Too busy to eat? Try these idea's.

One of the keys to weight loss and over all fitness is to eat, eat, eat! Being hungry is bad, bad, bad! Now having said that, we must remember to do it right. That means we eat 5 - 6 times a day, small meals always including some protein and fat. (For more on why see http://fitmaniaboise.blogspot.com/2009/12/eat-and-lose-weight.html). The problem most people have is how to do that when we are busy, traveling or running kids around. My friend, Tom Hunt, has built a great metabolism and is a firm believer in eating often. He also travels a lot. With his help I offer the following idea's

Buying food on the go:

1. Boiled - in the shell - eggs. Excellent protein, will keep for 7 days without refrigeration. Grab a bit of hot sauce to flavor it and it makes a good lunch. Available at Maverik and Flying J.

2. String cheese - carried by most C stores.

3. Smoothies - carried by most C stores - look for Odwalla, Naked or Bolthouse. Check for the one with the lowest sugar, drink half and eat some nuts. Save the other half for later.

4. Nuts or peanuts also available at C stores, usually small packages are cheap. Good protein, good fats - they do have a lot of calories, but good ones. Raw are better but you will probably have to buy a larger container.

5. Trail mixes - look for those with just nuts, dates and raisins. Those with cranberries and tropical fruits will have added sugar. Avoid the ones with M&Ms and yogurt pieces.

6. Jerky - good protein, but the additives that are in most of the jerky is very questionable so I actually try to avoid them, unless they are prepared naturally.

7. Be adventuresome! Try canned seafood. Things like kippers, sardines, smoked oysters clams and tuna are excellent for Omega 3s and protein.

8. Dried fruits like raisins, apples or dates. If I have a road trip one of my first stops is just a grocery store and get some fresh fruit and a bag of carrots.

9. I am not typically a fan of meal replacement bars but as Tom says "There is a place for these bars for the person on the go-go-go - just read that label." They are always too sweet, too processed and hard to digest but here are two I found at Costco that had a pretty good protein to sugars ratio and natural ingredients: Kashi TLC and Mrs. May's Trio.

What about fast food? I am not a fan of fast food but fast food has at least three distinct advantages: Their ingredients are published, the food is the same everywhere and it is fast.

1. All of them have salads with good fresh ingredients. But if you are going to slather the salad with dressing - well you may as well have a burger and fries.

2. McDonald's is one of the few places that use fresh, in-the-shell eggs. Not on the menu, but you can order a side of eggs - ask for round, not scrambled. A side is two eggs off the grill. About $1. Minimal grease used to cook them on the grill. Decent for breakfast.

3. Wendy's has excellent chili - high protein, whole beans, good flavor, low calorie - combine with a plain potato - makes a good cheap meal.

4. Taco Bell or del Taco both have soft chicken tacos. They use real chicken, lettuce, tomato, tortilla - they are small (and should be) but you get good protein, less than 200 calories, and tasty when you add some jalapenos and hot sauce.

5. Really gotta have a burger - Burger King has their junior whopper for $1. Get two of them, no cheese, no mayo, no catsup - they come with lettuce, tomato and onion - get mustard and a side of jalapeno. Throw away one set of buns and put all the meat and veges under the other set of buns - got a big burger with veggies - think protein and some veggies for very little $$. Cut the carbs more and throw away both buns, cut everything up and eat it like a salad!!

6. Subway has 5 or 6 sandwiches that are low in fat - and you can easily figure the calorie count. Ask for extra vegetables

7. Quiznos torpedos are fairly low in carbs - their tuna is excellent with minimal mayo mixed into it.

Bottom line on fast food is to know what they sell, what is in what they sell, and the calorie, protein, fat counts. If you want to lose/gain weight, gain muscle you have to know your intake. For the fast food industry it is there in front of us for the taking.

Knowledge is power.

Thanks Tom!