Eating healthy on the go!

Eating healthy and being on the go doesn’t always go hand-in-hand. Between the road trips to and from assignment, eating in a hurry on the clock, and not always having ideal kitchen set ups, it can be hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle while traveling. Throw in the excitement of a new city with new food and new friends and the combination could be a slippery slope!

If you find yourself battling the bulge or just feeling unhealthy, here are a few “on the go” food tips:

1. Skip the fast food stops during the drive and choose a grocery store instead. You can get in and out in the same amount of time and feel refreshed both mentally and physically when you stretch your legs and choose fresh fruits, deli meat, or the salad bar for your fix instead of the standard cheeseburgers and fries.
2. Protein, protein, protein! Eat the right amount and the right kinds to stabilize blood sugar, lean out, and help enhance concentration. With only one half hour break, it’s essential to eat foods that give you a substantial amount of long-lasting energy. Snack on jerky, nonfat cottage cheese, deli rollups, trail mix, or eggs (all of which can easily be grabbed at the grocery store – see Tip #1!)
3. Drink plenty of water! Water helps flush your body of toxins, keeps you alert, and helps avoid your junk food cravings. Ask your recruiter for one of our Aureus 20oz Tumblers to keep your drink cool all day!
4. Get a lunch pail you love and pack your snacks to avoid the “feel bad” foods. Whether you’re on the road or nibbling at the nurses’ station, bring in the good and keep out the bad such as soda, high carbs, processed foods, and anything partially hydrogenated.

Treat yourself as well as you treat others. Your health is just as important as your patient’s, especially when you throw in all the travel life entails!

Ashley Hazen is a Team Lead for the California branch in the Nursing division of Aureus Medical Group.