Food Glorious Food
Healthy eating habits when outside your home
and on the go.
by Ronni Litz Julien, MS, RD/LDN
TWEENS & TEENS News October
2007
My teen and tween kids Jamie and Jordan profess
that growing up in the home of a nutritionist
is not that big of a deal. Life isn’t
just about carrots and lima beans in our home.
In fact, open my pantry and find Baked Lay’s,
Baked Cheetos, Fruit Crisps (crunchy dried apples),
100-calorie packs, low-fat popcorn, pretzels
and peanut butter. In the fridge, find low-fat
milk, sugar-free chocolate syrup, yogurt, low-fat
string cheeses, cut fruit and bunches of grapes.
In the freezer sit Weight Watchers Toffee Crunch
Bars, Starbucks low-fat Frappucino bars and
popsicles. Being healthy doesn’t equate
to being deprived!
Along with having a familiarity with nutritious,
yet non-compromising culinary options at home,
it’s important to know how to stay healthy
and satisfied when you’re outside the
family kitchen. Think at every stop you can
find something edible that won’t have
your heart gasping for air— like chicken
nuggets and French fries? Even if you fancy
fries, pizza or ice cream, you can still enjoy
your favorite foods. But it’s crucial
that you continue to exercise good judgment
when dining in different surroundings.
At Friends’ Houses
It’s more fun to eat at our friends’
houses than at our own, right? Friends often
have tons of cool snacks that we don’t
keep in our kitchens. Despite temptation,
don’t turn dining at friends’
houses into pig-out sessions. Here are a few
things to remember:
•Politely request what you want. Consider
asking, “Do you have peanut butter and
jelly that I could spread on a sandwich?”
or “May I make a turkey sandwich with
the cold cuts in your fridge?”
•If you see lots of high-fat, high-sugar
snacks, use a personal plan. Allow yourself
one of your favorite such snacks, then try
to eat healthy items if hunger lingers.
•Drink lots of liquids— preferably
water, flavored water, Crystal Lite, diet
soda and unsweetened iced tea. Add a sugar-substitute
like Splenda, instead of sugar, if you crave
sweetness in iced tea. Skip regular colas
and juices.
•Do the best you can with what options
you possess. If the culinary choices aren’t
so healthy, then try to eat a light meal and
have something healthful when you get home.
At School
I have single-handedly packed about 3,100
school lunches for my kids over the years.
I took one look at the school lunches in my
school district and realized Jamie and Jordan
would never eat a school lunch— not
if I had anything to do with it.
I bet in most of your schools, you don’t
love the food or the choices are not as healthy
as your parents would like. If, however, you
opt to purchase lunch at school, here is what
you should look for:
•Grilled or barbecue chicken sandwiches
(not fried chicken patties).
•Oven baked potatoes (not French fries).
•Deli sandwiches, such as turkey and
roast beef.
•Pasta with tomato sauce (not macaroni
and cheese).
•Fresh fruit, like an orange or banana.
•Pizza, on occasion.
•Hamburger and a baked potato or corn
on the cob.
If you can’t locate the listed choices
in your school cafeteria, then help Mom or
Dad pack one of these lunches:
•A peanut butter and jelly sandwich
(made with a trans-fat-free peanut butter,
an all-fruit jam and whole wheat bread), a
piece of fruit, a 100-calorie pack, a bag
of baby carrots and a bottle of water.
•A turkey or roast beef wrap with lettuce,
tomato and mustard or ketchup— try a
whole wheat wrap to see if you like it. If
so, stick with it. Pair the wrap with a small
bag of Baked Doritos or Baked Cheetos, a bunch
of grapes or a banana, and a bottle of water.
Note: There are many great cuts of Boar’s
Head turkey to suit eclectic tastes, such
as turkey pastrami, cracked pepper turkey,
honey maple turkey and Sausalito.
•Low-fat tuna and crackers, prepared
with low-fat mayonnaise in the tuna and Wheat
Thins or low-fat Ritz for crackers. Also pack
an extra snack like Goldfish or some Nilla
Wafers, a peach or some strawberries in a
Tupperware container, and that trusted bottle
of water.
On the Road and in Restaurants
No matter where or how you travel, take healthy
habits with you. Again, being outside your
kitchen is not an opportunity to say “Yeah,
I’ll worry about eating healthy when
I come home!” Such thinking could be
a disaster for your health and your waistline.
Following are a few general tips to heed:
•Try to stick to the same mealtime schedule
you maintain at home.
•Start your vacation days with a good
breakfast, such as a bowl of cereal with low-fat
milk and a piece of fruit, or a couple of
scrambled eggs served alongside whole wheat
toast with jam and fresh fruit.
•Remeber to exercise. Take stairs instead
of elevators— a total workout when on
a cruise ship. If you can, walk as you sightsee
and go for a short walk with your parents
sometime during the day.
•Stay busy during your vacation and
abstain from over-snacking.
•Drink plenty of water.
•Allow yourself a little treat every
day, but don’t overdo it! Instead, broaden
your palate by tasting the flavors of the
new places you visit.
No matter which method of transportation
you take, tote a few healthful snacks, including
100-calorie packs and a box of low-fat milk,
a sandwich made with whole wheat bread or
a protein bar (such as a Zone or Balance Bar).
Also, drink plenty of water, especially on
airplanes. The recommendation is eight ounces
of water for every one hour in flight.
Of course, vacationing goes hand-in-hand with
dining out in restaurants. Here is where moderation
is key. Make informed choices with wholesome
meals like:
•Grilled or barbecue chicken, a side
salad and a baked potato served with margarine
on the side.
•Grilled fish or sushi, going easy on
the rice-filled rolls, with a side salad.
When possible, order brown rice.
•A small piece of lean steak or a hamburger,
with lettuce, tomato and/or pickles and olives.
For a side dish, choose corn on the cob or
a baked sweet potato.
•In Chinese restaurants, order shrimp
or chicken with pea pods or broccoli. Other
good choices include Szechuan chicken as well
as beef and broccoli, whereas fried noodles,
fried egg rolls, spare ribs and tons of white
rice are what you should avoid.
•When in Italian restaurants, consider
veal or chicken marsala and a side of pasta
with marinara sauce and a salad. Always order
dressings on the side. For big or heavy dishes,
like shrimp marinara, eat half of the order
and take the other portion home.
•For fast food fixes, Burger King is
better than Wendy’s, which is better
than Taco Bell. BK burgers are char-broiled
or grilled, while Wendy’s has a pretty
good chili. At McDonald’s, order the
grilled chicken salad or the turkey sandwich.
•Even better fast food venues include
Subway, Quizno’s and Pollo Tropical.
Order turkey and lean roast beef subs—
no cheese or mayonnaise please— or chicken,
rice and beans. All options suit the road
and your weight management.
Nutritionist, author and parent, Ronni
Litz Julien, MS, RD/LDN, has dedicated her
professional life to teaching healthy eating
habits to children, teens and adults. An expert
on family nutrition, Julien has authored two
books that address the lack of healthy eating
habits in the United States today, The Trans
Fat Free Kitchen (Health Communications) and
What Should I Feed My Kids? (Career Press).
Learn more at www.healthfulkids.com.
