on the go

Happy SUPER BOWL Sunday! What will you be doing to celebrate the big game? I’ll be working, working, working–but I’m not complaining, I can definitely use the dinero! Between a full-time schedule of college classes, work, training, and life, I stay super busy! I wouldn’t have it any other way. The key to maintaining a healthy diet when you’re always on the go is planning ahead. I thought I’d share a few tips about what I do to ensure my crazy schedule doesn’t ruin my nutritious eats! (Remember, these are just my personal thoughts from experience!)

Stuffed bell peppers are quick & easy to prepare if you precut your veggies & precook your rice!

• Prep your food at the beginning of the week. Throwing together a quick lunch is so much easier if your fruit and veggies are already chopped and stored in Tupperware in the refrigerator. Chopped celery, carrots, peppers are also great to have on hand to snack on with some hummus. One of my favorite go-to meals is a quick veggie and tofu stir fry–with my veggies already diced, all I have to do is throw them on the stove and lunch is ready in ten minutes! You can also cook a big batch of brown rice and store for the week. Mix it with beans and veggies and stuff the mix in bell peppers, or throw it in a bowl with black beans, cilantro, salsa, and organic blue corn chips…mmm! You’re more likely to eat healthy if you have it on hand.
• Pack snacks in your purse or car. It’s important to eat every few hours so that you don’t overeat. I usually throw a granola bar or bag or almonds and dried fruit in my purse so that if I get hungry, I have a nutritious snack and won’t be tempted to stop for fast food or a bag of chips! Clif and Luna bars are great and plenty filling to hold me over until my next meal! If you are on a tight budget, granola bars are one of the easiest things to make yourself.
• Eat a big breakfast! This is not a meal to miss! After a long night of sleep, your body needs fuel to jump-start its metabolism. Eat a nutritious, fiber-filled breakfast and you are less likely to eat later in the day.  Some of my breakfast usuals include: oatmeal topped with berries and almond butter, fat-free greek yogurt with granola and fruit, whole wheat english muffin with raspberry preserves, or a piece of millet toast topped with a poached egg and a banana on the side. Green smoothies are also great ways to start the day. Throw a banana, couple handfuls of spinach, frozen berries, flax seed and ice in the blender and you are good to go! Don’t be freaked out by the green spinach in a smoothie–you can’t even taste it, promise!!
• Drink lots of H2O. A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass or bottle of water when you start to feel hungry, wait twenty minutes and see how you feel. A lot of the time, the hungry feeling will pass. And it’s super important to stay hydrated so drink, drink, drink!

Can’t go wrong with water and fruit!

Preparation is key to staying healthy. If you’re new to a whole foods lifestyle, it is important that you keep these tips in mind. It’s easy to fall off the wagon if you don’t have your veggies easily accessible. Do you have any healthy tips for busy-bodies like me?

Enjoy the last day of your weekend!