How to Eat on the Go

How do you eat on the go?

Our lives are so busy. I don’t know about you guys, but my days are busier than ever. I tend to over-schedule myself, too. I make plans weeks in advance, I work out 5 days a week, and I try to find down time for myself here and there. When things get really crazy busy, it’s hard to spend a ton of time on cooking complicated meals–or even healthy meals some days!

Recently I had to take Michael to urgent care. He was really sick (he’s okay now) and I knew there was a possibility that we’d be in the waiting room for several hours. It was right after work, I’d been hungry for several hours and dinner was going to be late. I grabbed a few things to take along just in case. I took some beef jerky, a string cheese and half a bottle of orange juice. Thankfully our visit was very short but the snacks helped curb the hunger I was feeling in a stressful situation.

So what kind of things are good “grab and go” meals and snacks? These are just a few that come to my mind. I’d love it if you guys would share your ideas, too!

Breakfast burritos. These are fast to make and you can throw anything you want in them. Scrambled eggs with spinach, black beans and corn, or sausage and eggs. Then wrap it in foil to keep it warm and mess-free while you eat it.

Breakfast quesadillas are the same concept as the burritos, maybe a little messier to eat on the go.

String cheese is a favorite of mine. We buy them at Costco so we always have them on hand and they’re only 80 calories. If that doesn’t satisfy my hunger, I can add some nuts to it.

Cottage cheese is a another favorite of mine because it’s so healthy, packed with protein, fills me up and is usually low in calories. I often measure out a serving in a small tupperware container and store them in the fridge for lunches and snacks. It’s quick and easy. There are also small packages at the store that are a serving size.

Greek yogurt is also a good one. Like the cottage cheese, I measure it out in small containers to make it simple on myself. I’ve been buying the plain Greek yogurt at Costco because it’s a better deal than the regular grocery store. I’ll add some honey or agave syrup or fresh fruit to it.

Carrots and hummus are another snack you can assemble ahead of time. Maybe on a weekend? Cut up a bunch of carrots, put them in ziplocks and get the single serving hummus to go.

Cut up some fresh fruit and store it for fast snacks. I eat an apple almost every day and I cut it up into slices because it’s easier to eat and it takes longer to eat! In the summer time I get fresh fruit and eat tons of that, or I’ll get watermelon and cut it up into easy serving sizes.

Protein shakes are also great for “grab and go.” You can throw together whatever you have on hand and get great benefits from the smoothie! Need some recipe ideas? Check out this site and this site. Chocolate milk is also an option if you don’t have time to make a shake.

I’ve been wanting to make these mini quiches forever now. I just need to do it! They look so good! It’s something that could be made on the weekend and would be a great breakfast for the week.

Protein bars are good in a pinch. Be careful though, some of them are really high in calories and sugar. I like the Luna bars, they are usually the only brand I buy. They run between 160-180 calories per bar and they taste great!

Laughing cow cheese with some crackers are great because it’s portion controlled, easy to bring along as a snack in the car and taste great.  In the same realm, a serving size package of tuna and crackers are good, too.

Making it Work

Most of these ideas take just a few minutes to prepare and assemble and then you’re set (and don’t forget your crockpot!). Having things like this on hand in the fridge make it so much simpler to eat something healthy instead of falling into the fast food trap. If you do have to go to a fast food place, try getting a salad or their soup.

Something else I do is: I make ziplock bags with measured out serving sizes of trail mix, nuts, dried fruit and keep it stocked for easy snacking. Then I can just snag a ziplock on the way out the door. This trick also keeps me from eating more than one serving!

Just remember: protein and fiber fills you up more than carbs. It’s also a good idea to avoid things with a lot of sugar in it because if you’re like me, you’ll just crash from it!

QUESTION: So what are your “eat and go” ideas?