Brown Rice Pudding

I was speaking with a Senior Executive of a global Fortune 500 company just the other day and she was lamenting that when she travels — which is often and far — her healthy way of eating gets thrown off track. It’s buh-bye to the usual carrot sticks, and hello to chips and chocolate.

Ladies, I cannot tell you how often I hear this story. Practically everyday. Having experienced this myself even, here’s what I know.

Olives

Early wake up calls, all-day meetings, changing time zones and sleeping on airplanes tax the systems of the body making it feel depleted of energy. A snack helps restore this energy but the body, in survival mode, gravitates toward false energy sources like sugar, caffeine, chocolate and chips all of which the food industry has marketed as “snack foods” and packaged up nicely making them readily available to those who are hunger-stricken and at their most vulnerable.

Smoothie (fruit or green)

What to do? Plan ahead using the below list of healthy snacks. There’s a snack for any craving – sweet, salty, crunch and creamy – and most travel well too.

 

Crunchy	·         apples ·         frozen grapes ·         rice cakes ·         light popcorn or plain popcorn: use coconut oil to pop in a covered pan ·         one or two hard pretzels, the large Bavarian variety ·         carrots: particularly the super-sweet, organic baby carrots ·         crunchy crudités of veggies and dip (hummus, tabouli, vinaigrette, favorite dressing) ·         celery and peanut butter (use nonhydrogenated peanut butter) ·         hummus with whole grain toast, baby carrots, rice crackers ·         nuts
Sweet	·         wheatgrass ·         fresh, whole fruit ·         organic yogurt and ripe fruit ·         apples and almond butter ·         sprouted date bread with jam ·         frozen yogurt: freeze yogurt and make your own! ·         dried fruit ·         use leftover grains to make sweet porridge: drizzle maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon, add soymilk and bananas, heat with fruit juice, etc. ·         smoothies: mix whatever you have in the kitchen – fruit, ice, soymilk, yogurt, carob powder, etc. ·         fruit “ice cream”: peel a banana, freeze, blend in a food processor with nuts, berries or raisins and serve; can be put through the screen of a juicer for a creamier consistency. ·         freshly squeezed fruit juices: Make your own and try different combos. ·         sweet vegetables: yams, sweet potatoes, squashes (acorn, butternut, kabocha) cut into chunks or fries; sprinkle with cinnamon and bake. ·         organic dark chocolate chips or carob chips
Salty	·         olives ·         pickles and pickled vegetables, such as carrot, daikon, beets and lotus root ·         tabouli, hummus ·         oysters and sardines ·         steamed vegetables with tamari/shoyu or umeboshi vinegar ·         tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole: try whole grain chips such as “Garden of Eatin” brand and freshly made salsa or guacamole. ·         sauerkraut: it will also knock your sweet craving right out! ·         fresh lime or lemon juice as seasonings or in beverage ·         salted edamame ·         small amount of organic cheese
Creamy	·         smoothies ·         yogurt ·         avocados ·         rice pudding ·         dips and spreads, like hummus and baba ghanoush ·         puréed soups ·         puddings made with silken tofu, avocado or mashed banana ·         mashed sweet potatoes ·         coconut milk