If you are a parent then you know that once you have a child it pays to be prepared for certain events including days out and rainy days. The first time I had to take one of my children to the emergency department it was the middle of the night, my daughter was six months old and I rushed the pair of us into the car and headed for the emergency department. It wasn't life and death but it felt like it. If I had taken just five minutes to prepare our time in the hospital would have been so much easier. I would have had spare nappies, toys, and something for me to drink.
The second time I had to take one of my children to the emergency department I was prepared. I had a bag that would keep us going for an entire weekend if required and whilst being in the emergency department is always stressful at least I didn't have to worry about having something to drink and help my child feel a little more relaxed.
Fast forward nearly three decades and I am attending a weekend course. At lunch time we are released for an hour for lunch and we all head out to find various cafes. By this time I was starving and you already know that when you are hungry you make poorer decisions about what to eat because your brain is already screaming for sugar. So guess what happened? We all headed to cafes to enjoy fatty food followed by something sweet. Most of us did not make good food choices.
On the second day I came prepared. I brought lots of healthy snacks and a healthy lunch. I had a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. At lunch time I headed to a beautiful little park opposite the venue to enjoy my lunch. A few other people had chosen to do the same thing and we enjoyed chatting about the course whilst enjoying the warm sun and fresh air. When I got home that evening I was less tired and continued to make better food choices.
How many times have you chosen the less healthy option because you were out and there were no healthy choices? More often though, you find yourself feeling hungry and your brain is screaming out for sugar. NOW!. So there you are at the check-out, or in the middle of Christmas shopping or having a day out.
What could you have in your handbag for those moments? What could you keep in your car or backpack? It best to avoid 'health bars' because almost anything processed has sugar in it, and/or a lot of preservatives. Just think about this for a moment. How can that bar have a long shelf life without chemicals to keep it edible? If you made biscuits how long can you keep them fresh?
What you can keep in your bag or car are things like a little tub of nuts and/or some dried fruit. Usually I recommend staying away from dried fruit unless it is in extremely small quantities because of it's high sugar content. However in this case if your brain wants sugar a little dried fruit is a great way to give it some sugar, followed by some nuts and/or seeds to give your body a longer lasting form of energy.
Being prepared can benefit every part of your day, from breakfast to your evening meal. Write down a menu for the week which helps you eat well every day and also helps you plan your weekly shop. Take packed lunch to work which helps you eat well and saves you a lot of money. Work out what you can cook quickly and easily on the days that you get home later and will be tired. When you cook make double portions so that you can freeze half for another evening meal.
Enjoy having the power and energy to eat well all day
Sarah
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