| How
to Balance a Healthy Diet With a Hectic Schedule |
By Leslie Perales
Observer Staff Writer |
| Eating healthy may be difficult for people with hectic schedules,
but there are many waysfrom preparing snacks and meals ahead
of time to hiring a personal chefthat residents in Herndon
and Reston can keep their diets on track. |
| Kate Vickers, owner of Bountiful Living Wellness and nutritionist
at For Health and Balance, said most people make the mistake
of reaching for a soda as a snack. She said any soda, diet
or regular, impacts blood sugar and causes a person to crave
more sugar. |
| "If people are dealing with a mid-afternoon slump, the best
thing to do would either be to have some fruit or even to
have a small protein snack like a piece of cheese or some
peanut butter and an apple," she said. |
| Other healthy and quick snacks are fruits and vegetables
that can be easily tossed in a bag and taken on the road,
Vickers said. A trick she suggests to her clients is keeping
a container in the car filled with nuts and dried fruits so
it is available when a snack is needed. |
| Vickers also suggests making extra food at mealtime to store
and reheat later. "One of my mottos is 'cook once, eat several
times,'" she said. Vickers said meal assembly kitchens, where
people can make multiple meals at once and store them for
later, offer better meals than drive-through dining. |
| "It is a great way to have some homemade food there and
prepared for you," she said. "It's in your freezer and you
can just pull it out when you need to." |
| When dining out, Vickers suggests staying away from the
breadbasket, looking for steamed or broiled entrees and getting
oil or vinegar based salad dressing on the side. |
| Jolie Crowder, owner of Dinner Zen in Reston, said often
people do not know what correct portion sizes are. "A lot
of people are amazed at what an actual serving size is because
they have a restaurant-plate-of-food mentality," she said.
|
| At her meal assembly kitchen, Crowder offers healthy options
for those looking for reduced salt, sugar or fat in their
diets or for those who have other dietary restrictions or
food allergies. Crowder also said she tries to offer at least
six entrees with fewer than 300 calories. |
| "There's a tendency in this area for people to choose healthier
options," she said. "In this day and age and with the clientele
we serve, the nutritional aspect is really important to people." |
| Another option for those with hectic schedules is hiring
a personal chef like Kristen Day, owner of Herndon-based Meals
by Day. Day consults with her clients to learn their likes
and dislikes, then she plans their meals, completes their
grocery shopping and cooks for them. |
| "I'm not making anything that's prepackaged or pre-prepared,"
she said. "My whole philosophy is to cook so that you're eating
right and eating well." |
| In addition to personal chef services, Day also offers private
lessons, seminars and grocery store tours where she teaches
clients to decipher food labels and nutritional information. |
