Snack Healthy, while on the Run!
Out on the Run?
Whether you had a long day at work, or are driving kids to practice, getting hungry is inevitable. What happens when time is short and adulting turns overwhelming?
You are most likely to find an easy solution to find prepared and easy to reach processed foods.
There is no debate that fast food joints offer the convenience of affordable meals that only take a few minutes to prepare and can be picked up from a drive thru window. However, they rely on compulsive spending and less than healthy eating habits. Studies confirm that eating highly processed meals and snacks packed with excess sodium, sugars, and unhealthy fats, increase risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
One way that can prepare you for your daily battle is by packing snacks to keep you satisfied until your next wholesome meal. It takes a little bit of planning to shop and prep daily snacks. Done right, the rewards that come back to you in health and financial savings are very satisfying.
Take for example Caroline, she works downtown 5 days a week and makes her morning coffee or tea at home. There's also a coffee station in her office, so that's covered.
Lunch is different story
Lets calculate the cost of lunch spending, to about $12 to $15 a day on snacks and lunch, round up to $75 per week. A substantial $3,750 for 50 work weeks out of the year. Now add the overall impact of making the most convenient choices that include: sugary drinks, candy bars, highly processed chips and fast food combos,
Extra weight creeping in, brain fogs and fatigue are just some of the side effects of sugar addiction. The Medical School of the University of Palermo published an article in 2017, about the increasing cases of obesity related to sugar composition. The article investigated how a diet packed with low nutrient meals with empty calories increased the risk of developing obesity (specially in children), that can later lead to cardiovascular disease and diabetes
Due to the high risk of contracting life-threatening symptoms, the American Medical Association sin 2013, considers obesity a disease and not just a condition.
After careful review of her wellness and financial goals, Caroline understood that it was time to make different decisions and focus on staying healthy enough to enjoy the fruit of her work.
It was time to start making changes and drastic changes can be unrealistic. I find more effective to have a clear understanding of your goals and then build a realistic plan to achieve it. For some, making changes can be easy, those are the I did it "cold turkey" type. For others is best to come up with a plan and created a program based on her needs, including easy snack and lunch recipes with nutritional value, shopping list and meal prep coaching sessions.
The goal is to reduce spending by making a treasure investment of $50 a week on snack and lunch ingredients for meal prep. Shopping online helps save time and lowers the chance of buying things you don't need. if you must go to a brick and mortar store, be sure to have a shopping list to avoid over shopping and never go hungry! Being intentional about meal prepping snacks and lunch can save about $1,750 a year. Take a moment to meditate on how you can invest that extra money on your educational development, wealth building or helping others.
If you would like to reduce processed food to be healthier or save money to be wealthier, I want to share with you some quick snack ideas. Shop once a week, prep and pack in paper bags or reusable containers. Keep it simple and steady and you'll see the rewards.
Here are some Snack Choices to keep you hydrated and energized using good fats and fiber packed ingredients.
Fresh Guacamole or Avocado slices
Cucumber
Cheri tomatoes
Carrots & Celery
Sliced Artisan Cheese
Roasted Almonds
Walnuts
Hazelnuts
Pecans
Cashews
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Baked Chickpeas
Whole Wheat Crackers
Dry Pretzels
Use olive oil and balsamic vinegar or lime juice to dress veggies. Season nuts with Pink Himalayan, Sea salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper for flavor and boost metabolism.
