LaLona's Nutrition Tip #2: Nutrition on the Go

You’re busy. Whether it’s kids, work, school, or a combination of all three, you are on the go and often eating on the run.  So what do you eat? A Nutri-grain bar?  Pretzels?  Leftover Goldfish from the diaper bag?  A candy bar? 

Here are some healthier options that will leave you full and fit:

1. Green apple (less sugar than other apples) with 6 almonds
2. Other fruit -- peach, pear, orange, etc. -- but watch portion sizes.  Some fruit portions are ½ the fruit or ½-3/4 cup cubed.  If you are wanting to lose weight, limit bananas to ½ 3x per week.   
3. 1 cup (about a handful) of baby carrots, cucumber, or any other raw vegetable, coupled with 1 T. raisins if you want a treat.
4. Protein powder (all you need is a bottle of water to make a shake!)
5. Edamame is also a healthy snack.

      Health bars such as Zone or Think Thin can be an option when the above-mentioned ones are not available. They are not as good for you as eating the natural foods, but they are tremendously better than most alternatives!

If you have a lunch box that will help keep things cool:

·    1. Reduced-fat all-natural cheese stick

·    2. Plain Greek yogurt sweetened with Stevia (I have the “purse size” stevia bottle. You can get it at Whole Foods and the Farmers’ Market.)

Try to stay away from the empty carbs and high sugars (listed in the opening paragraph) that we often are tempted to grab. I keep a bar and a baggie of protein powder in my purse at all times, and I try to never leave home for a long period of time without taking a fruit and a bag of veggies. When I go work out in the mornings, I often take a yogurt to have in the car before heading home. The key is that I never let myself get hungry, yet I keep myself fit by always having healthy foods around me! 

If you have specific nutrition questions, please send them my way on this blog. I would be delighted to help!