Lucia Weiler RD PHEc for GOOD TO GO Snacks
Hungry or not, food tempts our senses everywhere we go. Because it’s so convenient and common to grab a quick meal or snack in today’s busy lifestyle, it’s worth taking a closer look at the many benefits of eating well on the run. Healthy eating gives you the energy to keep going throughout the day and protects you from chronic health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and even dental disease.
With all the options in eating out and grab’n go foods you may find it hard to stick to a preferred eating plan when on the run. The good news is that the eating out scene is changing. Many restaurants, grocery stores and packaged snacks offer higher-quality foods and interesting flavours to choose from.
Eating on the run?
Here are some tips that can help you meet your personal healthy eating goals:
- Plan your meals and eating day ahead to suit your food preferences.
- Bring your own lunch to work instead of eating out. Packing your lunch helps you eat the way you want and it saves you money.
- Need a snack on the go? Tuck portable, non-perishable foods in your bag for on-the-run food. Consider nuts, seeds, snack bars or berries.
- Satisfy your thirst with water. For flavour boost add lemon, lime or cucumbers. Keep a water bottle with for you on-the-go hydration.
- Enjoy your food. Besides providing nourishment, food is a part of life that helps us stay connected and experience great tastes.
Eating out on a special diet like ketogenic diet?
When eating out it can be tricky to figure out what’s in a dish. This could pose a challenge if you have special food requests. For people on the very low carbohydrate diet like the keto diet eating out can be even more limiting. (NOTE: If you’re interested in trying the keto diet, it’s a good idea to connect with a doctor or registered dietitian about what’s right for you.)
Today’s service-focused restaurants, cafés and grocery store counters are recognizing the opportunity in meeting people’s diverse dietary preferences. You may find more and more places can accommodate your special food requests. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Think ahead and plan where you will eat. Check out the range of menu items online before committing.
- Ask if you can make special requests and switch out items you can’t eat.
- Look for high nutritional quality ingredients and limit saturated fats. Sample lunch menu items for keto diets could include:
- Spinach salad with grilled salmon
- Tuna salad stuffed in tomatoes
- Eggs on a bed of lettuce with avocado
- Quick snacks may be good options. Try these keto- friendly snacks:
- Avocado based guacamole with celery and pepper strips
- Greek yogurt with nuts
- Keto friendly snack bars like GOOD TO GO, which are made with quality ingredients and are Keto-certified.
Remember when choosing to eat out, chain restaurants have nutrition information available. For packaged on-the-go snacks check the nutrition facts table to help you make informed choices. Consider choosing foods that are lower in the nutrients you may want less of such as saturated and trans fats.