You’re stressed, frazzled, and running late to a holiday gathering. Your plan is to pick up something to eat on the way—fast food, gas station—a reward for getting in the car and getting everything done. You deserve a calorie-heavy sack of grease and fat, right?
Don’t do it. A few nights from now, when you peel off the clothes and evaluate the sobering truths within, you’ll wish that you had kept the pounds off, particularly when you knew you weren’t going to have healthy alternatives at those parties either.
Did you know that you can actually have a full stomach and a clear head from healthy foods at a gas station? We’re not talking about three handfuls of sunflower seeds and a third-cup of plain yogurt either. With just a few guidelines you can skip the fast food, pick up some healthy snacks while refueling your car, and arrive on time without smelling the inside of an industrial kitchen.
The Recommendation: KIND and LARA Health Bars
KIND and LARA bars use lots of nuts and berries with spices and honey to bind them together. They provide protein and calories that will give your stomach plenty to work on and they’re quite tasty, too. Remember how good food can taste when it’s not weighed down with artificial ingredients? KIND and LARA bars will remind you.
Keep It Simple: Nuts and Dried Fruits
In case the Dino-Fuel gas station you’re stopping at doesn’t have high-falutin’ health bars like those above, you can recreate their ingredients by pickup up a few bags of nuts and dried fruits. Almonds, cashews, blueberries, cranberries, apples—all are great examples. Make sure to bring some floss, however: dried fruit loves to get all up in your teeth and start baby cavities. A strong rinse with water should be enough to shake them loose.
What You Don’t Want to Hear: Buy Some Fresh Fruit
Just do it. You’re about to eat so much starch and salt at that party—not to mention whatever you drink—that your body will be crying on the inside for something that actually occurs in nature without an industrial-cooking complex behind it. Your body was made to run on fruits and vegetables: listen to it.
Better Option: Hit Up a Grocery Store Instead of a Gas Station
Swing by your grocery store for some healthy snacks (trail mix is handy, but make sure you’re getting dried fruit, and not M&M’s). If you’re on the road, there could be a grocery store within sight of your gas station. Use your phone’s GPS! Grab some fresh baked, multi-grain bread, tear it into pieces, and dip in hummus. Delicious.
Remember, you can do it. Make the right choice, and think about how much better you’ll feel throughout the month when your body isn’t constantly weighed down from digesting garbage. Do you have tips on healthy eats? Share it on our Facebook post!