Healthy people eat meals on a plate, at a table, with someone else. They don’t have habits of eating food from packages, in their car, alone.

However, healthy people still travel and eat in their car. What makes them different is that they don’t let eating on the go become a habit.

Instead, they have habits for when they have to eat on the go.

Know What the Week Ahead Looks Like

Emergencies happen, but more of what happens in your life is expected than unexpected.

Healthy people meal plan on the same day every week. They think through their plans and pick out the days and times they won’t have a traditional meal.

For example, maybe Wednesday is an early-work morning. Instead of sitting down for a normal breakfast, they may have to eat on their way to work. A healthy person in this case would plan to make a protein shake in the mornings or buy a healthy, microwavable meal at the grocery store on Monday.

In either case, they have a plan. They don’t let Wednesday creep up on them, leaving them no option but to run to McDonald’s drive-thru.

A Longer Cooking Session

Once a week, a healthy person’s spends more a specific time cooking that takes longer than any other time. This is their meal prep time.

However, prepping for a week’s worth of foods can be daunting–especially for a first-timer. It’s important to recognize that there are different types of “meal-prepping” options:

• Make-ahead meals: Full meals cooked in advance which can be refrigerated and reheated at mealtimes. This is particularly handy for dinnertime meals.
• Batch cooking: Making large batches of a specific recipe, then splitting it into individual portions to be frozen and eaten over the next few weeks (or even months). These make for popular warm lunch or dinner options.
• Individually portioned meals: Preparing fresh meals and portioning them into individual grab-and-go portions to be refrigerated and eaten over the next few days. This is particularly handy for quick lunches. 
• Ready-to-cook ingredients: Prepping the ingredients required for specific meals ahead of time as a way to cut down on cooking time in the kitchen.

Go-To Fast Food

Healthy people have one or two “go-to” fast food restaurants when they’re traveling. But even these are planned out. If there is a long road trip ahead, they recognize that at some point they’re going to stop for lunch; and they have a plan for where they’re going to stop.

The benefit to having one or two “go-to” fast food restaurants is knowing what you will order. Here are some helpful, healthy options if you don’t already have a place in mind.

• McDonald’s: Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken and low-fat balsamic vinaigrette plus Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait; 375 calories, 9.5g fat (4g saturated).
• Taco Bell: Fresco Steak Burrito Supreme plus black beans; 430 calories, 10.5g fat (3g saturated) or Fresco Chicken Soft Taco plus Pintos ‘n’ Cheese; 330 calories, 10.5g fat (4g saturated).
• Subway: 6″ Subway Club on 9-Grain Wheat Bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cucumbers, and Sweet Onion Sauce plus apple slices; 445 calories, 4.5g fat (1.5g saturated) or Oven Roasted Chicken Salad with tomatoes, green peppers, onions, olives, and cucumbers with honey-mustard dressing plus Yogurt Parfait; 400 calories, 6g fat (1.5g saturated).
• Wendy’s: Large Chili plus Garden Side Salad (no croutons) with fat-free French dressing 375 calories, 9 g fat (3.5 g saturated) or Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich plus apple slices 440 calories, 10 g fat (1.5 g saturated)

Takeaway

One of my favorite authors always writes, “You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your habits.”

In order to become a healthy person, you must develop habits of eating-on-the-go without developing the habit of eating-on-the-go. There’s a difference.

I hope this helps.

Tyler

WOD

Day 41 (of 50)
6:00 AMRAP x 2:*
10 Alternating Single Dumbbell Box Step Ups (50/35)
15 Jumping Air Squats

*After 6:00, rest for 2:00. Then do it one more time.

Other Articles in this Series:
1. Habits: 2021’s 6-Week Challenge
2. Habits: Pull and Push
3. Habits: Plate Method
4. Habits: Macronutrients
5. Habits: Exercise
6. Habits: Eating-on-the-Go
7. Habits: Sleep and Stress
8. Habits: Supplements, Fad Diets, and Mindset
9. Habits: Hermit Crabs