Manic Monday ~ My "ON THE GO" Secret

So, have you noticed the hustle and bustle of the holiday season taking place already? I was in awe today when my husband and I (along with our kiddos) stopped by U.S. Cellular to fix a problem with my phone. We got out of our car, walked up to the front door and turned right back around! We saw there was a crowd of people waiting for service. One gentleman was waiting outside and told us it had been a two hour wait already. I asked him if he had been waiting outside this whole time and he said that he had taken a break from waiting and went shopping but the chaos at the big super store across the way prompted him to come back and stand in line for service. CrAzY! No thank you for this girl! We have a busy life as it is! But, regardless it IS that time of year that makes it much busier around town. And if you're like my family, we have to top this busy season off with our late fall/winter activities. My boys are in year round baseball (yes, there are indoor facilities to accommodate in this generation of sports), and they also just started wrestling practice. My daughter is in basketball and off-season club volleyball. Games and practices are held in locations greater than 10 miles away with a few sports practicing 20-25 minutes away from home. So let's say we are on the road..... A LOT. I would say it can be a challenge to make sure our meals exist and that they are healthy meals. But, with meal prepping and planning, I make sure that most meals are fixed and ate at home. However, there are just those nights (or entire days) that it just isn't going to happen. I wouldn't mind going through McDonald's. I mean really a $1 hamburger is totally budget friendly. But my kids need more than that to eat as they are getting bigger. Then they need a drink. And not to mention a lack of fiber and nutrients are another big obstacle when going through our favorite drive through for a meal. It's okay a few times a month for us. The remaining "eat on the go" times are more carefully thought out.

This is how I do it:

I have two big baskets in the back on my SUV. One basket is full of bottled waters. I usually am very good about packing everyone a reusable water bottle and most times we bring them with us where ever we go, but there are times when a few of us are too hurried that we forget. And let me tell you, my kids get thirsty and I get dehydrated when I am out and about and don't bring my water bottle. So there is no excuse as to allowing for dehydration when I have a secret stash of water in my vehicle. I also have a second basket in my SUV. This basket is the healthy snack basket. I pack it with squeezable apple sauces, nuts divided up into single servings, apples (whole), whole grain crackers, homemade protein granola bars wrapped individually, and then my store bought protein bars. Because the weather is cooler, these items stay good stored in my car. And these are our healthy snacks and mini meals that we can have access to immediately if we are encountering a day or night of a full throttle pace. This also is a tremendous help for ME! This keeps me from "starving" so much that I give into a fast food visit and it keeps me from going hog wild on eating just about anything and everything that is in my kitchen when I arrive back home.

It's about planning, preparing, and following through! This a great way for me and my family to eat better on the go and to save money. I challenge you this season to establish a similar set up for your busy days and nights. If you have other ways or suggestions that help during this busy season, please share them with us! Share in our comment section below!

Have a GREAT week!

~Rachel Zimmerman