Iron Rations: Healthy Meal on the Go

So back in the first installment of Iron Rations we discussed the basics of how to improve your diet and to start properly fueling your body; I am sure that came as a surprise to no-one, and I am pretty positive we all know the general benefits that eating healthy have on us. Another thing I am pretty positive of is that most people, when trying to make a change in themselves, make some bad choices when it comes to planning out their meals!

Life is hectic for all of us, and more often than not we rush from one obligation to another throughout our day and week. So what tends to happen is that people, once they start making healthier diet choices for themselves and working out regularly (Which you all are, right?!? If not, get the over to Nerd-Core Fitness and get with the program!), will start skipping meals if they don’t have a “healthy” option in front of them that they can grab and cram in their face-hole in under 3.67 seconds.

While this is definitely better than nom-nom-noming on a candy bar or stopping at a crappy fast food drive-in, it is certainly not the best thing for you; especially if you make it a common occurrence. I will post up an article on exactly how your body metabolizes food and why skipping meals can actually cause you gain weight, not lose it (counter intuitive, I know…), but for now I want to provide you loyal readers with a quick and healthy meal on the go option in this installment of Iron Rations!

First and foremost, let me reiterate – Eating regular and freshly prepared meals is aways the best option!

With that said, here is my pick for the occasional quick meal-on-the-go for when you are rushing around or when you realize you have failed once again at grocery shopping and are staring at an empty larder.

Bolthouse Farms and Naked Juice Fruit Smoothies

Both Naked Juice and Bolthouse Farms produce some great tasting smoothies that can be used as a healthy meal on the go; specifically I want to point out their very similar products the Green Machine and Green Goodness smoothies. I always keep a few of these in my refrigerator for those emergency meals on the go where I lose track of time and need to grab something that will fill me up and satisfy my nutritional needs!

What I love about them is that they:

• Have no added sugars or preservatives (the ingredients list is basically nothing but fruit puree)
• Are around 300 calories per bottle
• Provide a very healthy dose of vitamins A, C, B and essential minerals
• Look un-appetizing so nobody steals them from the fridge behind my back

While it would definitely be better to have a giant bowl of freshly cut fruit to eat, this is the next best alternative, especially when stacked against all the other meals-in-a-bottles out there. It can really be hard when staring at shelves full of foods promising to be healthy and good for you. What you have to remember is that the ingredients list doesn’t lie!

• If you can’t pronounce the ingredients or it looks like it was engineered in a lab don’t eat it.
• Put it down if you see sugar, high fructose corn syrup or any of these other sneaky names companies use to try to fool you: Cane crystals, Corn sweetener, Crystalline fructose, Dextrose, Evaporated cane juice, Glucose, Lactose, Maltose, Sucrose, etc…
• If the expiration date is for after the zombie apocalypse then pass it by.

Hence my recommendation of these drinks specifically for the occasional meal replacement as they have none of that going on, and while both companies have many other options available I feel that these give the broadest benefit across the vitamin/mineral spectrum. So if you are the type of person who finds yourself feeling as though you need to skip meals because you are crunched for time, I highly recommend you pick up a couple of bottle and stash them for those emergencies. Trust me, your overall health and wellbeing will thank you in the long run!

Make sure to stay engaged! More recipes and fantastical workout and healthy living tips are always coming your way here at the Jerd. Drop a comment and let me know what you think, or reach me on Facebook or Twitter and be sure to Sign up for our free newsletter! (No spam, I promise!)