Kiddo Snacks

I recently had my second child (4 months ago this week!), and my health and fitness goals are drastically different. While I still make it out the door to run five days per week, my focus has been balancing providing the healthiest (although far from perfect) meals for my family while working full time and traveling for work and pleasure. While my almost three year old has never been a big eater, she’s not picky. She eats like a bird so snack time is a huge opportunity for nutrition. I’ll admit that my daughter has had M&M’s for breakfast and French fries for dinner (I did cry inside while this was happening), but I try to avoid these on a regular basis.  I always have snacks with us (for her and myself – I’m ALWAYS hungry since I’m breastfeeding) and I’ve noticed if I only keep healthy ones around, my daughter will eat them. She sometimes whines and refuses them and as soon as she realizes the healthy snacks are her only option, if she’s really hungry, she does cave. Here are some of my staples:

Fresh fruit – I’ve found that if I bring some cut up fruit with us while out and about, it helps curb hunger or round out a restaurant meal. As a family we do like to eat out, and my daughter’s all time favorite food is Chipotle’s quesadillas, so I grab some fruit as we head out the door and she’ll munch on it in the car or while we wait in line. She’s thrilled to get a quesadilla, and I’m happy she ate more than cheese and white carbs for dinner. I usually keep cut up mango, melon (made into bite size pieces with my melon baller), grapes, or clementimes (when in season) around. She’ll also eat whole fruit – small apples, pears, and peaches - as well. I’ve even snatched leftover veggies (roasted Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and roasted broccoli are a fav in our house) for an appetizer while we wait for food at a restaurant. 

Dried or freeze dried fruit – Little boxes of raisins are in the diaper bag, my purse, the car, pockets, nooks, and crannies. We’ve also had good luck with freeze dried blueberries (with a side of wet ones) and freeze dried broccoli and pea pods (from Trader Joe’s). They add crunch like chips but maintain the fiber and nutrient benefits of fruits and veggies.

Kid-friendly bars – Bars are not ideal, but for our lifestyle and for my kid, they work. We oftentimes have to weave around meltdowns in the morning, so a Z-bar (Clif bar for kids) or a Larabar make a easy grab-and-go breakfast. Washed down with a glass of milk, the peanut butter cookie Larabar does the trick. My husband let’s the chocolate chip ones sneak into the grocery cart once in a while too. When I’m really planning ahead, half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich accomplishes the same goal. This has worked well as an early morning breakfast on the way to the airport.

Yogurt – My kid loves yogurt. She could spend hours in the yogurt aisle in the grocery store and thinks all the different shaped containers are actually different food groups. She usually hones in on the ones with candy or cookie toppings and after some arguing, we agree upon Chobani kids pouches (I love the pouches because they’re not too messy) or Stoneyfield tubes, drinkable yogurt, or cups. Obviously these snacks require refrigeration, but some yogurt pouches are shelf stable. Cheese sticks or Cabot cheese bars are also great to grab when a cooler is available. Last time we made a picnic lunch, the cheese bar made it into the middle of the PB&J sandwich….

Peanut butter or nut butter – Thank goodness my daughter doesn’t have a nut allergy or she’d never have grown out of her 12-month clothes. She’s tiny and as I mentioned before, not a huge eater, so I am a fan of this healthy fat to pack in some calories with not a lot of bites. She’s been know to double fist peanut butter spoons and loves almond butter as well. The peanut butter and almond butter pouches from Justin’s are a mainstay in our house. Sometimes the peanut butter gets on an apple, but most of the time it gets squeezed right into the mouth. Another messier snack, but they’re worth it for her enjoyment and my piece of mind.

Pouches – I always travel with baby food pouches. While these fruit and veggies pouches don’t still have the benefit of fiber, they still are full of vitamins and minerals and make a great snack on the go. We travel a lot to visit family, so the pouches help us in a hunger pinch or to round out a meal on the road. It’s also an aisle in the grocery store where my daughter gets to have some control; I’ll allow her to pick the pouches and she's in heaven.

What are your go-to snacks for your kiddos? What foods are always in the car or diaper bag? I'd love to hear more ideas! 

Eating Healthy While Traveling...or trying to

@KendraThornton reached out to me last month in preparation for her upcoming vacation. She came up with some suggestions for staying healthy while traveling and I thought I’d share some of my own.

Fit Vacation Tips for Anyone Who Struggles with Weight

Getting away from it all is an expression that typically means you can do whatever you want on vacation. I know that I have definitely gotten into this mode while on vacation especially on road trips. I find myself gorging at times, and then I realize there's a better way to stop myself. With some tricks, I have been able to keep my family and I fit even while we go on vacations. These are some of the simple ways that I do it.

Bring Water With You

If you're going on a road trip, one thing you have to pack is your own water. Buying a case of water and bringing it with you will save you time and money in the long run, but it will also mean that you're less tempted to stop for soda and sugary drinks along the way. It's important to stay hydrated, so keeping a bottle of water around works wonders when you're thirsty or when kids just need a pick me up in the car.

Stay at Health-Savvy Hotels

Many hotels are doing all they can to help their guests eat better and stay fit while on vacation. They are offering organic food, lighter fare menus and fitness centers. I find that hotels are also offering better options like fruit for breakfast rather than sugary cereals. Getting in a workout is pretty easy when it's just a floor down from you. I tend to go to the hotel gym in the morning or in between activities if I am feeling restless. For our upcoming trip to Orlando I was able to get a great hotel with a great gym. With so many hotels in Orlando, sites like Gogobot can be a great tool to sort through and read user reviews.

Buy Local Food

I love tasting different cuisine, and going to local restaurants offers great experiences. Typically these restaurants have a greater amount of organic, all natural food than chain restaurants, and they take time preparing wonderful dishes. I love the healthy options that I find at local restaurants.

Stay Sane at the Buffet

The word buffet in itself is exciting. It means you get to eat whatever you want, right? I found that's the best way to get a stomachache on vacation. Instead of gorging, I limit myself to one plate. On that plate, I can have a few treats, but I always make sure to follow up with lighter meals the next day. This is key to keeping weight off if you eat out a lot on vacation.

If you're heading out with your family this summer, remember to stay healthy and active no matter where you go. You'll feel better while you're on the beach and when you get home.

I’m getting just getting back from Boston after traveling this weekend to support my husband and his team for the Cape Cod Ragnar Relay. I brought Tarala along, which involves even more careful planning when it comes to food and timing. Along with Kendra’s suggestions, I have some go-to plans I always make when traveling that I thought I’d share.

Check with the hotel to see if they have a refrigerator and microwave. If they don’t have a fridge, ask if you can rent one. It usually costs around $10 and helps you get in a quick breakfast before a race or before a day of sightseeing. This also allows you to stock leftovers.

Pack some items for snacks and breakfast. I always bring instant oatmeal, bars (like Larabars and KIND bars, and protein powder. I’ll rely on the hot water from the coffee pot in the hotel to make the oatmeal and throw in some peanut butter if I’ve brought it along.

One of my go-tos while I was pregnant was jerky. While not normally in my repeteur, jerky is one of the few non-perishable protein sources out there (nuts work too), so it works great on the go. I keep a wheat-free diet, so I’ll throw in some gluten free crackers and/or bread to make sure I get in some starch at meals even if the menu doesn’t allow. I’ll pack in some yogurt pouches for the baby and whole wheat fig bars. My husband will probably snag a few of those for his racing snacks this weekend. I’ve also brought along small raisin packs and Annie’s bunnies in the past. I kept

reusable baggies with us to keep full of snacks. I definitely recommend renting a locker at an amusement park and keeping a cooler full of lunches and drinks to avoid high prices and heavy foods.

Check out local restaurants and grocery stores before hand, especially if following a special diet. As soon as I know the tentative schedule, I will scope out local trendy, healthy, special-diet-supporting dining spots and peruse the menus. I’ve found some delicious spots this way and it helps save time when it comes to mealtime. If possible, make a reservation ahead of time, especially with a big group. I’ve made a few reservations for our July Disney trip already and always rely on a reservation the night before a race. This also helps us stay within nap constraints.

Fitting in exercise on vacation has never been very challenging for me. Running around Rome on our honeymoon allowed us to see more than we could have! Even when it hasn’t been convenient, I’ve gotten the run out of the way before the day starts. When we were in Punta Cana, we did 16 miles around the 1 mile resort. I don’t think I’ve ever run in such humid weather in my life. In most cases, I will adjust the long run to be before or after the trip instead, but you gotta do what you gotta do. For my readers that are not as avid exercisers, take a walk to see where you’re staying or take advantage of the hotel gym. You’re paying for it anyway, so you might as well use it! The time in the gym will help balance the eating out and help you resume your exercise routine when you come back from vacation.

My number one tip for traveling is to order groceries before you go. Then when you come home after eating out every day to a full refrigerator. My favorite is Harris Teeter Express Lane but you can also look into Safeway delivery or Peapod. This was especially helpful today so we could have lunches and a homemade dinner before we head out of town again on Thursday.

So with all my planning, I have to admit Tarala still ate pretzels, raisins, and peanuts for dinner on Thursday when our plane was delayed. I still didn't get nearly as many vegetables as I would have liked, so today I made two different veggies at dinner and had a bunch of raw veggies at lunch to make up for it.

Gummy Bears & Plain Yogurt

A Facebook question inspired me to write a long-winded, full-post response. It helped me think of some other points I've been meaning to make. See below:

"Thanks for the post Mel!…I love my sugar  Probably should start working on this though as I am sure I take in way too much. Questions-- 1)what about added sugar to things during exercise? Say during a marathon or endurance event. Sometimes I eat gummy bears while riding the bike! 2) I don't really like the taste of the plain greek yogurt, I have used it in cooking but just not straight up. I've usually been getting the fruit flavored ones. Is there anything I can do to make it more palatable for me? Maybe adding fresh fruit to it? Thanks for the info!"

Low to moderate glycemic index foods may benefit your workout 1 hour or so before a workout. These foods are lower in fiber and can be digested quickly. Too much sugar right before working out can cause a reflexive low blood sugar. Therefore, it may be best to try a little bit of protein with the carbs 2 hours before working out. These foods should do ok 1-2 hours before a workout:

• Apple + string cheese
• Banana + 2 Tbsp almond butter
• Walnuts + yogurt
• Carrots, hummus, whole grain crackers
• Multigrain toast + low fat cheese or peanut butter
• Peach + cottage cheese
• Sports bar
• Oatmeal + protein powder or nuts
• Smoothie (fruit + yogurt or protein powder)

As for nutrition during training, you should aim for 30-60g carbohydrates per hour or about 1g/kg/hour. Usually “simple” carbohydrates are usually well digested and absorbed during a workout but the source of carbohydrates also makes a difference. While exercising, you want the fuel that will help raise your blood sugar the fastest.

Most commercial products have a variety of sources of carbohydrates include glucose polymers, glucose, sucrose, and fructose. Fructose is not used a lot because it is not well absorbed and therefore can create stomach upset. Most products contain a combination of sources since they are absorbed at different rates. This allows your body to have a more continuous source of fuel. Sports drinks are specially formulated to provide the max amount of glucose that your system can digest without upset, about 4-8% concentrated.

Gummy bears are made up of sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavoring, food coloring, citric acid and gelatin. Each gummy bear has about 9 calories, all of which are coming from carbohydrates (2.2g per gummy bear). Therefore, if it is the main source of carbohydrates during a workout, you would have to take in 15-30 gummy bears per hour. If this is a reasonable amount, or if you paired the bears with a sports drink, it seems like a good plan. The main thing is to find a “food” and/or drink that is palatable and tolerable over a long time. Always bring a back-up for ultra-endurance events because 10+ hours of gummy bears could get real old.

As for Greek yogurt, you might add any combination of the following:

• Fresh fruit (my fav is mangos) 
• Frozen fruit (While it thaws it juices into the yogurt leaving a nice sweetness. I'll buy the giant bag of berries from Costco and mix them with the yogurt, overnight. )
• Low sugar jelly
• Granola such as Bear Naked or Nature’s Path
• Chopped nuts
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice
• Pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, which is sweetened)
• Stevia/Truvia
• Mix half flavored yogurt with half unflavored
• Vanilla, almond, or other extract

Hope that helps!

Source:

Ryan, M. Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes. Boulder: Velo Press; 2007.