“I am too busy to eat right”. I hear this all the time. Trying to fit in work, family, exercise, dating, spending time with friends, etc., can be a daunting task. While a hectic schedule can make eating healthy more difficult, it can be done with a little know how and planning.

Top 6 Tips for Healthy Eating on the Run

• Start your day off with a good breakfast. It may be the one meal of the day that you have total control over. The ideal breakfast is one that contains protein and fiber rich carbs. This will provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
  Examples of quick healthy breakfasts:
  -Whole grain cereal with non fat or 1% milk
  -Oatmeal (instant is ok) with fruit
  -Cottage cheese and fruit
  -Yogurt, fresh fruit and ½ whole grain cereal  (better to make    your own than buy the premade parfaits)
  -PB on whole wheat toast
  -Deli: egg whites or egg on whole wheat bread

• Keep your environment stocked with easy to prepare meals and snacks. Stock your office or home  with healthy foods in case you  do not have time for a real meal or need an afternoon  pick-me-up. 
  Suggestions: nuts, nut butter, whole grain crackers and bread, whole grain cold cereal and packs of instant oatmeal, dried and fresh fruit, yogurt, string cheese, laughing cow cheese, cottage cheese. You may also be less likely to grab a chocolate from your co-workers desk if you know you have a healthy snack waiting for you (or maybe not….)

• Plan ahead. Your best bet is to bring lunch from home so you can control the ingredients.  If that is not an option, you will need to make an effort to find places that have healthy take out foods for lunch and dinner. Since the average person tends to frequent the same few restaurants on most days, find those that have healthy options.
  Suggestions for lunch:
  -Turkey or grilled chicken on whole grain bread
  -Salad with lean protein and low fat dressing
  - ½ sandwich and small broth based soup
  - 2 sushi rolls

• Do not go too long without eating. This will lead to low blood  sugar, decreased energy levels, cravings and decreased motivation to watch what you eat. When you are REALLY hungry, what do you crave – the apple sitting on your desk or junk from the vending machine? Most of us crave junk when we get low blood sugar. Keep healthy snacks on hand. Try not to let more than 4 hours go by without a little snack.

• Keep a large water bottle on your desk. Tell yourself you have to drink at least 48 oz. by the end of the day. Most of us do not drink enough fluid. Having a hectic schedule makes it even harder to remember to drink. Being dehydrated can lead to headaches, low energy levels, “false hunger” (we think we are hungry but we are really dehydrated) and poor energy levels for our workouts.

• No time to cook dinner….find healthy alternatives
  Most city girls (and guys) I know have little time to cook. “Dialing for dinner” becomes routine. Take-out food can be loaded with calories and fat.
  Suggestions for healthy take-out dinners ( I will post more along with the nutritional content within a few weeks):
  -Chinese: steamed chicken, shrimp, tofu or scallops and veggies,
  -Rotissere chicken, ½ baked potato and steamed veggies
  -Japanese: 2 rolls and soup or salad or one roll and 5 sashimi and soup or salad
  -Middle Eastern: chicken kabobs and salad, piece of pita bread
  -Frozen dinner under 350 calories and salad
  -Fresh Direct under 500 calorie meals
  -Salad with grilled chicken (add your own lowfat dressing)

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