Be Prepared

My friends usually laugh at me because I plan ahead if I know we'll be driving for a while, or that we'll be gone all day because I think ahead and bring healthy snacks to avoid spending money and calories on the fast food that they love to drive through. My snacks often consist of either a turkey sandwich, cut up bell peppers, carrots, or simply turkey and cheese slices. Here's some simple snacks or mini meals that you can buy the staples for and have ready to go whenever you need them:

1. Turkey sandwich- Whole Wheat, multi-grain or health nut breads are a good staple to constantly have in your pantry since they are versatile for many different meals and foods. My turkey sandwiches consist of break, a few slices of turkey breast, dijon mustard and lettuce. Putting mustard or light ranch dressing are good alternatives to mayo on a sandwich, and putting mustard will keep the sandwich fresher longer than mayo.

2. Peanut butter sandwich- It's been everyone's staple since they were 4. You can do peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter banana and honey, peanut butter and honey, the variations go on. Moral of the story, peanut butter sandwiches can be in your bag all day without going bad, and peanut butter has some protein to keep you going strong for the day.

3. Turkey and cheese "roll ups"- By getting sliced turkey and your favorite cheese, and simply rolling them up together, you can have a simply, low-carb, high protein snack that can be brought around easily. If you need a little extra flavor, put some dijon mustard, and that can also act like glue to keep the roll- ups rolled.

4. Sliced vegetables and fruit- Bell peppers, carrots, celery, apples, oranges, they are all good. They may not keep you full for as long as a sandwich will, but if you just need something to munch on, it's way better than reaching for a bag of chips.

5. Nuts- A handful of nuts a day can be good for you. Packing a small bag of almonds or cashews can be good if you just need something small, but nuts are high in fat as well as having protein, so you need to be sure to keep the quantity low.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. You'll feel much better about yourself if you are eating your homemade snack, rather than spending the money on a burger and fries, only to feel bloated afterward. Oh, and one last thing... ALWAYS BRING A BOTTLE OF WATER. Staying hydrated will also help you trick your body into thinking you're full, so bring a refillable bottle everywhere you go to stay hydrated and round out your healthy snacks.