Hello again. Last month we talked about places to eat when you are on the road going about your busy day. We explored different options at some of the most well known fast food chains and restaurants.  Now, we will go over easy ways to prepare meals to pack with you when you do have time to eat throughout the day. Understandably it can be difficult to eat 5-6 times a day in order to stay in shape and keep a nice body. BUT if you are dedicated enough then everything will fall into place. So, with that being said let’s go over meals and snacks that can be packed in your Igloo to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it should be. It is very important to eat a meal within the first 1-2 hours from waking; this gets your body out of a state of burning muscle from being in a starvation mode from not eating for 8 hours or so and, in addition, will get the proper nutrients in your body to get your energy levels up and get your day off to a good start. As I have stated in the past we need to try and eat a balance of protein and carbohydrate. Remember we are attempting to eat good now. Good sources of protein in the morning are eggs, particularly the Omega-3 enriched eggs, which give you good fats for your body to feed off of in the day. Don't confuse good fats for bad ones, we will discuss the differences between those in a future article. Another great source of protein is a protein shake which is also quick and easy. It's a good way to get 40-50 grams of protein in the body. The shakes are fast, simple to make and easy to drink. You can buy the product at any decent vitamin shop. These two sources of protein  provide you with nutrients of great biological value. Good sources of carbohydrates to choose from are oatmeal, grits, Greek yogurt and certain kinds of fruit (apples, bananas, oranges and pears). Each one of these foods provide 30-50 grams of quality carbohydrates that are great to start your day off and give you the energy you need to get through the morning. There should be no excuses for breakfast! Wake up earlier in the morning or prepare it the night before; excuses will get you nowhere.

Now with breakfast out of the way, it is time to pack the Igloo cooler (that you should have if you are taking your body seriously). Keeping in mind, you want to eat every 2 ½ to 3 hours in the day. A quick meal to pack for two of your meals in the day is a protein shake and some all natural peanut butter. Again, a protein shake is a great source of protein and is easy to digest and drink in the day. With that, have 2 tablespoons of all natural peanut butter. This provides the essential fats that your body needs, giving you energy, remedying your joints, and repairing any broken down muscle from the day before. In addition, you can also throw 1 cup of strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries for the simple sugars that are easy to digest and for antioxidants that are needed to keep your immune system healthy. Simple but effective.

Now you ask yourself, “What else do I need to pack?” Well next to your shaker containing your protein powder, should be some Tupperware containing chicken breast, lean red meat, or fish (and yes you have time to make this as well; this can be made at night for the next day). Any one of these is a great source of protein that is slower digesting and gives some consistency to your meal plan keep you full for a few hours. A good source of slow digesting carbohydrates is 1 cup of brown/white rice or 1 medium sweet/baked potato. In addition, for some good fat, you can add a tablespoon of olive oil to your meal. A quick and easy way to prepare the rice is to get the 10-minute boil in a bag kind (can be micro waved or boiled) or get a potato, poke holes in it all around with a fork and put it in the microwave for 6-8 minutes. You also need fiber so including some vegetables with that would be a good idea as well. The quickest way to prepare this is go to the supermarket and get the vegetables that you microwave in a bag; done in 5 minutes. Now you have a good rounded lunch that is not fattening and does not require a super size.

Healthy foods to snack on in the day could be a ½ cup of nuts (almonds, cashews or walnuts). True, these foods contain fat but if you look closely, the majority of the fat in them is mono-saturated, the stable fat out of the bunch that the body uses for energy. They are very good for the joints and give you a sustained amount of energy.

So, there you have it. Simple but effective meals to take with you on the road or at work. If you have the discipline to follow  through with this, then the results that you strive for will come.

John "SCHAK" Hnatyschak