Healthy To Go

March 18, 2015
Little River County, Ark. –

How many times per week do you eat at home? Some weeks we are on the road more often than not. Most of us are looking for fast and delicious food options. You can meet your health goals while also eating out.  Here are some tips to consider before you go out to eat.

• Order the regular or child’s portion of the same entrée. You can save many calories when you choose the smaller options.
• Feel free to make special requests such as substituting the fried side for a baked vegetable or fruit cup.
• Ask for the dressing or sauce on the side so you can control how much you eat.
• Also, remember you can ask them to hold the chips or bread until your meal is served to keep you from mindlessly eating while you wait.
• Consider having a lighter breakfast or lunch if you plan to eat out for dinner. Do not skip meals but you can save some calories for later!
• Share a meal or dessert so you can indulge in the food without overindulging in calories. The first bite is usually the most satisfying and enjoyable part of that food.
• Choose baked, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted, or steamed items most often.
• Plan ahead by looking up the menu options before you go out to eat. Many restaurants now have nutrition information online so you can make informed choices before you arrive.
• Remember to keep the goal to fill half your plate with vegetables and consider adding vegetables to add flavor and more nutrients to sandwiches or pizza.

You can still maintain your health and a healthy weight while eating on the go. Make sure to keep non-perishable snacks that are easy to grab to make healthy snack choices. Choose fruit cups, trail mix, or peanut butter and crackers for a healthy to go snack.

Make this trail mix to keep as a quick snack on the run. Portion it out in snack bags or small containers for easy access.

Sweet & Salty Trail Mix
Makes 10 servings. Each ½ cup serving has about 50 calories, 22 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber and 3 g protein.

1 ½ cups oat circles cereal
1 ½ cups corn squares cereal
½ cup whole almonds (chopped OR buy them already sliced)
½ cup raisins
½ cup small pretzels
½ cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Store in an airtight container or bag.
*There are many healthy combinations that you can choose for this trail mix. Consider substituting your favorite whole grain cereal. Substitute peanuts or cashews for the almonds. Use dried cranberries or cherries instead of the raisins. Make your favorite combination this week.

Join our new cooking club. The first meeting will be on Monday, April 13^th at 5:30 PM. We will meet at Cossatot in Ashdown in the Millwood room. The goal of the club will be to swap recipes and prep freezer meals to make meal planning a breeze! Call 870-898-7224 for more information and to reserve your spot.

By Celeste Scarborough
County Extension Agent - FCS
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Media Contact: Celeste Scarborough
County Extension Agent - FCS
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
1411 N Constitution Ave Ashdown AR 71822
(870) 898-7224
cascarborough@uada.edu

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