Conveniently Snacking - 4 Tips To Stay Healthy When Eating On The Go

One of my favorite Zen proverbs states, “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.” But if you’re always on the go it can be difficult to sit down and devote time to a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

More than ever people are taking their meals and snacks “to go”, whether it means grabbing snack cakes and a soda at the local convenience store or taking a moment to detour through the drive through window of a fast food restaurant.

However this type of snacking – There is no way you could consider it a meal! – is not healthy at all. Instead of fueling our bodies with the nutrients we need to get through the day, these foods offer little more than empty calories and more sodium than is safe for our hearts.

Don’t Get Trapped by Convenience Store Pitfalls

Thanks convenience store being open 24-hours per day, I can stop off at any time, day or night. Whether I need comfort food snacking or a quick lunch while on the go, the convenience store truly lives up to its reputation. They make it quick and easy to grab food on the go!

One of the appeals at stopping off for a quick and convenient snack is the variety. My local convenience store sells everything from chili dogs and pints of rocky road ice cream to super-sized sodas and a plethora of flavored coffee drinks round the clock.

If junk food and unhealthy snacking is a big part of your diet (and more importantly, if you are using these heart-unfriendly foods as meal replacements) then it is time to wake up and treat your taste buds to snacks that will keep your body fit, even when you are on the go!

A Few Safe Snacking Tips

With summertime quickly approaching, it will be even more tempting to grab a quick snack while on the go. But that doesn’t mean you have to avoid the convenience store altogether. A lot of these establishments sell perfectly healthy snacks.

The main difference is that healthy snacking on the go might cost you a little more money if you rely on your local convenience store to provide the treats. Nobody said convenience was cost-effective! Here are some tips for making healthier choices:

1. BREAKFAST – Skip the donut and see if your convenience store offers single-serve packages of whole grain cereal instead. Some convenience stores offer fresh fruit and hard boiled eggs, while some fast food restaurants offer healthier choices like oatmeal.
2. LUNCH – Skip the quarter-pound bacon cheeseburgers and fries, and instead grab a deli sandwich with natural meats and low-fat cheeses on whole grain breads. Almost all fast food restaurants post nutritional values of their menu items to help you make better choices.
3. SNACKS – Fresh fruit, single-serve packages of nuts, a small garden salad, and frozen yogurt are all great choices for snacking while on the go. If you must grab junk food, grab the smallest size available and pair it with something healthy, like 1 ounce bag of potato chips followed up with an apple or banana.
4. DRINKS – It is not just teenagers that crave sugary sodas and flavored coffees. Plenty of adults look to these beverages for a caffeine boost! Look for things low in calories, fat, and sodium. Water is always a great choice, but so is fruit juice – so long as it’s ingredients aren’t concentrated!

The benefit of a convenience store or fast food restaurant is that everything is portioned. It is up to you to make sure those portions aren’t super-sized. Another great tip is to take a couple of minutes to read the label. You aren’t losing time by doing this – you’re making an investment into your health!

Taking Snacks from Home while On the Go

Personally I prefer taking my own snacks from home. The preparation time that it takes to make up a snack to take with me is less time than I would spend trying to decide what the convenience store has to offer or waiting in line at the drive-thru window of a fast food restaurant.

My family loves smoothies. I can make up a blender full of the frozen concoction in the morning with fruit, ice, yogurt, and even baby spinach leaves. The blender’s pitcher goes right into the dishwasher so it’s clean when I need it the next morning.

Another smoothie ingredient I use is organic whey protein powder to make sure my family has the protein it needs for strong, healthy muscles. You can also add protein powder when making a cup of oatmeal, a batch of whole grain muffins, or even frozen varieties of your flavored coffee drinks.

The next time you’re grabbing a snack on the go, don’t reach for a bag of chips and a soda, or sit in line at the drive-thru for super-sized portions of unhealthy foods. When you make healthier snack choices, you’ll have more energy and feel better about yourself at the end of the day.

About the Author:

Freelancer Benjamin Baker is addicted to writing which leads him to a variety of sites for research. He recently used information from www.biogirlhealth.com when writing a series of blog articles about healthy snacking! When he isn’t writing Benjamin enjoys camping, fishing, and antiquing with his family which includes his wife and their 3 busy, growing teens.