Eat healthy on the move.
· Bring your own meal for the flight or car ride. Homemade sandwiches and fresh fruit are a great option. Not only will you be able to control what you eat, but you will also save time and money.
· Pick up prepackaged fruit and vegetables at the grocery store. You can also buy peanut butter in a tube or small container to pair with fruit or granola bars.
· Have a sweet tooth? Keep dried fruit, which provides disease-fighting antioxidants, handy for snacking instead of candy. It can also be mixed with nuts and sunflower seeds to create trail mix.
· Pack peppers, celery, or carrots to snack on during a trip. Resealable containers are perfect for dips, such as ranch dressing, peanut butter, or hummus.
· Frozen grapes make great bite-size snacks and are delicious with low-fat cheese.
Eat out without overdoing it.
· Do your research. Check out your destination online and look at restaurant menus before the trip. This will give you an opportunity to find places that serve healthy options.
· Practice eating small portions. Bring half the meal home or share an entrée with a friend. Consider choosing two appetizers instead of one entrée.
· Switch from soda to low-fat milk, water, or tea with one sugar or a non-nutritive sweetener.
· Opt for tomato juice or vegetable juice on the plane.
· Out for coffee or a smoothie? Order the smallest size available, request coffee with fat-free or low-fat milk, skip the whipped cream, ask that the smoothie be prepared without added sugar, and look at nutrition facts, if possible.
Watch portions sizes, but don't deprive yourself.
· Use the half-plate rule. Make fruits and vegetables 50 percent of what you eat at every meal.
· Don't skip your favorite dessert or fried foods. Eat smaller portions of these foods - just make it a treat, not a regular occurrence.
· Don't cut out meals. This may lead to eating too much later in the day.
Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. To find a local chapter, view www.tops.org or call (800) 932-8677.
###