, I also added information on tips to eat healthy when always on the go.  For many people who work from home in the virtual world, or college students who spend time studying at home, the day can be broken up and sometimes we find ourselves on the run.  I, personally work from home most of the time, and I break my day up with a trip to the gym and to run errands while businesses are open for the day.  I am sure there are others out there who have a busy, on the go lifestyle, but also get very absorbed into the virtual world. 

Here are some of the tips I included in my presentation:

-Prepare larger quatities of food in advance.  Then make your own frozen dinners, and maybe place some in  the fridge.  In the freezer means that you can still enjoy that dish later on down the road.  Making the food yourself ensures lower sodium and fat, and overall better nutritional value than some of the prepared foods on the market.

-Use a cookbook geared towards fresh meals in under 30 minutes, or search the internet.  It is best ti find recipes where the nutritional breakdown is already provided.  Due to variations, it may not be 100% accurate, but it can give you an idea.  Don't be afraid to make substitutions either.  Coolking is all about experimentation.

-If you have a family to feed, these are some ideas to make healthy meals easier: Buy in bulk, get the whole family involved in food selection, kids should be allowed to help pick out foods and do some prep work in the kitchen (this increases buy in from the kids), split up kitchen responsibilities, have a back up plan in place if the kids ask for fast food/drive thru, and of course, set an example for your children.

-Start your day off with breakfast.  Not only does this help with weight control and better body metabolism, but you will feel like you are able to do all of those running around activities that you may have lined up in the morning.  If you are on the run and truly can't take time to eat before you leave, take something with you.  Something is always better than nothing.

-Prep healthy snacks in advance, and make your own grab-and-go snacks that can fit easily in your purse or car.  Take water with you on the road while you are out and about.

-If you have to eat lunch out, here are some tips to cut calories: choose the lunch portion, share, wrap half for later (ask for the container when the food comes and wrap it up right away...out of sight, out of mind), look carefully for menu items listed as healthier options and then evaluate if this truly is a healthier option or just a marketing scam, start off with a salad (dressing on the side and dip the fork into the dressing, of course!)

-Variety, and as I have said before, PLAN!

Well, I hope you have found some good ideas here.  maybe you already do some of these things, but may you have been inspired to try something new to help you on your quest for healthy living on the go.

QUESTIONS:  Do you have a job or lifestyle that always has you on the go?  What are your tips for staying healthy while on the go?

5 comments:

Emily said...

for parties, i usually make salad or dessert...opposite ends of the spectrum, but those are my specialites. :-)

Gina; The Candid RD said...

Planning ahead is SO IMPORTANT. Sadly, it's what most people don't want to do. I also prepare snacks the day before, and make large batches of fruits and veggies (Steamed or just fresh and cut up) so I am forced to eat them before they go bad. Like you, I used to break up my day by running errands or working out in the afternoon, because it's hard to be in the house working all day, especially alone. I worked as far away from the kitchen as possible!

Andrea@WellnessNotes said...

I think having plenty of healthy options around is key. I try to always carry some healthy snacks with me. I also plan easy, healthy lunch options that I can easily take every week (salad ingredients that are prepped and can be easily put in a container for example).

Nicci said...

I always pack healthy snacks when traveling, granola bars, fresh fruit and veggies to avoid as stations stops with chips, lol.

Special K said...

Last weekend in Sweden, we talked about how all Americans "are on the go" Why? One reason...we don't like down time. We are always plugged in, tune up, working, running around. And that leads to numerous bad health practices. One thing I try to do is stagger my after work obligations and weekends...one day "on" and one day with NO plans. I still struggle just to relax.

Post a Comment