Healthy Eating On-The-Go!!

I understand that many of us spend most of our time outside of our home. The ‘outside world’ can be an uncertain place for a ‘clean-eater’. If you don’t leave the house prepared, you could find yourself stuck in a not-so-healthy situation. I have some recommendations here for how to incorporate your healthy eating lifestyle when you are out and about. First off, you can rarely rely on the fact that there will be a healthy option available to you if you chose to eat out. It is always best to make your own food at home and bring it with you. This will make you feel secure throughout the day; you will always have something healthy to eat no matter where the day takes you. It is not ‘nerdy’ to bring your own lunch, it just means you are committed to your health and you take what you put in your body seriously. It can also save you a lot of money, and time waiting in lines during lunch hour. Below I’ve laid out some great on-the-go breakfast and lunch items for you to try!
There will still be those days when you can’t bring your own food with you on-the-go. What I do is find a few restaurants or stores that have ‘back-up plans.’ Most restaurants today post their nutritional information. I keep several nutritional pamphlets in my glove box for ‘emergencies.’ A general rule for picking out something from a restaurant or eatery is to make sure it has no more than 400 calories. Each meal you consume throughout the day should be between 300-400 calories. I haven’t gone into much detail on calories because I don’t like having to track calories. Eating should be fun and enjoyable and if you reduce foods into their caloric value it can be discouraging and frustrating. Also, if you want healthy eating to be a lifestyle choice and not another ‘diet’ you’re on, it is best not to obsess over calories. However, when it comes to eating out, being aware of the calories can be helpful in making a healthier choice. Another thing to pay attention to are the specific ingredients in your meal. This is normally included with the nutritional information. If it isn’t, don’t be afraid to ask what is in something.

You can always modify the foods you order when eating out to make them a bit healthier. For example, get a sub at Subway with no cheese. I know, I know, it sounds weird at first but I have to say I started going cheese-less lately and it doesn’t change the flavor too much. You don’t want to deprive yourself of something you really love, but if you think you might be able to live without it, all the better. I used to think a sub without cheese is not a sub at all, but eventually it is not a sacrifice at all to not have cheese. In fact it makes me feel good that I can still enjoy Subway the same as I always did. So the next time your ordering some food, try ordering something like dressing or cheese ‘on the side.’ You might be surprised to see you don’t need as much as they typically give you in a restaurant.

Places I like to eat:
Panera Bread: Great soups and salads!
Starbucks: Try a breakfast wrap, fruit salad, protein plate or sandwich
Jack’s Urban Eats/ Pluto’s: Make your own salad! Ordering a salad for lunch is no longer boring!
Pita Pit/ Pita Q: I love, love, love pitas! Be sure to order ‘whole wheat.’
Whole Foods/ Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op: Find a great selection of on-the-go snacks and lunches!
Subway: Get a six-inch or try a sub as a salad!

**I am currently working on a project with SlowFood Sacramento called ‘Snail of Approval.’ The Snail of Approval project acknowledges restaurants that source and prepare foods consistent with the mission of Slow Food – good, clean and fair. I’ll keep you all posted on that project!**

Here are some quick throw together ideas for the kinds of foods you can prepare for yourself at home and bring with you on your busy day!

On-The-Go Breakfast:
- Wrap a banana up in a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter (Just tried it the other day, I’m telling you it works!)
- Prepare your oatmeal in a ‘to-go’ cup and eat on the road!
- Grab a cup of greek yogurt and top with fruit and whole grain cereal
- Egg-in-the-hole! Tear a hole in the center of a piece of whole wheat toast, and place in a pan. Drop an egg in the hole and cook it up! Wrap in a paper towel and jet out the door!
- Bring your cereal and milk with you! Put in a ‘to-go’ cup and top with fruit!
- Make a quick smoothie with fresh fruit, yogurt, ice, protien powder, almond butter, etc.
- Premake breakfast burritos or breakfast sandwiches and freeze individually! I am defiantly planning on talking more on freezing your meals in future blogs! For now, more information can he found here:
- Find a good muffin recipe! Make a batch of healthy muffins for the week!
- Hard boiled eggs are a great on-the-go food! Try them with toast or wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla!
- Find a good nutrition bar, something you can grab on the way out the door, or keep with you in your car. I like LaraBars.
- Dinner Leftovers from last night! Breakfast can be anything, it doesn’t have to be a typical breakfast food. Get creative! Just don’t skip your morning meal!


On-The-Go Lunch:
Pack a cooler to take along with you. Bring fruit, nuts, veggies and other snacks/sides.

- The classic sandwich or salad works great! Add what you like to make it satisfying. Envelopes of tuna are great for this! (Try my recipe for Mexican Vinaigrette Salad on my last blog!)
- Make it a Wrap! You can put anything in a whole wheat torilla/wrap! Chicken, hummus & veggies! Hamburger, beans and salsa! Leftovers! Peanut Butter and Jelly!
- Bring a hearty soup in a thermos. A trick I like when traveling is to use the microwaves at the gas station or grocery store!
- If you have access to a microwave, try chili on a potato! It’s easy and satisfying!
- Make extra dinner! This will leave you with something to eat the next day for lunch. You can revamp something into a new meal if you want to change things up. For example, put your leftover stir fry in a wrap or over a salad! Take last night’s chicken and make it into a sandwich! Eat your leftover dinner pasta cold for lunch.

Fun Recipes!

Quick & Easy Ceviche Tostadas

1 Can or Pouch Albacore Tuna, drained
½ Large Tomato
½ Medium Onion
½ Cup Cilantro, chopped
2 Limes
Whole Wheat Tortillas, Pitas or Chips

Place tuna in a glass bowl and add lime juice. Add onion, tomato, and cilantro; mix ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate to marinate tuna mix for at least 30 minutes before serving. To make a healthy tostada, crisp your whole wheat tortillas in the oven. You can also make your own chips by cutting the tortillas into triangles with a pizza cutter and placing on a sprayed cookie sheet in the oven until crisp. (Tip: To take on the go, bring tuna mixture and keep separate from tostada or chips until ready to eat.)

Peas and Pasta

2 Cups Frozen Peas
1 (12 oz.) Package Penne Pasta
2/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp. Minced Garlic
3 Tbs. Basil (Buy a basil plant from Trader Joes!)
1 Cup Diced Tomatoes
½ Small Red Onion, chopped
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Cook pasta in boiling water. When pasta is close to done, add peas to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain. Whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add garlic and basil. Season with salt and pepper. In a mixing bowl, combine peas, pasta, tomatoes, and onions. Toss with vinaigrette. (Tip: To make this into a lunch on-the-go, add a chicken breast on top!)

Pear, Grape and Turkey Salad

2 Tbs. Cider vinegar
2 Tbs. Water
1 ½ tsp. Olive Oil
2 Cups Deli Smoked Turkey, sliced thick and cubed (Ask your local deli to cut a ½ in. thick piece of meat.)
1 Cup Seedless Red Grapes, halved
½ Cup Chopped Celery
2 Large Bartlett Pears, thinly sliced
4 Cups Salad Greens
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Combine vinegar, water, olive oil and seasonings in a bowl and whisk. Add turkey, grapes, pears, and celery; toss well to coat. When ready to eat, top salad greens with mixture. This recipe makes a few servings so you can have some throughout the week. This salad is really good because it is so different.

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What can I eat?

This is the first question most people ask when they think of how to eat healthy. For me, I believe in eating foods in their most natural state; minimally processed with no preservatives or random chemicals. This is called ‘Clean Eating’. The basic rule of thumb is if an ingredient list has more than 5 or so ingredients and a long list of chemicals you can’t understand, don’t eat it. This is why it is good to prepare more of your own foods, so you can control what goes in it.

Basic foods for Clean Eating:
(This is by no means an exhaustive list, feel free to explore and expand.)

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, both for snacking and meals
Oats (not instant. I like Irish oats.)
Lean meats such as chicken breasts, turkey, ham (also try Bison & Venison!)
Fish: white fish, salmon, shrimp, tuna
100% Whole Wheat Pasta
Brown Rice
Beans (Try a variety of different ones: black, pinto, garbanzo, kidney)
Eggs, Low Fat Milk, Non-Fat or Low-Fat Greek Yogurt
Low-Fat Feta and Mozzarella cheese
Honey, Stevia, Sucanat or other natural sweetener of choice (I like to use fresh pitted dates, whirled in a blender for smoothies or muffins)
Unsalted Nuts and Nut Butters (I LOVE Almond butter!)
100% Whole Wheat Bread/Pita Bread (I like sprouted grain breads by Food for Life)
Vinegars: experiment with Balsamic, Apple Cider, Rice or many others
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Spice it up! Stock your pantry with a variety of spices to flavor your foods. Try fun basics like lemon pepper and garlic powder, as well as mixed spices like Italian seasonings and Mexican blends. Check labels on spices! You’d be surprised what they throw in there. Also try to pick spice mixes that do not have ‘salt’ listed as the first ingredient.

Here is an official Clean-Eating Shopping List Link!

Shopping for Food:

Farmer’s Market: I typically go to a Farmer’s Market to get the freshest of in season veggies and fruits. These goodies are normally picked very recently, sometimes even that morning. It makes fruits and veggies taste amazingly better, and they have more nutrients since they didn’t travel a long way to get to you. I also find that things are cheaper at the farmer’s market, and the interactions you have with all the people, fellow customers and farmers, is more rewarding than in the grocery stores. You can ask questions and learn more about how the food was grown. It keeps you more in touch with where your food comes from. Here is a guide to find the nearest Farmer’s Market near you: cafarmersmarkets

Grocery Stores: When you’re shopping at the grocery store, looking for healthy foods can be frustrating. The key is to shop the perimeter of the store. This is where you find produce, meats and dairy. I try to avoid many of the middle aisles, as they are filled with temptations like chips and crackers. Some good things can still be found in those middle aisles. It is important to read labels! If you haven’t had the chance to read the labels of many of the foods you find in store, you will soon see that many of the prepackaged or ‘convenience’ foods you see in the store are filled with preservatives, chemicals and sugars. Watch out for foods that you wouldn’t expect to find sugar because there is sugar in everything now a days!

Very interesting article on reading food labels! Labels are deceiving!!

Recommended grocery stores: These stores have a good variety of healthy, natural foods. They also tend to have good convenience foods that fit the clean eating lifestyle that you normally cannot find in conventional grocery stores.

Trader Joe’s
Whole Foods
Local Co-ops, health food stores

Don’t worry, there is plenty of more information to come! If you have any questions, please comment below or e-mail me SirenaKay.soc@gmail.com. Thank you for reading!

Here are some of my favorite recipes:

Mexican Vinaigrette Salad

2 Chicken Breasts, shredded
4 Hearts of Romaine, shredded
2 Large Tomatoes, diced
1 (15oz.) Can Black Beans
1 Cup Corn
1 Medium Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, chopped (or just pluck off leaves and throw in salad whole)
1 Large Avocado, chopped

For the dressing:

5 Tbs. White Vinegar
5 Tbs. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
1 Tbs. Pickled Jalapeno Juice (from a jar of pickled jalapeños)
3 Tbs. Dried Mexican Oregano
1 ½ tsp. Fine Sea Salt
1 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
½ tsp. Ground Cumin
1 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (or for an even lighter version use ½ a Cup olive oil and ½ a Cup water.)

*Use this dressing on fresh veggies and pasta for a delicious picnic salad!

Cook chicken in Mexican seasonings (see recipe below or find a good pre-made one, Trader Joe’s make a good taco seasoning.) When done, shred the chicken. Combine lettuce, onion, tomato, black beans, corn and cilantro into a large salad bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients except olive oil and whisk them until blended. Then, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently.

Homemade Mexican Seasoning:

Mix your own seasoning to cut out all the extra salt and msg. This can be used for anything to give it some Mexican flavor, from chicken to taco meat! Try it sprinkled on your morning eggs!

2 Tbs. Chili powder
1 ½ Tbs. Cumin
1 ½ Tbs. Paprika
1 Tbs. Onion Powder
1 Tbs. Garlic Powder
¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper (more for a spicier seasoning)

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

A great way to make chicken taste great (and look fancy) is to stuff it with some yummy ingredients. You can do almost anything with this basic recipe, just use your imagination! Serve chicken with veggies and brown rice or pasta for a complete dinner!

4 Chicken Breasts
2oz. Feta Cheese

1 Box Frozen Spinach (but by all means use fresh if you have it!)

2 Tomatoes, chopped (or use canned for convenience)

1 Yellow Onion, chopped

1 Lemon

Preheat oven to 375. Defrost the spinach in the box in the microwave (or before cooking.) Once defrosted, cut the corner of the box and squeeze out the spinach juice. (Tip: Save spinach juice to cook rice in!) In a bowl, mix the feta cheese, spinach, tomatoes, onion, Italian seasonings and the zest* and juice of the lemon. Flatten chicken breasts between two pieces wax paper or plastic wrap using a rolling pin, a meat pounder or a hammer. (If you have none of those, try a bottle of wine.) Once chicken is flattened, divide your cheesy mixture amongst the four chicken breasts. Fill the center on the breast, lengthwise, then fold the two sides over, securing with a few toothpicks. Place chicken breasts in a glass baking dish, lightly sprayed on the bottom. Bake chicken in the oven for about 30-45 minutes, until chicken is done. To check if chicken is done, cut a small slice into the breasts to see if the juices run clear.

*Zest is the outside rind of the lemon. Use a zester or small grater to zest the lemon. This adds wonderful fresh flavor. Try to use an organic lemon for this, as the rind of the lemon tends to have pesticides in non-organic form.

Developing Healthy Habits...one at a time

At first it can seem intimidating to really take a look at what you eat and try to change. We eat several times a day yet we are often too busy to really stop and enjoy our food. Something as important and vital to life as food shouldn't be something we overlook. It is important for us to be aware of what we put in our body, food is what gives our body fuel. If we don't nurture our bodies with good, clean, whole foods then our bodies cannot run as efficiently as they should.

It is easy to get overwhelmed at the idea of changing a habit as major as your eating patterns. But the big secret to eating healthy is that it is not 'all or nothing.' Following the 'fad diets' out there can lead you to feel discouraged when you make a mistake. They make you follow a specific regime and once you 'fall off the wagon,' as they say, you tend to return to your old habits, leaving behind all signs of the dreaded 'diet' you were once on. The first step to eating healthy is to decide to make it a lifestyle choice. In order to switch from the 'diet to diet' way of thinking and instead make a decision to change something important in your life, you need to take small steps. You can't just change everything about the way you eat over night. This is why most diets fail. The mindset that healthy eating is all or nothing.

Start small. Maybe your first goal towards healthy eating is simply to cut out all fast food. This is a small and simple step that can make a huge difference in the way you eat. Your first goal could be to cook your own meals 2x a week (or more depending on how many you do already.) Once you develop small habits like this, you begin to see how these small changes can impact your life. Cutting out fast food can make you feel more lively and awake, resulting in your loss of desire to ever go back again. Or perhaps after cooking your own meals for a while you develop a love of cooking and decide to cook more often for yourself. Making these small habits makes you feel better, healthier and stronger. It makes you see the value in making the change, and it becomes a healthy habit.

Now you may ask what I mean by 'healthy eating.' It is a pretty vague term these days. The philosophy I personally have towards food is called Clean Eating. The basic principles are to avoid processed and refined foods such as white flour and white sugar, and instead enjoy whole grains/complex carbs such as brown rice and 100% whole wheat pasta. I read food labels carefully and stay away from products high in saturated fat and trans fat, anything fried or high in sugar. You will not see foods with long lists of random preservatives and additives in my cupboard. Instead of going for the quick, processed version of food, I opt to cook my own meals, using my own ingredients. This way I know what I am eating. So in that sense I can eat most any meal or dish that I want, I just revamp it into a healthy version. I like to make pizza with fresh ingredients on whole wheat pizza dough using a light coat of cheese. By simply eating clean I have learned to enjoy food.