Monday, September 7, 2009

Eating healthy on the run

We all need to realize is that no matter where we are, we can find healthy options when it’s time to eat.

Trying to find healthy options when you’re traveling can be hard, but it’s not impossible. Trust me. All you have to do is plan ahead and think outside the box. Instead of depending on local restaurants, go to the local grocery store. Not only is it easier to make better choices, it’s much cheaper too. For example, I packed some oatmeal and PB so I could be sure to have a good, healthy breakfast while I’m traveling. After making a few compromises (no banana, 2% milk, and a crappy styrofoam bowl) I give to you, Happy Oats on the run:

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I knew I would be doing a lot of driving today, so I made sure to find a grocery store along the way. Luckily I have a mini refrigerator in my room, so that helped a lot. However, you can still find healthy options without a refrigerator.
As I was driving around I stumbled across a Trader Joe’s (yay!)  I stopped in and grabbed a few things to have for dinner and lunch tomorrow:
Bananas
2% Greek Yogurt
Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Ready Made Chicken Patties
Butternut Squash Soup

Check it out:
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This was SO GOOD. This was my “veggie.” It was a little sweet but I really liked it.
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These were really good too. They are a little high in sodium but not too terrible. They come in packages of 2 so I can have the other one for lunch tomorrow.
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On a pita. You can’t go wrong with this for a dinner. I got my protein, my carbs, and my veggies all for about 500 calories, and this cost me about $7. 

After driving around NOVA (northern Virginia) all day, I was starting to feel the stress of not having a place to live yet. It started raining at around noon so I couldn’t really walk around or take pictures, but I did get a feel for a few of the towns we were thinking of. I really like some more than others, but I can’t really see anything until tomorrow. Stupid holiday!
After six hours or so of driving and searching, I really needed to get on that treadmill. I ran a nice 3 miles and lifted some weights, but in the middle of my lifting workout, some lady came and took the 10 lb. weights to walk on the treadmill with. What’s up with that? How about some gym etiquette lady?
And yeah, I guess my previous “I can’t run more than 2 miles at a time” post was a little exaggerated, but I’m still recovering so some days are going to be better than others. My stats:
3 miles, 27:20. Then I slowed it down and jogged for the next 2.5 minutes, and then I walked for five. Total time: 35 minutes
10 minutes of upper body/arms
2 sets of squats (I can’t do too many of these without the knee hurting so I tried to keep them to a minimum)
Total time: 45 minutes
Not bad for a hotel gym.

I really hope to have some good apartment news to share with you tomorrow….

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