Day 2/32 Vacation

Great Day yesterday. Unfortunately I'm at the mercy of finding free wi-fi so posts may come up all at once even though I'm writing as I go. Had my second chicken sandwich after getting to La Guardia, meeting up with my sister, then realizing we still had a 45 minute wait for a bus, then had to switch to a shuttle. Anyways, after what felt like forever, we were finally reunited with my long time friend Kyle and his friend and we went out to lunch (of course right after I eat).

I'll have to say that it can be incredibly difficult to be at a table with other people who are eating when you decide not to. Eating for so many, myself included, is a social event and it's great to converse while enjoying great food, but tuning into those hunger cues are just as important too. I had to consciously tell myself "No, Sam. You are NOT hungry, you are full." Sounds ridiculous but by realizing I would only be eating for entertainment and acknowledging that made it easier to sit there and drink my water and I did have my sister's lettuce, tomato, and pickle from her burger, ha. Veggies are always free foods :)

This morning, Kyle and I got to go for a nice walk/run. Not sure if I mentioned it before, but I'm currently nursing a sprained ankle and was just cleared to start running again so I'm easing back into it after 3 months of just the elliptical (just not the same as outdoor running) and just finished brunch. Wasn't super hungry (see, tuning into those hunger cues again!) so I went for the yogurt with fruit and granola and unsweetened tea for a much needed caffeine fix. I may be annoying my friends/sister with my healthy options, BUT it's my body and I honestly feel so much better when I fuel my body with the good stuff. Of course, I will indulge. Hell, I'm on vacation, but it's a marathon of vacation so everything in moderation. Beach time!

Day 1/32 Vacation!

June 28, 8:30am- And so it begins…. After a super stressful morning, I made it on my flight to NYC! I had the opportunity to fly on a buddy pass, which meant I fly stand-by at a reduced ticket cost but it also kicks up the anxiety because of issues with the ticket, security being downright ridiculous, and anticipating whether or not you’ll get a seat.

Anyways, the purpose of this blog will be to show how to eat healthy and stay on track even when abroad, traveling or dining out in general. I like to believe I have a few tricks left up my sleeve that I can share ;)

So much of nutrition and eating healthy is planning. In preparation for this trip I hit the grocery store for the single-serving Greek Yogurt for breakfast at 4am this morning, a rotisserie chicken, and a mix of protein/nutrition bars (My faves are Luna and Lara bars). After serving myself my dinner portion of chicken, I took the remainder of the chicken meat, threw away the skin and fat, then grabbed a couple of sandwich thins (Orowheat 100 calorie Multi-grain), mixed in a teaspoon of reduced fat olive oil mayo (Kraft) and made not one but three sandwiches from the chicken.  Gave one to my friend who was oh-so-kind to wake up hellaciously early to drive me to the airport and am now just finishing up the first one.  

Now, I could’ve purchased a breakfast sandwich here on the plane and shelled out $5.99 for a jimmy dean sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich weighing in at 556 calories, 36.5g fat, 14.4g saturated fat, 28.6g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 24.2g protein and 1,285mg sodium vs. the one I delightfully consumed for 233 calories, 4.3g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 22g carbs, 5g fiber, 30g protein and 806mg sodium. BIG difference. More protein and fiber and a whole lot less calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium. Planning, people. Jump on the bandwagon and save yourself from the pounds and make your wallet happier.

In case you’re interested in my trip details…

I will officially be away from H-town for 32 days. Flying into New York, meeting up with my sister and best friend to drive up to Newport, RI to visit another dietitian BFF for the weekend, then it’s back to Manhattan till our flight departs for Europe on the 4^th of July! Layover in Rome and Munich before getting to Scotland for 9 days to reside with my super awesome family then it’s back to Munich for a week where we’ll check out Berlin, Prague, Innsbruck, Lichtenstein, and Salzburg before heading to our second resort in Hungary, where we’ll check out Vienna, Bratislava, Bratislava, Krk, Zagreb, and possibly somewhere in Slovenia. 3,205 miles and 57 hours of driving. Big trip, but I couldn’t be more excited J

Nutrition Tip of the Day

Another reason to eat your Spinach! Magnesium deficiencies cause sugar cravings, which can lead to binging on the wrong stuff. Make sure you get your daily dose of some of these Magnesium rich foods: green leafy vegetables, beans and peas, nuts and seeds, and whole, unrefined grains. 

Nutrition Tip of the Day

Bring on the Berries! blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are all great for you inside and out. Blackberries are loaded with anthocyanins, an antioxidant linked with improved brain function. Strawberries have about 3x as much vitamin C as the other berries and have the fewest calories, however, they are also most important to buy organic because of their absorbing capabilities. 

Nutrition Tip of the Day

Hide your cravings- if you have a weakness for the stuff you know is bad for you, hide it somewhere you have to work extra hard to go get it. For example, in the back of a closet in your basement. Now that's a little extreme, but you get the picture. When it takes more energy than it's worth to get to it, you're less likely to give in and have it. Just don't forget all together that it's there otherwise you may have another problem your hand (read: pests/rodents/mold/children from next door etc.). Or remove the problem all together and give it away to someone you secretly want to get fat ;) kidding, kidding.

Nutrition Tip of the Day

Train your taste buds! Our taste buds are alterable meaning that when you make changes to your diet say by eliminating foods high in sodium/sugar/processed foods, our taste buds adapt and start to prefer healthier foods. 

Quick Salmon Salad Sandwich

After a short hiatus due to a crazy month- I'm back in the game of sharing my quick healthy meal concoctions! And in exactly one month, I will be headed on a month long vacation (I know, I live a tough life) where I will try my darndest to post about eating healthy while traveling even when you're in exotic crazy destinations.

Quick Salmon Salad Sandwich

Serves 1

1 Pepperidge Farms Whole Wheat hamburger bun (110 calories, 2g fiber)

1 package Chicken of the Sea Salmon

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon Olive Oil Mayo

½ cup spinach
3 slices diced tomato
1 tablespoon raisins
salt/pepper to taste

In a small bowl mix ingredients and serve on bun.

Nutrition Info:

231 calories, 5g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 25g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 6.8g sugar, 25g protein, 733mg sodium.

Dietitian Says:

If you have all the ingredients on hand, this can be thrown together and halfway gone in less than five minutes! That’s what I did today anyways. Awesome balance of carbs and protein, however, a little higher in sodium than I would like it (aim for less than 600mg per meal and less than 200mg for snacks). That can be compensated the rest of the day though. Also, packaged salmon, such as Chicken of the Sea kinds, can often be better than fresh because it is usually wild Alaskan salmon and not farm-raised Atlantic, which is poorer quality and has less omega-3s, which is the reason to eat it in the first place! Plus, packaged/canned salmon is super cheap! Enjoy!