|
Mother of 1
I am truly a mom that is on-the-go. I travel on a regular basis and am very involved in my mom support group, my son's daycare and my own consulting business. As a result of my hectic schedule, I find myself frequently eating on the run, grabbing the closest food available or mindlessly eating while doing something else.
Recently, I decided to make a change in my diet and add consistent exercise to my life. This is an important step for me because while I am currently very involved in my son's life, I may not be able to keep up with him when he is older if I am not active and healthy.
 |
The Role Model
I want to be a role model for my son so when he sees me exercising and making good food choices he will do the same. I have been exercising on a regular basis and he joins me. Of course he has a short attention span and his "exercising" only lasts about five minutes but he views it as fun and something that he can do with Mommy. |
 |
Three-Plus-Two
With an active lifestyle, it is important for me to eat at least three meals and two snacks for a total of five mini-meals a day. Maintaining this way of eating is important not only for me but my son, too. He can be a finicky eater and has a tendency to only eat small portions so it is necessary for me to always have options for him that taste good and fit our active lifestyle. Snack time is a big deal around here because my son knows that snacking means good food that's tasty — I rarely have to coerce him to eat his snacks. |
 |
Right Bites Right for All
I have to admit that I attribute much of my success with snack time to the variety of Right Bites options that I have. Cheez-It 100 Calorie Right Bites paired with apple slices are a winner in my household. My son also loves cookies and since I believe that we can eat anything in moderation, Chips Deluxe Right Bites are perfect. I love the convenience of Right Bites; the portions are in bags that I can serve at home or grab and go when we are off on our adventures. I am happy that I am able to make smart choices that fit our active lifestyle and will have a positive impact on my son now and in the future. |
 |
Hungry for more? Snack on these other great ideas...
Get Out & Play!
It's always great to get out of the house on a nice day. Take your family and head down to the park. Then, spread out a blanket, kick off your shoes and play an easy outdoor game on the green grass.
We all need regular physical activity to burn calories, increase our metabolism, build stronger bones and muscles – and even get more restful sleep. Team up for a family volleyball game, touch football or softball game to add a little competition and keep moving!
Check out a great Outdoor Game Set here!
Here are some more tips for finding the right balance throughout the year: |
Balance smaller regular meals with light snacks. |
|
Avoid overeating at mealtime. |
|
Keep your metabolism burning throughout the day by staying active. |
|
Avoid mental and physical fatigue. |
|
Ensure children with small appetites get all the nutrients they need. |
|
Energy balance is key to healthy living. Make a goal to move your body more so that the calories you are taking in, equal the calories you burn through physical activity. |
|
Use balanced snacks to fuel your active lifestyle. |
|
Target being active for 30 minutes every day |
Hit the road with Stackers
Looking for a quick, healthy snack for your troopers? Follow these easy steps to make Stackers for the whole family:
 |
Step 1. Pick a cracker
Town House Toppers Crackers |
 |
Step 2. Pick a low-fat protein
Lean Deli Meat like Turkey or Ham, sliced |
 |
Step 3. Pick a fresh produce
Apple Slices |
 |
Step 4. Stack 'em and enjoy!
Make a Stacker using each one of your crackers, protein and produce ingredients. Get creative and come up with your own Stacker ideas — the possibilities are endless! |
Shakers: Made in the Shade
Shakers are an easy and fun snack to make as a family. Just combine and mix the following ingredients:
|
1 cup Cheez-It Reduced Fat Baked Snack Crackers. |
|
½ cup your choice of unsalted nuts, such as peanuts or almonds. |
|
½ cup your choice of dried fruit, such as raisins. |
|
Shake together in a bag to mix. |
|
Portion ½ cup servings into individual plastic baggies. |
Pro Portions for Your Family
Practicing portion control is critical to snacking right. Even "better for you" snacking options are not an invitation to overeat. In our culture of bigger, better and more, we have to learn what is "just enough."
|
Check nutrition labels for specific serving sizes to keep you in the know. |
|
Choose snacks in individually-wrapped servings such as Keebler Right Bites, Cheez-It Right Bites, Kellogg's Special K Bars and Special K Snack Crackers. |
|
Increase your snacks "grab-ability" with do-it yourself, single serve snack packs. |
|
Create a healthy mix and portion into handy, easy to grab-and-go |
Plan on Snacking
Wholesome snacks aren't always at our fingertips, and planning ahead helps. If we don't think ahead about what we're going to snack on, we're likely to grab whatever is on hand – which may not be the best choice.
When making your grocery list, be sure to include snacks that contain a balance of whole grains with fiber, fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats. Check nutrition labels and get the biggest bang for your buck with snacks containing the nutrients you need, such as at least 10 percent of the daily value of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron and calcium.
Treat Yourself, Too
Looking for a snack that can keep up with your active lifestyle while you chase down your little ones? Try Kellogg's Fiber Plus Antioxidants Bars! Drizzled with chocolate and packed full of chocolate chips or almonds, Fiber Plus bars are a tasty way to get 35% of your daily fiber!
Another great option is to grab a box of Murray Sugar Free Chocolate Bites or Murray Sugar Free Shortbread Bites. They're a good source of fiber with less than 100 calories while you are on the go. (Murray Sugar Free products are not a reduced calorie food.)