Planning is Crucial

When it comes to adhering to certain food guidelines aka the Paleo Challenge rules, planning is the most crucial part.  If you do not plan, you are bound to be put in a situation where your food options are very limited.  Some of those scenarios include traveling, maybe a Saturday or Sunday when you have a million errands to run and will not be home for hours, or simply a late night at work in which the last thing on your mind is what you are going to cook for dinner.

It is easy to say “Just be prepared,” but that is not always easy and planning does require some forethought.  I thought I would share my top 5 planning rules to ensure I am not out and about and starving, ready to drive through at Wendy’s and eat an entire bowl of chili with a Frosty (not mixed together, always eat the Frosty first! J).

This cooler would be great to use riding around Savannah!

The 5 Keys to Ensure Good Food is in your belly:

1.  Have a cooler – It does not have to be huge, think oversized lunch bag.  Pack up some cut-up veggies, fruit, and some protein.  Tuna pouches are my go-to, but I also try to have some grilled chicken breasts in the fridge at all times for a quick snack to grab.
2. Pack more than you think you are going to need.  My husband is a bottomless pit, and he gets hangry (hungry + angry = hangry) very quickly.  You can always throw the food you do not eat back into the cabinet or fridge when you get home.
3. Understand that convenience stores have awful choices when it comes to healthy food.  Their beef jerky has sugar, their nuts are roasted in weird oils, their dried fruit is not just fruit, and water is about the only beverage you can buy.  Again, do not even put yourself into that position where you are roaming around a convenience store because you are starving looking for a “Paleo friendly” option.
4. Know that the “healthy options” offered at fast food restaurants are not the least bit healthy!  Do not count on those as food options – You will end up being very disappointed and/or starving.
5. Put some time into making lots of food to have on hand when hunger strikes.  In the book “Well Fed,” the author discusses their Sunday Cooking WOD.  My husband and I do this weekly – we set aside a few hours on Sunday and make food for the week – homemade beef jerky, larabars, cut-up veggies, cut-up fruit, egg frittata, etc.  It makes it that much easier during the week when we are packing our lunches for work or just coming home hungry.

So, there it is, hopefully some helpful tips for meal planning.  It is not always easy, but it is worth it.

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal