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How to Eat Well on the Go

By: Amy Wilsdon, dietetic-student volunteer, University of British Columbia, reviewed by the JM Nutrition Team of registered dietitians and nutritionists

In this post:

Components of a balanced diet
How to eat well on the go

How to eat well on the go is a question that’s frequently asked question of our team of registered dietitians and nutritionists.

Eating healthy while on the go certainly carries some challenges, especially when life gets busier than normal.

With the back-to-school in full swing, we’re here to offer helpful tips for healthy eating on the go. Whether you’re a student seeking nutritious snacks for school, an adult planning balanced meals for work or your kids’ lunches, or an athlete looking for ways to fuel your next workout, we’ve got you covered.

How to eat healthy and well on the go

Before we take a look at specific tips on how to eat well on the go, however, it’s important to review the components of a balanced diet.

Components of a balanced diet

Let’s start with a quick refresher on the structure of a healthy meal or snack. This will help to eat healthy on the go.

While the specific components here may vary based on personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budget, a general guideline for a balanced meal or snack is here below.

Fill half your plate with vegetables (and/or fruit).
One-quarter of the plate consists of whole grains.
About one-quarter comprises protein foods.

It’s also recommended to choose water as your primary beverage to stay hydrated without added sugars, sodium or saturated fats.

Take a look at this nice visual from Food Guide Canada.

To eat well on the go, it is, therefore, imperative to include the following components.

Protein

Whether you are trying to lose weight or build muscle, you cannot underestimate the importance of adequate protein intake.

According to our sports nutritionists, protein is crucial not only for achieving your fitness goals, but also for maintaining optimal health.

Indeed, you should consume at least 0.8-1 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. This means that, for example, a 50 kg (about 110 pounds) adult should aim to consume at least 40-50 grams of protein to meet their body’s needs.

Athletes, or those who lead active lifestyles, however, may benefit from protein intakes as high as 1.4-2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight per day. Source

For reference using commonly eaten foods and portion sizes, here’s a guideline.

One large hard boiled egg has around 6g of protein.

Meanwhile, ¾ cup of plain greek yogurt has around 17g of protein.

A 75g serving of chicken breast has around 23g of protein.

Last, a ½ cup serving of boiled lentils contains about 10g of protein.

Feel free to consult the nutritional facts tables found on your foods you commonly eat for a better estimate of your protein intake.

The Canadian Nutrient File also contains a nutrition information for many different foods. We encourage you to peruse this resource if you are interested in learning more about the nutritional composition of your food.

Plant and animal protein

Additionally, with a growing number of people choosing to adopt vegetarian and vegan diets, it is important to consider the “quality” of animal and plant proteins.

While animal proteins naturally contain all of the essential amino acids in sufficient amounts to support growth and maintenance of our bodies, plant proteins are often deficient in one or more of the essential amino acids (building blocks of proteins). This makes them incomplete, and therefore, less effectively used by our bodies on their own.

There is a way to still enjoy your plant proteins while obtaining adequate protein intake. This is called the complimentary protein method. Essentially, using this method you eat various plant foods containing different amino acids in order to obtain all of the amino acids you need.

For more information, consult this useful chart.

A good example would be: beans and rice, bread and lentils, chickpeas and almonds, corn and peas.

We encourage you to eat both animal and plant-based protein sources in the diet to gain the most amount of variety and benefits from both sources.

If your goal is to focus on protein intake, we recommend consulting our registered dietitians for plant-based diet support for personalized advice tailored to your individual needs.

Fruits and vegetables

A how to eat well on the go guideline must also include fruits and vegetables.

Having a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet is an important way to ensure you are getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need. They are also also a great source of dietary fibre, which helps keep you full for longer.

For example, different fruits and vegetables offer a variety of nutrients. Leafy greens like spinach and bok choy are rich in folate and calcium. Oranges and red produce, such as carrots and cantaloupe, on the other hand, are excellent sources of vitamin A.

Related: How to eat more vegetables

You can consult this site for an interactive format to find which fruits and vegetables are in season in Canada.

Grain foods

Grains should also be incorporated, if you’re trying to eat well on the go.

Similar to fruits and vegetables, grains contain fibre. Fibre helps us to improve and maintain satiety (the feeling of being full) for longer.

In addition to appetite management, fibre has been shown to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. This occurs as a result of the reduction in serum cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation in the body.

As a result of this, The Canada’s Food Guide recommends that half of your daily intake of grain foods be whole grain. Reason being, these have more fibre than more processed, white grain alternatives, where much of the grain has been removed.

By prioritizing whole grains in your diet, it will make it easier to reach your daily recommended fibre intake.

Now that we covered the components of a healthy meal and snack, let’s look at some examples of what this can look like on the go.

How to eat healthy and well on the go

1. Pre-portion

This is no doubt an important tip to help eat well on the go.

Although pre-packaged foods are often associated with increased salt and fat content, you can prepare your own portable snacks and meals. You can easily do so by portioning bulk items into smaller servings or storing leftovers in containers for the next few days. This not only makes your meals more convenient and reduces waste, but also helps prevent overeating by having pre-set portions.

If time is limited for meal prepping in your schedule, consider using “planned leftovers” for lunch the next day. You can accomplish this by making double the amount of your dinner portions. You then simply package them in advance for lunch the next day. This helps to stay on track with portions. Not to mention it helps to reduce cost from convenience options.

Consider using nature’s packaging to your advantage by choosing fruits and vegetables that don’t require as much preparation. Bananas and mandarin oranges can be helpful for a portable and waste-free option.

2. Use grab-and-go snacks

If your goal is to learn how to eat healthy and well on the go, then resort to the time-tested method of eating grab-and-go snacks.

Examples:

Granola bars, whole grain cereal, vegetables and hummus, cheese with whole grain crackers, single serve yogurt cups, and sandwiches or wraps can all be components of a healthy meal or snack.

If you are short on time, you can often find many of these options pre portioned at local grocery stores or in the salad bar sections. Don’t overlook these.

The recent trend of making “homemade lunchables” may be good inspiration for how to put all of these components together into a cohesive and portable snack. This can be done without the need of cooking foods advance, reheating them in the moment or carrying utensils around.

You can incorporate the same principle of building a healthy meal by using the simple formula of fruit/vegetable + grain + protein. It’s as simple as that.

This could look like this, for example: cheese (protein) and crackers (grains) with boiled eggs (protein) and an apple (fruit) as a snack.

3. Smoothies

No how-to-eat-healthy-on-the-go list would be complete without a mention of smoothies.

Making a smoothie is a great way of getting a nutritious portable meal and snack.

Whether you are looking for something to drink as a quick breakfast before work or as a post-workout refuel, a smoothie can provide plenty of satiety and nutrients without the hassle of cooking a whole meal.

They are also relatively easy to carry around. All you require is a water bottle/blender bottle with a lid. If not, you can even build your own smoothie bowl by pouring it into a resealable container with a lid and adding your desired toppings (fruits, nuts, granola).

Try packaging your smoothie ingredients out into proportioned freezer bags, so that all you have to do on a busy morning is add your favourite liquid and blend together. This cuts down on time and helps you to stay on track with portions. Again, simple and easy.

4. Batch cooking

Another way of helping you eat healthy while on the go centres around batch cooking.

While it does seem daunting having to plan and make meals in advance, it can actually save time and money to come up with a plan for what to make in the week.

It’s helpful to keep a list of go-to recipes that you can cycle through and add to as you see new recipes you’d like to try. If you are the kind of person that gets bored of eating the same things every day, you can also try making batches of lean protein, whole grains and a variety of vegetables that can be mixed and matched into different meals.

For example, you can roast a big sheet pan of vegetables to mix into a stir fry one day. Perhaps make fajitas another day. You can also grill some shrimp to toss into a salad or pasta on yet another day. The options are virtually endless.

If you make larger portions at once, you can also freeze some for later in individual portions for a quick re-heatable meal.

If you are not a fan of having the same thing over and over, consider batch prepping. Then simply freeze these meals to use when you are short on time.

For example, batch prep soups or chilis that you can easily thaw for lunch the next day during busy weeks. Freezing large batches also reduces waste.

5. Carry a reusable water bottle or tumbler

Regular water intake can certainly help you eat and drink well while on the go.

Water is recommended as a primary drink of choice for its significant role in our bodies. It is also one of the best options for keeping hydrated without added sugar.

If plain water is… well, too plain, try adding a slice of lemon or some frozen berries for some added natural flavouring.

Even if you are not drinking water (maybe coffee or tea instead) carrying a reusable water bottle or tumbler can save you money since there are many water refill stations available in public spaces such as malls and schools.

In addition, you are more likely to meet your daily recommended water intake goals, when it is easily accessible for you. Many coffee shops also offer discounts for bringing your own cup.

6. Use frozen foods

If you’re learning how to eat well on the go, be sure to resort to using frozen foods. This is a relatively easy strategy to incorporate.

That said, not all frozen foods are created equal.

There are many frozen foods that can help to reduce cost, waste and time spent on batch prepping or food preparation.

Consider keeping frozen vegetables, fruit and lean proteins on hand for easy pantry staples that you can make quick meals or snacks with in a pinch of time.

These can be easily added to smoothies, snacks such a greek yogurt, or mid-week stir-fries.

7. Incorporate local offerings

It’s no doubt true that sometimes time is not always on our side. This is especially true with the ever-increasing pace of our lives. But, we must adapt.

When eating on the go or traveling, it’s wise to research in advance options that offer balanced meals or snacks. Doing so can be beneficial to help you stay on track with your nutrition goals. It can also help to save time.

Look for options that support a balanced diet. These include “build your own” offerings, salad bars or smoothie bars. Options of this nature allow you to control your portions. They also customize your meals to help you stay on track with your health goals.

Knowing your options in advance will help you to make intentional decisions as opposed to whatever is most available in the moment to support a balanced diet.

Sticking to this principle can surely help you eat well on the go.

A great way to stay on track with portions while dining out is to follow the plate method.

For example, when you prepare a meal at a salad bar or catered lunch at work, aim for half a plate full of vegetables. This can be a soup or side salad. Then add a lean protein option that takes up a quarter of your plate. A whole grain fills in the remainder. And voila!

8. Keep emergency snacks on hand

Keep shelf stable snack options handy at all times. Leave them in your desk drawer or car such as protein bars, canned tuna and crackers, or unsalted nuts and seeds for a quick and easy snack option while on the go.

Having these snacks on hand will help save you time and money on processed snacks. It will also allow you to stay on track with your goals.

Doing so can certainly help you eat healthy and well on the go.

How to eat healthy and well on the go final thoughts

While the specifics of a healthy, well-balanced diet can vary greatly, paying attention to the composition of your everyday meals can help you build nutritionally and satisfying meals.

Prioritize healthy fats, protein, vegetables and grain products. These will help to maintain a balanced diet and reach your health goals.

Strategies such as pre-packaging and meal planning can be effective ways to have food ready in advance. Having grab and go snacks and smoothies ingredients on hand may also be useful for when you are in more of a time crunch. And who isn’t this day and age?

Conclusion

If you you feel we missed any tips regarding how to eat well on the go that you feel should be on the list, please get in touch and let us know. We will gladly add them in.

If you’re interested in receiving nutritional counselling for personalized meal planning or another related matter, book a free consultation and we will gladly lend a hand.

How to Eat Well on the Go