Greetings from the snowy highlands of Pennsylvania (and my Blackberry)…

For the most part I keep a consistent eating schedule during the week: stuff something in my face as I’m running out the door, light snack around 10, lunch at 12:30, light snack after work, and then dinner around 6:30. Unfortunately for me, my schedule can get really messed up when travel season rolls around twice a year.

Travel season? You ask. Yes. For those of you who don’t know (many of you, I’m sure), I’m an enrollment counselor. But unlike traditional counselors who fly all over the place, I work exclusively with adult students looking to complete their bachelor’s degree. Our program isn’t online, but we do have locations all over western Pennsylvania, so I do day trips–looong day trips. For example, today I’ll be logging a 13 hour day… Most of it sitting at a community college or travelling on snowy roads. Usually I have a two-hour break for lunch during this particular trip, but I have a tempo run scheduled for today. So, being the “dedicated” athlete that I am, I’m spending that time at the adjacent recreation center to log some miles.

So today is pretty busy, and because I’m sitting at a table to talk with students who pass by and fancy meals aren’t accessible, it begs the question, “when and what am I going to eat?!”

I thought this would be a good time to share with you how I keep a healthy diet when my travel season comes around because, quite frankly, McDonald’s and Taco Bell just aren’t options for me!

The key for me is healthy, fresh and satisfying (and unobtrusive) snacks!!

Breakfast:
Breakfast is usually consumed in the car on travel days. Now, I’m not going to be eating scramble eggs as I ride down the turnpike, so I have to think “convenient” and “safe”. I also have to consider that days like today aren’t going to be filled with fresh greens, so I turn to every girl’s best friend: chocolate, wait, I mean, green monster. Ok, both. Today’s mix:
- approx. 1 c. Baby Spinach
- approx. 1 c. Soy Milk
- 1 frozen banana
- approx. 1 Tbsp ground flax
- approx. 2 Tbsp Dark Chocolate Dreams PB
- 1 pkt. Amazing Grass Chocolate Infusion
- Ice until desired consistency
This was mighty tasty and filling, I wanted to add some oats to it, but I forgot! Shame! It was also accompanied by a travel mug’s worth of Prestogeorge Holiday Blend coffee. And lots and lots of Dustin Kensrue. Delish.

Lunch:
Keeping in mind that I have to pound out 4ish miles around 2pm, I wanted a portable lunch with serious staying power. I turn to another favorite: breakfast cookie “with wheels”.
- approx. 1/2 c. Rolled Oats
- approx. 1/4 c. Unsweetened applesauce
- approx. 1 Tbsp ground flax
- approx. 1 Tbsp crunchy AB
- handful dried cranberries
I mix this sucker up in a small tupperware container and in the morning a top with one small apple, cinnamon, and a generous spoonful of Crofter’s Superfruit Spread (Europe). This definitely could have been bigger…oops. But it tastes like dessert. No joke. I also ate a healthy portion of green grapes (for even more satiety).

Dinner:
After morphing into Wonder Woman while on the treadmill, I need PROTEIN. So, being the planner that I am (yea, that’s a joke), I packed a frozen pineapple Chobani (aka crack) in my gorgeous Vera Bradley lunch tote this morning. There are 13 grams of protein in that bad boy. Also along for the ride were some green pepper slices and a kiwi! I also packed Nut Thins (the pecan ones) and a Laughing Cow! That is an amazing combo. If you can’t do gluten, try Nut Thins!! I go through boxes of them like Lifesaver Wint-O-Greens!!

Dessert (not including the lifesavers):
Jessica’s (www.howsweeteats.com) Whole Wheat Peanut Butter and Jelly muffin. Oh. My. Goodness. Go make them. They are delicious.

Hydration: 2 liters of water! It makes my bag heavy, but I need it!!

I will probably eat a little something when I get home while I’m unwinding from the travel, but I am happy that I kept my options clean and healthy throughout the day (although there was some wheat, it was worth it). I didn’t have to rely on some drive-thru menu, or Starbucks to keep me going throughout the day. Plus, I helped save the college money!

I would like to add that it’s not a good idea to wipe your lunch box out with a disinfectant wipe before using it. Everything tastes like Lysol- which brings a whole new meaning to “clean eating”!!