The school holidays are here and Spring is in the air. Life is busy, and daily routine can feel like it has been thrown out of the window.
Regardless of what you or you’re kids are doing, there’s a good chance that some of your days are on the busy side, with time spent travelling to and from activities/playgroup/preschool/vacation care and the like.
It is often recommended that for healthy weight loss, we take the time to ‘consciously eat’, this means that we stop what we are doing and actually concentrate on the food in front of us, as opposed to eating while doing other activities simultaneously.
This is one of the reasons why sitting down with your partner or family each night is such a healthy habit to introduce into your life. Sitting around the dinner table, with the TV and other media switched off, allows time to actually enjoy the experience of eating a meal (as well as each others company of course!).
Research has found that we generally eat less when we eat in this way as we eat at a slower pace and are able to respond better to ‘full’ signals. While trying to integrate sit down dinner times into your weekly schedule is a great goal, there are times when you need to eat on the run, be it in the car, while you’re out and about between activities or when you have a spare few minutes to yourself.
At these times, it helps to know what to fuel your body with to keep it healthy and energised. Regular snacking on nutritious foods is also important for weight loss, so having a stash of the good stuff will end up being a very good thing for your waist line, and stop you hitting the nearest vending machine or service station.
The best foods to eat on the run
- Mixed nuts – Raw, unsalted nuts, like cashews and almonds make an easy, nutritious snack
- Veggie sticks with healthy dip – Carrot and celery battons keep well in a tupperware container and served with a dip like hummus, are a filling, very low calorie snack.
- Wholegrain crackers with cheese – If you’re feeling more than peckish, reach for multigrain crackers with some low fat tasty or cheddar cheese. The mix of carbs and protein will help fill you up and keep blood sugar balanced.
- Tub of yoghurt – While a little trickier to transport, a small tub of yoghurt makes for a fantastic, filling snack. Remember to stick with all natural, unsweetened varieties like Jalna.
- Trail mix – A mix of nuts, seeds and dried fruits will give you a burst of energy. Sultanas, craisins, raw nuts, puffed corn and rice and seeds like pepitas all make great options for the mix.
- Pick n mix fruit – Tossing a mix of non- messy fruits in a ziplock or tupperware container makes for an easy, tasty snack. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are an easy, no-mess option, while whole fruits like bananas and apples are also fab.
- Nut bar – If you have to choose a pre-packaged snack, a nothing but nuts type bar is your best and lowest calorie option. Look for a bar that uses raw nuts and has nothing artificial added.