Nurture Principles

Can You Eat Well at a Gas Station?!

I know we’ve all been there before. You’re crunched for time and are on a scavenger hunt for something to hold you over until you can sit down for a real meal. You don’t necessarily want to hit the drive thru, but what are your options when you’re on the go? My latest detective work has uncovered that there are in fact healthy options in places you might not expect — gas stations, airports and convenience stores!

Next time you’re in a pinch and need to grab something on the go try one of these options and curb your hunger while nourishing your body at the same time:

Go Nuts

Pistachios: They’re nature’s perfectly packable, every day snack. You can throw them in your gym bag, keep a bag in your desk drawer or keep a stash in your car for when you’re on the go. Not only do they travel well, but the portion size leaves you satisfied — a serving is a whopping 49 kernels! You can eat 30 of them and it’s only 100 calories. Aside from the size of the portion, they’re also a good source of fiber and protein which keep you fuller longer — gotta love a snack with staying power! Learn more about this superfood at PistachioHealth.com

Drink Some Protein

Lowfat milk, kefir greek yogurt, and yogurt parfaits: I was pleasantly surprised to see one gas station carrying the high protein greek yogurts, as well as portable containers of low fat milk, and kefir (a drinkable yogurt high in probiotics – “friendly bacteria” for digestion). If you can, choose plain or vanilla yogurt. If the parfaits are in a big cup, split it. A typical serving of yogurt is smaller than your fist so chances are that may be enough for two. with pineapple and granola. Not only does dairy provide calcium, but it provides protein which gives us sustained energy.

Eggggggggs-celent Snack

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw hard boiled eggs in a container with salt and pepper. Now, you may not see this everywhere… but if you do, go for it. Just check the date. Annoying shells aside, you can easily peel and eat the whole egg. Don’t throw that yolk. You’ll get choline, vitamin D, and protein and fat for long-lasting energy.

Whole Food Bars: You don’t need to reach for that processed pastry! I keep one of these on hand as a prop, and I’m not kidding when I tell you that I’ve had the same one for years and it still looks exactly the same at it did when I bought it — THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING! It’s loaded with preservatives and sugar — 2 things we all need to consume less of. Convenience stores today carry an array of granola bars, but look for ones that are whole-food based — with whole grains, nuts, seeds and fruit. Read the labels and be weary of items with long ingredient lists you can’t pronounce.

Pre-made sandwiches: My research brought me to 7-11 where I was happy to find pre-made sandwiches made with lean turkey and whole wheat bread!  It actually had a good amount of turkey in there. Share that sammy with a friend for a snack that provides lean protein, fiber, and even a little veggies (it had lettuce and tomato – come on, we’re desperate!) Grab a side of veggies like baby carrots and celery which you can find pretty easily even at airports and gas stations.

Stay hydrated: Steer clear of the sodas and sugary juices, and stay hydrated with bottled spring, sparkling or mineral water. If you’re craving a tea, they are all good. I love green tea. Buy it hot and if you want it iced, just do a DIY iced tea at the gas station. If it is pre-bottled read the labels. Try to find a product that is just slightly sweetened.

Eating on the go doesn’t have to mean loading up on low-nutrient, calorie-dense foods. Convenience stores and gas stations are loading up on a number of healthier items, so next time you’re in a rush and need to grab something quick, put #MeFirst and keep an eye out for one of these nourishing options!

Disclosure: I received compensation for my time from PistachioHealth.com

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By Janet Helm, RD mom of twins and blogger at Nutrition Unplugged: Thoughts, opinions, musings and discussion about nutrition, food trends, diet myths, new products and fad-free healthy eating. @JanetHelm on Twitter.

Guilt-Free: I know it’s probably well-meaning, but I cringe each time I see “guilt-free” on a food label, in the title of a recipe or on a restaurant menu.  Sure it may be reduced fat, sugar-free or whatever, and that’s fine.  But no food should evoke guilt.  The same product with a little more fat or sugar shouldn’t make you feel guilty for eating it.  So let’s stop using this adjective, thank you very much.

Skinny:  Why is skinny the new ideal?  I know the term is in the title of many popular diet books (I wrote about that recently), and Skinnygirl is Bethenny Frankel’s entire platform — which scored her an amazing deal with Skinnygirl Margaritas.  But I think it sends the wrong message.  Maybe skinny helps sell a lot of books, and a lot of booze, but I still don’t like it.

Natural: It’s the big buzz word on package labels, and there was even a recent food fight with the FDA to determine if high fructose corn syrup really qualifies as natural.  We’re arguing over technicalities and the word has lost all meaning. I  think if a food wasn’t actually plucked from a tree or grown from the ground, then it shouldn’t claim to be natural. A vegetable is natural, an extruded veggie straw made from dehydrated vegetable powder isn’t — no matter what the label says.

Detox: I’m so tired of this word. Enough said.

Cleanse: It seems as though cleanse is the cousin of detox.  Why has this word captured the public’s imagination?  It rose to mainstream status with the Master Cleanse and became big in the world of dietary supplements, such as Jillian Michaels’ detox and cleanse diet pills (that I wrote about not so long ago).  But why has a respected culinary magazine like Bon Appetit jumped on the cleanse bandwagon?  I hated to see the magazine create The Food Lover’s Cleanse.  Sure, they tried to put the focus on real foods and justified going down this path with the message “forget juice fasts and calorie counting…”  I liked that, but why embrace the mythology of cleansing?  Why elevate the terminology?  Why legitimize the concept?  Just don’t think we need to jump on the bandwagon to grab attention.

Any way, those are the five food/nutrition-related words I hope to see less often.  What about you?

Photo credits:  Flickr users joewhk, chipdwood, geann candare, cheeryobs.

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By: Michelle Snowman, Intern for Rebecca Scritchfield

We’ve all had those busy days when it seems like the easiest thing to do is to swing through the drive through for dinner. When fast food is the only option, nowadays we’re lucky that there are healthier options to choose from – apple slices, milk, fruit, and even salads.

Cook With Your Kids for #MeFirst Time You all Need

You only need 30 minutes to try this quick make at home swap, and better yet, have the kids help put it together to build in quality family time while you make dinner. You can make your own oven sweet potato fries, or for convenience, keep a bag in the freezer.

This version uses corn flake cereal with herbs and spices in the coating, and instead of dredging in whole eggs, uses egg whites, milk, honey and mustard for added flavor. Sweet potatoes provide more nutrients that regular fries, the chicken is baked, not fried, and you get to control the quality of the ingredients and amount of sodium. Using honey in the dredging mixture (or for dipping) gives added flavor, but you also get the benefits of the antioxidants it provides.

It’s also cost-effective – this homemade version is healthier (more protein for muscle and less salt) and costs the same as fast food.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes // Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.1-1.5 lb. chicken tenders (4.5-6 oz. chicken per serving)
• 2 cups corn flake cereal
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp Italian seasoning (dried oregano, basil and parsley or ½ – 1 tsp fresh chopped herbs)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup 1% low fat or skim milk
• 1 egg white beaten
• 1 TBS honey
• 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.

Combine together the beaten egg white, honey, milk and yellow mustard in a shallow dish, and submerge chicken tenders to coat in liquid mixture. The honey and mustard in the liquid coating give a nice sweetness and tang to the base of the chicken thumbs.

In a zip top bag, combine the dry ingredients – have your kids help measure and add the corn flakes, pepper, garlic powder, herbs and salt. If your kids are old enough to use enough they can help chop fresh herbs, or dried herbs work well too. Once everything is in the bag, have your child help by crushing the corn flakes with their hands, or use a rolling pin to crush them on the counter. You’ll want them crushed fairly fine, but do keep a little shape to them — it gives them that “fried” appearance.

You can coat the chicken by pouring the crumbs onto a plate and rolling chicken in it, or toss them right in the bag for easier cleanup.

Place on the foil line baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until chicken is golden and cooked through. The cornflakes have a tendency to get a little dark on the edges, so don’t be alarmed!

Serve with frozen sweet potato fries (or make your own!), and whatever dipping sauce you love. Ketchup is a good choice because it’s made from tomatoes; BBQ sauce is also fine, just try to watch the portion size; or better yet, make your own quick honey mustard sauce by mixing Dijon mustard with a little honey.

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By: Toby Amidor, MS RD CDN

Some of my clients tell me they won’t touch pasta because it is “bad” or they drink tons of green tea because it is “good.” But is it really that black and white? Do foods fall into one category verses the other? Here’s a walk through some of the most controversial foods.

Pasta
Let’s get something straight—pasta doesn’t make you fat. Pasta has gotten a bad reputation due to super-sized portions slathered with ridiculously high fat sauces. One cup of cooked pasta has around 200 calories but folks eat 4 to 5 times that at one sitting! Not to mention each tablespoon of oil contains 120 calories and most recipes call for a lot more than 1 tablespoon per serving.
Bottom line: Keep portions to 1 to 1 ½ cups of cooked pasta and try adding veggies for color and nutrition.

Egg Yolks
Stop tossing your egg yolks! They’re the healthiest part of the egg. Although the yolk’s gotten poo-poo’d for having cholesterol, studies have shown that it’s really the saturated fat that raises your blood cholesterol. Embrace egg yolks for all its nutritional goodness! It’s considered a perfect protein and contains vitamins A, D, E, selenium and omega-3 fats. The yolk also contains lutein, shown to help with healthy eyes and skin.
Bottom line: Guidelines suggest one egg per day is perfectly healthy.

Salads
Labeled as the perfect “health” food, sometimes salads aren’t as healthy as you think! Top a bed of greens with numerous high calorie ingredients like buttery croutons, fried chicken and gobs of salad dressing and you can rack up over 1,000 calories.
Bottom line: Salads can be a healthy option, but aim for mostly veggies, and if it is an entree, then make sure to add protein and whole grain foods. As for salad dressing, use 2 tablespoons of your favorite vinaigrette — don’t go fat free.

Green Tea
Studies have shown that green tea can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Green tea contains compounds known as alkaloids which are stimulants (like caffeine). This doesn’t mean that more is better. Green tea supplements are known to interact with various medications. Also, green tea and a bad heart don’t go well together. It’s important to consult a physician before consuming large amounts or taking a green tea supplement.
Bottom line: Stick to 1 to 2 cups of green tea per day.

Diet Soda
Having a bottomless can of diet soda every day has its shortcomings. Some researchers believe that too many artificial sweeteners may increase craving to sweet foods—not a positive thing if you’re trying to watch your calories.
Bottom line: Moderation, moderation, moderation! If you’re longing for diet soda, stop at one can per day.

Toby Amidor, MS RD CDN (link: http://tobyamidornutrition) is a nutrition and food safety consultant. She is a Nutrition Expert at FoodNetwork.com and blogs for their healthy eating blog (www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats). She is also the Nutrition Advisor for FitStudio.com (powered by Sears) and an Adjunct Instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Follow her on @tobyamidor or www.facebook.com/tobyamidornutrition.

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By Carrie Skoll

Guilt is such a powerful emotion.  There are books and every other manner of analysis devoted to the topic.  I think we can all agree that it’s a destructive emotion.

Me First means letting go of the guilt associated with taking care of ourselves. It’s okay to take care of you.  It’s okay to slow down and listen to what your body is telling you that you need.  It might be ignoring a phone call when you have 5 minutes of a quiet house.  It might be declining yet another volunteer opportunity that will overstretch your time budget.  It might be any number of things that help you take care of yourself.

I am much more peaceful with myself when I let go of the guilt about my actions.  Whether it’s a food choice, an exercise choice or something related to my family and my children, I know that I’m making decisions based on what is right for my life.

I don’t always make the right decision.  Sometimes I eat based on emotions, or I snack mindlessly, or I do something hurtful to my loved ones.  However, I’m learning to not beat myself up over those decisions.

I work for balance.  I choose to feed my body the fuel that it needs to get me through my day.  There are days where I don’t fuel properly and I promise myself that the next day is a new opportunity.  I don’t dwell on the mistakes, I learn and move on. 

Along with a million other things that I try to teach my children, I work on this ‘learn your lesson and move on’ technique.  I’ve noticed that it’s really hard for my 10 year old daughter.  Whether it’s a nature v. nurture thing is hard to tell, but it kind of scares me.  She tends to beat herself up over small mistakes in the day.  I’m quite thankful that she likes to talk to me about them, especially since I use the time to reinforce the learning opportunity and the letting go skill.  I only hope that the lessons sink in before the guilt habit becomes lasting.

But it makes me wonder if some of us are more inclined to the guilt thing?  Are those the same of us who struggle with making healthy choices? 

What productive result comes from our guilty feelings?  None.  That’s right.  None. All we do is feel bad about ourselves.  How’s this for a healthier way of dealing with a poor decision?  Look at what happened, find the lesson to be learned, move on.

Carrie is a full time stay-at-home mom and a part-time dietetics student in Southern California.  After being unhealthy and overweight most of her adult life, she made a change a few years ago to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  She is now training for her first half-marathon and blogs at http://familyfitnessfood.com.  You can also find her on Twitter @CarrieSinCA.

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