It’s often difficult to squeeze healthy meals into a busy schedule. However,skipped meals,irregular meal times and hurried fatty snacks will leave you low in energy,glycogen and important vitamins and minerals.The following practical advice will help you develop healthy eating strategies that fit in with your hectic lifestyle.

Strategies for eating on the run

ORGANISATION. Take your food with you so you wont end up skipping meals or grabbing the nearest high snack when you are ravenous.

PLANNING. Plan your day in advance so you always make time to eat no matter how busy your schedule.

IDENTIFYING EATING OPPORTUNITIES. Make a list of times and places where you could eat,e.g. in the changing rooms; sports club; killing time between appointments; driving or travelling; working at your desk.

PREPARING AHEAD. Prepare meals in advance by cooking larger quantities one day and keeping the rest in the freezer.

SHOPPING WISELY. Routinely shop with a planned shopping list; this will save you a good deal of time and ensure you have enough food to last you the week. Avoid frequent small shopping trips which cost you more time and money.

STOCKING UP. Keep healthy staple foods in your kitchen cupboard so you always have a good choice of healthy food to hand.

Eating healthily on the run

• Include at least one portion of fruit and vegetables at each meal.
• If you must have chips or fried food for lunch,balance it out with a side salad and follow it with fresh fruit.
• Get into the breakfast habit every day,no more skipped meals! Eat a big bowl of wholegrain cereal topped with fresh or dried fruit and milk.
• Eat portions of wholemeal pasta,wholegrain bread or brown rice and reduce the fats and rich sauces.
• Choose healthier snacks like apples,Satsuma���s,bananas or toast with marmite.
• Choose speedy meals which contain less fat and more carbohydrates and vegetables,e.g. home-made vegetable soup (make a big pot in advance) with wholegrain rolls or jacket potatoes with tuna or cottage cheese.
• Add a big crunchy salad (ready prepared if you like) to your lunch time sandwiches; also add a little low fat dressing if you prefer.
• Drink at least 2 litres of water per day (allow an extra 1 litre for each hour of sport you play),e.g. water,diluted fruit juice,diluted squash or isotonic sports drink.

Super sandwiches

Sandwiches make a high carbohydrate healthy meal for eating on the run. Beware of ready prepared sandwiches from the supermarkets and snack bars as they contain extra butter and mayonnaise. A typical prawn mayonnaise sandwich contains more than 22 g of fat!

For a really healthy sandwich it is best to make your own. Cut thick slices of bread and fill them with one of the low fat fillings suggested below.

• Wholemeal bread and low fat soft cheese,dates and chopped walnuts.
• French baguette with tuna,tomato,watercress and low fat salad dressing.
• Malted grain bread with turkey or chicken and low calorie coleslaw.
• Ciabatta with reduced fat mozzarella,beef tomatoes,olives and low calorie dressing.
• Wholegrain bap with chicken,dried apricots,celery and tarragon.
• Wholemeal pitta bread with turkey and low calorie cranberry sauce.
• Rye bread with low fat cottage cheese and chopped dates.
• Bagel with low fat soft cheese,salmon and tomato.
• Wholegrain rolls with ham,lettuce,grated carrot and low fat salad.

Sandwich fact file

• Wholemeal bread contains twice as much fibre as white bread (6.5 per 100 g compared with white bread as 2.8 per 100 g).
• A thin spreading of butter equals about 5 g of butter (4.1 g of fat or 37 Kcals per slice)
• A medium spreading of butter equals about 7 g of butter (5.7 g of fat or 49 Kcals per slice)
• A thick spreading of butter equals about 12 g of butter (9.8 g of fat or 90 Kcals per slice)
• For a substantial meal,make a sandwich using three slices of bread.
• Mayonnaise contains 22 g of fat or 198 Kcals per spoonful. Use fromaige frais or low calorie salad dressing instead.
• If preparing sandwiches in advance,wrap and store in the fridge or an insulated cool bag.