How much food do we really need to eat? How much food is enough? How much food is too much? I recently watched a video of what 2,000 calories looks like (mainly consisting of not so healthy foods like M&Ms and Big Macs, but there were a few healthy foods included like carrots and bananas (19 bananas = 2,000 calories). My personal favorite was “Wow – I could spend the whole day eating 50 slices of bacon to reach 2,000 calories!” You can find the video here.
This video was based upon (or inspired by) another article on what does 200 calories look like, which can be found here. This article has beautiful pictures of what 200 calories looks like and contains a variety of foods, good and bad for you. Unfortunately it doesn’t take too much of the things that are bad for you to equal 200 calories. For example – take a look at the fruit loop or donut or gummy bear pictures – it doesn’t take many (and in the case of the donut, not even a full donut) to max out at the 200 calorie level.
When you reach for a 100-200 calorie snack mid afternoon – this article really gives you a good guideline of healthy foods that are filling that meet that 100-200 calorie level – think grapes, carrots, celery (with a little bit of peanut butter) or broccoli or an avocado.
This topic has been on my mind for the last few weeks because I have had a lot of work travel. I’m either eating (and drinking) a ton (at restaurants with clients) or none at all (running to catch a plane, forgetting to get any food or water prior to boarding). What I realize after relooking at these two articles is that I need to spend a little time planning healthier snacks and foods to take with me when I travel. Or I need a better short list of things to buy at the airport when in a hurry. It’s the things like “breadzles” and mac & cheese that sound good (and what I had yesterday while at the airport), but aren’t necessarily the healthiest choices. I guess I need to reach for the fruit or yoghurt or soup instead.
What tips do you have for healthy snacking (at home or while on the road)?
