Eating On The Run . . .

Learn the best choices....

Out of Time? Learn How to make the Best Nutrition Choices.

The Challenge In a perfect world, you’d have time to prepare healthy, nutritious meals designed to help you increase your athletic performance or achieve the body you’re striving for – and plenty of time to consume those meals, too. In the real world, however, eating often takes a back seat to other priorities like, family obligations, errands, socialising and finding time to get a workout in. But skipping meals, making poor choices or relying on fast foods often result in extra kilos, an increasing risk of heart disease, cancer and other medical problems, add kilos and a lack of energy. If you tend to eat on the run without thinking about what’s on your plate, you may be sacrificing performance on the job, at the gym and hurting your health as well.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that it is possible to eat well when you don’t have a lot of time – once you make it priority. Planning ahead, preparing quick but healthy meals and educating yourself about smart nutrition options when you’re on the go can help you improve your nutritional profile, have more energy and lose fat while maintaining lean muscle mass.

The Importance of Planning Ahead:

Smart eating starts with start planning. An athlete wouldn’t dream of a slipshod approach to training and a business person wouldn’t launch a new company without researching the market, yet many of us want to lose weight or perform better but don’t spend enough time how we’ll do it.

To begin, take a look at your current eating style. Knowing your typical eating pattern will help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your nutritional habits and determine how you can improve upon them. The simplest way to do this is to keep a food diary for a week. Write down everything you eat and drink, how much you consumed, when you ate and where you were when you ate. Take a look at your diary after you’re done to answer these basic questions:

1. Do you eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily?

2. Do you eat a snack before and after working out?

3. Do you drink at least eight glasses of water daily?

4. Do you eat out often, and if you do, doyou choose health foods or fast food places and restaurants?

5. Do you eat at least six servings of whole-grain foods (such as whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, pasta) each day?

6. Do you eat at least two servings of low fat dairy products and choose lean or low-fat meat/protein choices over fattier ones?

7. Do you eat fatty foods (like chips, fries, dressings, large meat servings, fried foods and cheese) often?

8. Do you skip meals or go longer than four hours without eating?

9. Do you travel frequently or find yourself on the go without healthy food choices nearby?

10. Do you forget or forgo eating for work, chores, sleep, socialising or exercising?

11. Do you keep healthful snacks on hand at home and at work?

12. Do you tend to wait until you're ravenous to eat?

Keeping a Food Journal:

You can try keeping a food journal. Reviewing your journal and answering these questions above will give you an idea of your eating patterns. You may motice that you tend to skip breakfast, and then overeat at lunch. You might discover that you’re relying on fast food for lunch everyday because you never seem to have time to bring something from home. Or you may be surprised to discover that you’re drinking four cans of fizzy drink a day but only four glasses of water.

Keeping this food journal can be a powerful tool because it makes you more aware of the positive changes you’re making in your diet. If you like, keep track of your workouts and how you feel throughout the day as well. Seeing the difference you’re making in your eating habits – and the positive results – in black and white is a powerful motivator for most people.

ASN stocks journals, such as the Syn-Tec Journal.

10 Tips for Healthy Eating on the Run:

Lack of time is a major reason why many people forego healthy eating. Fast food is readily available and it's temptingly cheap and filling. While eating fast food is never as healthy as a well-planned, balanced diet, if you must eat fast food, you can easily take steps to improve the quality of your nutrition when on the run.

1. Watch portion sizes. Your craving will likely be satisfied after you have finished a small order of fries, and you'll save over 100 calories when compared with the supersized order. The same holds true for sandwiches. Order the regular version or even a kid's meal for yourself.

2. Seek out deli-style fast-food chains where you can order a sub or sandwich on whole wheat bread or a wrap, a lower-fat and lower-calorie option than fried food.

3. Many fast-food chains now offer healthy sides in place of the ubiquitous French fries. Take the healthy option. Or if you can't bear to give up the grease and salt, get the healthy side order, too.


4. Always order a side salad when eating at traditional fast-food outlets. You will be less likely to fill up on only the unhealthy items, and the salad will provide some fiber and vitamins to balance an otherwise unhealthy meal.

5. Remember that chicken isn't always a healthy choice. Many fast-food chains offer fried breaded chicken sandwiches on white bread that are actually richer in fat and calories than a burger. Grilled chicken is a better option.

6. Make it a habit to eat a piece of fruit, a bowl of cereal, or some lowfat yogurt before you set out to run errands. Regular eating can help you feel full and avoid temptation.

7. Stock your car with bottled water and healthy snacks. Have a small snack before the cravings hit and you're less likely to pull into that drive-through fast-food outlet.

8. Consider a supermarket for your fast-food break. You can pick up precut and washed fresh fruit or vegetables, yogurt, or lowfat cheese. Many supermarkets also offer sushi, wraps, salads, or other healthy prepared items.

9. Hold the mayo. A tablespoon of regular mayonnaise has almost 100 calories.

10. Don't add a sugary, calorie-rich drink to an already unhealthy meal. Water is available everywhere and is good for you. Drinking a large glass of water with your meal will help you feel fuller earlier.