Grab n’ Go

Easily Prepared Foods that Support Your Fitness Goals

I love to meal prep.  Nothing makes me feel more “on top of things” than a good ol’ Sunday morning meal prep (exercise, a full fridge and clean house are very close seconds).  However, life happens and even I fall off the wagon.  It’s hard cutting up a butternut squash when your 10-month-old keeps putting dog food in his mouth, let me tell ya.  So, when I don’t get the time to focus on my food prep, I do what any normal person would do – go to the drive thru.  Kidding!  While the temptation of any sort of carry out sounds appealing, I don’t have the money or stomach for all of that garbage.  I just look for even better short cuts!

Pre-cut/pre-washed veggies are a lifesaver.  Yes, they cost a bit more because the work is done.  However, I would much rather pay for that than put something not so healthy in my pie hole or stay hungry.  I can turn the oven on, dump the veggies onto a tray and slide the tray into the oven with a baby on my hip.  No excuses. 

Hard Boiled Eggs.  If you cannot eat eggs or just don’t like them, then this go-to snack will not help.  But, for those of you that love eggs like I do, this is an amazing grab n’ go protein that doesn’t even require a fork.  Once the hard boiled eggs have cooled, peel them all and place them in the fridge.  Everyone can boil water.  Again, no excuses.

Nuts.  I personally like to make my own trail mix with nuts because I like to be in control of what goes into the bag.  Lots of trail mixes contain unnecessary oils or sweeteners (read labels, my friends!)  I recently hit up the bulk bins at Whole Foods for the first time and LOVED it.  I didn’t have to commit to a whole bag of something (money saver!) and I was able to buy more of a variety!  Why didn’t I do this sooner?

Nut butter packets.  I love these!  I like to toss one (usually almond butter) in my bag while packing snacks for the kiddos.  Put the nut butter on an apple or banana (again, just toss it in a bag) and you are good to go!  No utensils necessary!  Again, make sure to read labels.  Stick to the one ingredient nut butters.  You don’t want any added oils/sweeteners!

There you have it!  All of these snacks require very minimal/no work.  Preparation is key when it comes to healthy/clean eating.  Planning ahead can help you stay on track and reach your fitness goals.  What are some of your short cuts?  I would love to know!

The Author