Last week, we touched on the concept of getting your workouts in, despite a busy schedule and limited time.
(If you missed that article, you can find it on my BodyWeightStrengthTraining.com blog, here.)
Today, we’re going to go further with this concept, and talk about some healthy snack ideas for busy people, in a guest article from my nutrition expert friend Nick Pineault.
Nick and I recently had a long phone conversation about healthy eating, and his knowledge really impressed me. We ended up talking a lot about how to maintain healthy eating habits, despite a busy schedule – and I was thrilled when he agreed to do a guest blog post for us on the topic!
Without further ado, Nick –
The Sad Road to Packing On the Pounds
by Nick Pineault, author, Healthy or Not
“Tell me how many miles you travel every year, and I’ll tell you how fat you get”.
For most people, this sad mantra is true.
Whether it’s getting on the car for long hours and relying on a fast food chain to curb your appetite or taking a flight and snacking on the airport’s vending machines… travel is often synonym of terrible nutrition, and extra pounds on your body.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you travel prepared, you’ll prevent this fat gain that’s creeping just around corner of your next vacation or business meeting. I know planning is hard.
Every time I tell myself I’ll prepare something before hitting the road, I end up forgetting about it or being late and having to leave empty-handed (and often stressed-out).
That’s why the solutions I propose all my coaching clients are fast, easy, and don’t require any preparation.
Here are the three snacks that will make any excuses you had for travelling unprepared vanish as fast as I can down an entire chocolate pie (and I’m pretty fast, trust me):
1 – Nuts
Yes, they contain a lot of calories. But at the same time, they are packed with protein and healthy fats that will curb your appetite.
No prep, all the benefits.
I suggest you only settle for the healthiest nuts around: the raw, organic kind. Second choice would be dry roasted. Almonds, walnuts, macadamias, pistachios, cashews and pecans will all do the trick.
2- Organic beef jerky
Beef, salt. Can’t get simpler than that.
This all-protein snack is low in calories, very tasty and almost imperishable.
Note that I recommend only organic beef jerky. That’s because regular beef jerky is made with cheap grain-fed meat that’s way less nutritious and that often contains nasty pesticides and antibiotics.
3 – Nutrition bars
Big disclaimer on this one: do NOT choose random granola or protein bar you find at the supermarket.
Be ready to pay a premium price on those, because this is what true nutritious bars made with all-natural ingredients really cost.
A few characteristics you want to look for in a nutrition bar:
- Ingredients you can pronounce
- Low in sugar
- High in fiber
- High in protein
- Gluten-free (if gluten is a problem for you)
- Organic, if possible
(Tip from Forest – Perfect Foods Bars are a great choice. You can find these at your local health food store, or in the FVT Pro Shop.)
These are just 3 of the snacks that are really healthy and easy to grab before hitting the road. The next time you travel, make sure you take the fat-burning road and come back home leaner.
Before I forget – When at home, make sure you have the right stuff in your fridge and pantry at all times. Click here to learn about 3 so-called healthy foods you need to get rid of ASAP:
—-> 3 Healthy Foods to NEVER Eat
Keep your travel snacks simple and healthy,
Nick
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Awesome article, Nick! Thanks again for doing this. These are some great tips we can implement right away to make healthier snack choices!
Thanks, and talk soon –
Forest Vance, MS, CPT, RKC II
