Even the most hardcore food preppers would be
pushed to admit they will do this forever. Life will get
in the way eventually
The 30-second article
• Between work, working out and the
rest of life, we can end up eating on the
run more than we would like to
• Food prepping for every meal and
snack for the week ahead works for
some, but is u realistic for many
• A downside of food prepping is that it
fails to equip you with the skills to eat
healthily on the run and to build a
healthy, easy and comfortable
relationship with food
• For many people the optimal balance
may be to prep some meals for the
week and also have some strategies in
place that allow healthy choices to be
made on the run, such as having a go-
to café with healthy options and some
meals in the freezer.
time. More importantly, especially for those
aforementioned clients looking to change
their lifestyle behaviours, being entirely
dependent on food prepping in order to eat
well is not a good way to build a healthy,
easy and comfortable relationship with food.
Food prepping means you are effectively
deciding what you will eat well ahead of time.
It doesn’t let you listen to your body’s needs
or allow for changes of plans, and in some
instances may lead to obsessive behaviours
through calorie counting. If you plan to food
prep indefinitely, with a focus on mixing up
your ingredients and eating from the five
food groups rather than on calorie counting,
then it may work for you – but even the most
hardcore food preppers would be pushed to
admit they will do this forever. Life will get in
the way eventually.
Finding balance in eating on the run
As I previously alluded, the disadvantage of
eating on the run is that we can be forced
into food choices we may not make under
‘normal’ circumstances. Finding balance in
our choices is key to good physical, social
and mental health. Food is fuel, but it is also
so much more, and having a contingency
plan that allows flexibility and choices is the
place of balance.
The balance might be that you do an element
of planning for your week, while also allowing
some room for spontaneity. For example, your
planning might include one big grocery shop or
several smaller ones. Balanced with this, having
long life ingredients on hand so you can throw
together a dish quickly or having a place nearby
where you know you can purchase a nutritious
meal or snack when needed may be all you
need to still eat well, save money and possibly
even save time. Life, as John Lennon sang, is
what happens when you‘re busy making other
plans. A childcare crisis, traffic holdups, a last-
minute dinner invite, unexpectedly working late
– life throws us any number of curveballs: the
ability to deal with them and navigate situations
as they arise is truly the key to good health.
Here are my top tips for finding balance in
eating on the run.
1
2
3
Understand that you will get hungry and
don’t allow yourself to skip meals.
Skipping might work for an hour or two,
but eventually you’ll need to find some
food somewhere.
Have a few go-to cafes, grocery shops
or take away spots that are close to
places you might get caught out, such
as your regular club or training studio.
Know what you can buy from them and
stick to your plan when you need to.
Have a few meals in your freezer that
can be taken for lunch or heated quickly
for dinner.
4 When you do cook, make enough for a
couple of nights, or one dinner and two
lunches. Use them for home or for work.
5 Keep some staples in the pantry and
freezer. These can be anything you
enjoy and find easy to include in a meal
– soba noodles, pasta, rice, canned
lentils, tinned tomatoes, herbs and
spices, olive oil, chicken breast, tinned
or frozen fish and frozen vegetables.
6 Don’t leave the house without a bottle of
water and at least a couple of snacks.
Fruit, yoghurts, dips and veggies, nuts
and seeds or muesli bars are all easy
grab and go items that require no
preparation. Keep them in the car or at
your desk if that is easy for you. Buy
them in bulk so you always have some
available.
7 Head to your local market and look
around for ingredients that interest you.
As well as inspiring you to get creative
and discover flavours and ingredients
you’ve not used before, this enables
you to make food choices based on
what you feel like eating.
Life is busy. Stay balanced, embrace flexibility
and learn to eat well, whenever and wherever!
Grab’n’go!
See the Info Handout: Setting yourself up
for snacking success on page 17 for some
ideas on healthy snacks to eat when you’re
on the run.
Charlotte Miller is a dietitian for the AFL and
has been a private chef for 11 years. In 2016 she
co-founded We Feed You, one of Australia’s fastest
growing and most innovative ready-made meal
businesses.
NETWORK WINTER 2018 | 63