Get a Grip Over Junk Foods

What to do when we are on the road and hungry? We head to the nearest fast food restaurant that we see. Fast foods offer us speed, affordable price, and convenient. It is easier to get foods on the road than preparing for a healthy snack. However, if you plan ahead for the week, you will get a grip over junk foods, and avoid most fast food restaurants. Have a back-up plan, and spend a few hours during the weekend for shopping, preparing, and storing your home made snacks then you are ready to go for the next five days.

Shopping List:

· Grains: plain rice cake, or your favorite flavored ones, whole wheat crackers, and bread, popcorn, and low salt pretzels.

· Proteins: mixed nuts, low fat string cheese or cubes, eggs, peanut butter and beef jerky. (Beef Jerky has about 15 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fat, and 80 calories).

· Vitamins: fresh fruits, vegetables, salad, dried fruit chips or pieces, and jelly.

2. Preparing your healthy snacks:

· Monday--Rice cake or whole wheat crackers with peanut butter and jelly, or with low fat cheese provide you a complete and healthy alternative to hamburger and fries.

· Tuesday--Mixed nuts, and salad.

· Wednesday--Beef jerky, or peanut butter sandwich, and fresh fruits.

· Thursday--Hard boiled eggs, and cut up vegetables such as celery, broccoli, and baby carrots.

· Friday--pretzels or popcorn, and low fat string cheese or cubes.

3. Storing your snacks:

· In individual sandwich bags: whole wheat crackers, pretzels, dried fruit chips, rice cakes, popcorn, beef jerky, and mixed nuts .

· Keep in small plastic containers: fresh fruit pieces, cheese cubes, fresh vegetable pieces, salad, hard-boiled egg, and peanut butter.

4. Back up plans: these are alternative ways to beat fast foods, and much nicer for your budget.

· Order from the children menu. Perfect portion to carry you over until meal time.

· Order from the lunch menu. Smaller portion, and cheaper.

· Order from the appetizers section.

· Order from the breakfast section.

· Stop in your local supermarket to buy ready to eat food.

If you have everything ready and know which snacks you want for the day, you can easily mix, match, and alternate for different varieties. Getting over junk foods is easy once you have a healthy snack with you. Let your creativities spice up more snack choices, and give you a grip over junk foods.