If you’re like the majority of the North American population, you’re always out and about running errands, commuting to work, taking the kids to practice, getting groceries, etc. Such a busy schedule take you to a path to crappy eating, and crappy eating lends itself to sabotaging your new lifestyle completely.
I don’t want this to happen to you. It’s happened to me before, and it took me a few days to get back on track. Some people never get back on track. Therefore, I want to provide you with the tips and tricks I learned for keeping up with a Grain-Free lifestyle in the midst of a busy life.
- Always, always, always keep Grain-Free friendly snacks in the car or in your purse (you may need a cooler). I recommend things like a bag of nuts or a bag of seeds, granola bars (Grain-Free-approved, not the sweet, half-chocolate kind), a bag of vegetables or a bag of fruit. You can take fresh fruit or even dried fruit.
- When you don’t have anything on you at the time the hunger hits, you can visit a grocery store with a fresh foods section, and grab a healthy salad, a cup of fruit, a bag of trail mix, etc.
- If you failed to bring any snacks with you and you cannot make it to a grocery store, you can visit a fast-food restaurant if you need to. If you must do this, order a salad with just veggies, protein and a healthy fat (if they have it). For example, you could order a side salad from Wendy’s and a grilled chicken sandwich without the bun or sauce. At Subway, you can order a salad with protein and a side of avocado (when it’s in season). You should also probably skip the dressing at fast-food restaurants unless you can get just fresh olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice.
- For sit-down restaurants, what you order will depend on what type of restaurant you’re visiting. Here are some examples of meals:
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Bar & Grille:
A turkey burger without the bun or sauce and a side salad with boiled eggs and no premade dressing; a chicken sandwich without the bun or sauce with a baked sweet potato on the side (I find coconut oil is a great sub for butter on the potato); or, just a healthy salad loaded with veggies is great too (if they have avocado, that would be even better to add to your salad)
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Breakfast joints
Eggs, eggs and more eggs with some veggies and avocado would be a great option; a large fruit cup would be a nice snack
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Chinese
Grilled veggies and seafood/veggie combos; sushi (if you don’t go crazy on the rice)
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Mexican
Beef or chicken fajitas sans the fajita and loaded with veggies and a side of guacamole
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Italian
Stick with a bare salad with a protein on top
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Steakhouses
Fill up on the steak and veggies and a sweet potato; if you’re feeling dessert, opt for a fruit cup
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Deli
Any type of salad with protein; a protein-filled lettuce wrap; other wraps not made of grains (spinach or tomato, for example)
- If you’re searching for snacks for your busy life, I recommend these brands:
Finally, I just want to mention – it’s so important not to over-complicate this lifestyle. If you do this, you will stress yourself out and not enjoy the process of becoming healthier. Sometimes, it just isn’t possible to eat Grain-Free-approved, so do your best with it and remember – every little step in the right direction, no matter how small, is still a step towards optimal health and your best self.
