MARY GANZEL: Five tips for healthy eating on the go

Let’s face it, we would all probably love to sit down to a nice meal at the table with our family three times a day, but the reality is it doesn’t happen and will probably seldom happen because of our busy lives. This doesn’t mean we can’t eat healthy because we have less time to prepare meals than our parents may have had when we were growing up.

The combination of work responsibilities, family commitments, traveling, kids’ school and extracurricular activities drains your energy, leaving little energy for planning and preparing healthy meals. But eating healthier can be achieved. Eating well will not only keep you healthier, but will increase your energy so you can do even more!

Skip fast food and say no to sugary snacks. Even though they’re tempting, they’ll just leave you too tired to do the things you need to do, let alone the fun things you’d like to do. Mary Hartley, registered dietitian and nutritionist for CalorieCount.com, has some great advice about maintaining a nutrient-dense diet despite a hectic schedule.

No. 1 of the five tips for staying healthy on the move is eat a quick, healthy breakfast. There’s no way you’re going to survive normal everyday work activities — let alone fun activities like water parks, state fairs and backyard barbecues — if you don’t start the day with a good breakfast.

It’s tempting to skip the first meal of the day in favor of a few extra minutes of sleep, but rather than starting your day on an empty stomach, Hartley suggests packing a healthy breakfast the night before and storing it in the fridge. That way all you have to do is grab and go. She says to choose simple foods from two, three or more food groups to get more bang for your breakfast buck. Some quick, healthy, on-the-go options include:

— Peanut or almond butter and banana sandwich on whole grain bread;

— Half of a whole wheat pita stuffed with chopped hardboiled egg, shredded carrot and diced red and green pepper;

— Plastic container filled with low-fat cottage cheese, berries and other seasonal fruit;

— Cooked quinoa tossed with a handful of raw nuts and frozen berries packed into a leak-proof container.

Tip No. 2 — pack a nutritious, satisfying lunch. Being on the go shouldn’t mean forgoing food.

“Don’t starve yourself at lunch – it will only lead to overeating later,” Hartley says.

At lunch you need to eat about one-third of the servings you require from all of the food groups. This means avoiding the drive-through and making something simple and power-packed the day before you go, or in the morning if you have time. Some super-quick and tasty options are listed below, which can all be easily customized based on your preferences and how many mouths you’ll be feeding.

— Cook up some whole wheat pasta and toss with your favorite raw chopped veggies, olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs.

— Make a batch of brown rice and add a can of drained and rinsed white beans. Mix in some lightly saut