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Check Out These Secretly Good-For-You Gas Station Snacks

Check Out These Secretly Good-For-You Gas Station Snacks

By Lisa D’Agrosa, M.S., R.D., EatingWell.com

Summer vacation season is here and it’s time to hit the road. If you don’t pack your own snacks there’s good news: Many gas stations now carry fresh fruit, cut-up veggies and hard-boiled eggs. When those aren’t available, here are some other healthy (gasp!) gas station options:

1. Fruit popsicles: Most deliver around 100 calories, less than half of what you’ll find in a typical candy bar. Even better: Go for brands with no added sugar if you can find them.

2. Beef jerky: Packed with protein to satisfy your snack attack for the rest of your journey, and low in carbs, unlike a lot of snack foods. Look for jerky with the least amount of sodium.

3. Snack bars: Most deliver 200-250 calories, so they’re filling and, unlike a bag of trail mix, are pre-portioned so you won’t accidentally munch through four servings. Watch out for super-sugary bars. Two healthy favorites made with whole ingredients like nuts and dried fruit are KIND bars and Larabars.

4. Nuts: Got a salty craving? Nuts are full of healthy fats and deliver protein, both of which will help keep your tummy from grumbling on a long drive. Keep portions in check because the calories from nuts can add up quickly.

5. String cheese: Skip the “cheesy”-flavored snacks and go for the real deal. These portable, pre-portioned sticks deliver protein, calcium and have less than 100 calories.

DID YOU KNOW? Some gas-station snacks sold in small bags deliver two or three servings per package. Share the bounty with your road-trip buddies.

(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)

(c) 2015 Eating Well, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Photo: jpmatth via Flickr

Six Simple Ways To Never Overeat Again

Six Simple Ways To Never Overeat Again

By Emily Abbate, FITBIE.com (TNS)

Overeating is one of those mindless things you almost always regret. Pending the environment, it can be caused by a number of things, ranging from good food being around, to eat all at once (i.e. chips), to your lack of preparation for a meal with friends. One thing we can all agree on? Life, and our stomachs, are much better when we reel it in and keep our eating habits in check. Check out these six ways to squash overeating, adapted from The Better Man Project.

1. Preload. Going out for dinner? A half-hour before you leave, eat a 200-calorie snack that contains at least 15 grams of protein. With a gut full of satiating protein and fewer hunger hormones circulating, you’ll consume fewer calories at the restaurant. Two good snack choices: a whey protein shake, or an apple with string cheese (contains satiating fiber and fat, too).

2. Stop before your tank is full. Picture a gas gauge in your belly. “E” means you’re ravenous and “F” represents a full tank. Aim to stay between half and three-quarters of a tank by eating before you feel famished and stopping when you’re satisfied, not stuffed, said Matt Lawson, M.A., a weight-loss coach for iBehaviorCoach.

3. Chew on it. You’ve heard this one before: Chew each bite 40 times. Well, there’s science behind it. In one study, men who chomped that many times per bite ate 12 percent less than those who chewed 12 times. Researchers believe chewing longer before swallowing speeds the release of gut hormones linked to feeling satisfied.

4. Eat like a restaurant critic. Take time to note the texture, flavor and smell of your food. Think about where it came from, the source. Saying to yourself, “Wow, this grass-fed rib eye from Wyoming is juicy,” can create a vivid meal memory that keeps you feeling fuller longer, a U.K. study found. (Note: That line works best when you’re actually eating a grass-fed rib eye from Wyoming.) And eating mindfully automatically will slow you down if you typically shove your food into your mouth.

5. Plan your grocery trips. Hungry shoppers really do load their carts with more high-calorie options, a study in JAMA Internal Medicine reports. The best time to shop is after breakfast on a weekend, said Anita Mirchandani, R.D., a New York City dietitian. If that’s not a good time for you, preload before you go. Also, studies show that going to the grocery store with a list will reduce the likelihood that you will purchase high-calorie foods that catch your eye.

6. Buy new dinnerware. The average U.S. plate has been enlarged by 23 percent in the last century. No wonder our waistlines have ballooned! The fix: Eat from plates with wide or colored rims. They make small portions seem larger because the plate looks more filled, according to research in the International Journal of Obesity.

Photo: Alysa via Flickr