View Full Version : Snack bars? Lunch? FOOD? Help!
Twilight_Elena
07-30-2006, 03:31 PM
Inspired by the "pressure to eat at work" thread...
Starting this October, I'll have to follow a heavy schedhule. University (a full-time job in itself), dance lessons, teaching (hopefully, and definitely part-time), French lessons (I have left that one unfinished for too long), driving lessons, gym (maaaaybe), ballet (deffo)...
As I said, a heavy schedhule. So I will have a bit of a problem with the most basic of human needs: FOOD. What to eat, when to eat, how to find time to eat. I could do what I did for some time last year, buy things from the canteen/kiosks. Stuff like donuts, chocolate croissants or other snacks with no nutritional value that mean FAT in no time. Not good for my fitness regime.
Carrying fruit around is very uncomfortable. They go bad easily, they can get squeezed, hit around in my bag, etc. Sandwitches are bulky, the bread feels stale after some hours in a school bag and the crumbs are a nightmare. There are some semi-healthy options at nearby canteens, like fresh orange juice and sandwitches, but if I give 5-6€ every day like this, I'll soon be a broke university student, and that is a no-no for someone who wants to do the amount of things I want to do.
I am considering snack bars. There are countless different bars out there, and 99% of them are fat free. I've heard of dry fruit ones (they don't taste that good), protein bars, cereals. Health stores and gyms have several options but I'm a bit afraid to try them. If anyone has a suggestion on snack bars in general, it would be greatly appreciated.
I need a snack solution. My lunch time is moved around all the time, from 12 to 2 to 4. There are days I get home at 6 and have to eat then. It's imperative that I find something to eat that sustains me, that can be carried around, doesn't cost a fortune, can be eaten in a haste if necessary and tastes good. With so many multitasking dancers in DF, there must be something out there for me. :D
Pleasepleaseplease help the crazy girl...
T_E
Larinda McRaven
07-30-2006, 03:32 PM
Nuts
Twilight_Elena
07-30-2006, 03:36 PM
Nuts
That's what my friends say, but I really try not to listen to the little voices in my head. :lol:
T_E
fascination
07-30-2006, 03:37 PM
I keep raisins cashews, and sunflower seeds around at all times...and lots of poweraid...but I will also do power bars...and the stuff, at least at my gym, is edible...is it all dried fruit that you find objectionable?...b/c while I don't care for some of it, I could eat prunes and apricots all day long...craisins too
SPratt74
07-30-2006, 04:11 PM
I tell you what. I cook and bake everything now. The thing is that it's hard, because I'm the only person that I cook and bake for, so I will usually have some left over that I'll give to someone else. What I tend to do is make things like my own snacks instead of buying them. I've become very good at making up my own recipes. I even won a cooking contest at the college that I worked at once for a recipe that I had made up on my own. Anyways, I don't eat out any more. Last night was the first time that I had eaten somewhere like McDonald's in fact, because my sister brought some for us. It's cheaper if you cook/bake your own deserts. Plus... you get more for your money.
Now, be careful as to what you travel with. Some things just don't travel well. Hard items like apples are good, because nothing happens to them if they are cold or hot etc. Cold meat and meat in general is usually a bad idea in my opinion, but all of this depends if you can put things into a refrigerator or not. And anything soft in my opinion isn't worth it either, because soft items tend to go bad quickly.
If I don't have time to cook, I'll buy things in plastic containers that don't need to be put into a fridge or a freezer necessarily. For instance, pudding snacks for me is a great idea. String cheese is something else that I'll take if I know I plan to eat it that day. Chips are always a travel plus for me especially if they have a lid. Debbie Snack foods are fun for the occasional chocolate rush. Anyways, anything already wrapped up like these items will travel well... except the cheese if you don't eat it that day, but it still can travel.
fascination
07-30-2006, 04:13 PM
only thing w/string cheese it it doesn't travel well in heat
SPratt74
07-30-2006, 04:14 PM
only thing w/string cheese it it doesn't travel well in heat
That's true. It depends on how long you have to wait until your next meal. ;)
dancesportgirl21
07-30-2006, 05:15 PM
I snack on Kashi Granola Bars, Quaker Oatmeal to Go Bars, nuts, fruit- fresh and dried, smoothies, sports drinks, and whatever else I can carry with me. If I have to get fast food I go for Chick-fil-A- the Chicken Cool Wraps are reallllly good. Food is always high on my list of priorities ;)
Twilight_Elena
07-30-2006, 05:24 PM
Power bars: Are they healthy or are they full of weird things that boost you up temporarily? Athlete/gym food scares me a bit...
T_E
fascination
07-30-2006, 05:28 PM
TE...the power bars i eat are low on extra crap...and the stuff at my gym...well when I get home from vacation I'll look up the brand names and let you know more...of course I have no idea what is avaiable in Greece
Twilight_Elena
07-30-2006, 05:30 PM
TE...the power bars i eat are low on extra crap...and the stuff at my gym...well when I get home from vacation I'll look up the brand names and let you know more...of course I have no idea what is avaiable in Greece
Not looking so much for brand names as for what I should be looking for in general. What kind of "crap" should be in the power bars? Protein power bars? "Our special secret stuff" power bars? "Whoohoo Dope-Me-Up" power bars? :lol:
T_E
fascination
07-30-2006, 05:33 PM
protein...no dope me up....the ones i like have cranberries in them...
Twilight_Elena
07-30-2006, 05:38 PM
protein...no dope me up....the ones i like have cranberries in them...
Meh, I'm not a dried fruit person. I like my fruit fresh and juicy. But my dance teacher did power bars for a time and she used to eat this chewy looking protein bar taht she said tasted like chocolate.
Huh. Should just ask HER. Doh! :rolleyes:
T_E
Twilight_Elena
07-30-2006, 05:46 PM
Aaaaaaand while I sleep (it's almost 2am over here) I hope that other time zone people will reply? With some helpful info? *suggestive nudge* :D
T_E
dancesportgirl21
07-30-2006, 05:48 PM
Not looking so much for brand names as for what I should be looking for in general. What kind of "crap" should be in the power bars? Protein power bars? "Our special secret stuff" power bars? "Whoohoo Dope-Me-Up" power bars? :lol:
T_E
ahahaha- now where do you find the Woohoo dope-me-up ones? ;)
bars with cranberries taste better than the dried cranberries by themselves- chocolate usually makes me really thirsty
fascination
07-30-2006, 06:03 PM
Meh, I'm not a dried fruit person. I like my fruit fresh and juicy. But my dance teacher did power bars for a time and she used to eat this chewy looking protein bar taht she said tasted like chocolate.
Huh. Should just ask HER. Doh! :rolleyes:
T_Ewell here's the thing TE...its kinda hard to get portable, healthy, edible, and really really tasty...somthings gotta give... IMO...for me its just the trade off I make to get from being huge
RIdancer82
07-30-2006, 06:38 PM
Not looking so much for brand names as for what I should be looking for in general. What kind of "crap" should be in the power bars? Protein power bars? "Our special secret stuff" power bars? "Whoohoo Dope-Me-Up" power bars? :lol:
T_E
I actaully was asking my doctor about this recently since the times that I can actually eat at are all over the place as well. She suggested that I always carry something like a power bar in my purse/bag for the times that I have to go a long time between meals. She explained that they have lots of vitamins and nutrients which make them healthy. Plus, the carbs in them give you some immediate energy, while the protein gives you energy once the carb energy wears off.
RIdancer82
07-30-2006, 06:41 PM
well here's the thing TE...its kinda hard to get portable, healthy, edible, and really really tasty...somthings gotta give... IMO...for me its just the trade off I make to get from being huge
Fascination, have you tried the Power Bar Harvest Whole Grain Bars??? I've tried those in the Toffee Chocolate Chip variety (they were the only ones in the huge bonus pack :) ) and they've got everything you mention there.
fascination
07-30-2006, 06:50 PM
yea...they may even be the ones I'm talking about...am on vacation now so I can't go look...but I find them more tolerable than most
SPratt74
07-30-2006, 08:59 PM
TE...the power bars i eat are low on extra crap...and the stuff at my gym...well when I get home from vacation I'll look up the brand names and let you know more...of course I have no idea what is avaiable in Greece
Do they have any taste to them or are they bland like some that I have tried?
SPratt74
07-30-2006, 09:02 PM
well here's the thing TE...its kinda hard to get portable, healthy, edible, and really really tasty...somthings gotta give... IMO...for me its just the trade off I make to get from being huge
Yep! That's true! People think that all I do is eat junk food when I'm at work, but really... you kind of have to give up on the healthy stuff if you don't have a fridge or a freezer nearby. ;)
T_E, whatever you decide, i hope you develop a *healthy* eating habit! I lost my lunch appetite through 4 years of university - yep, you heard me right! I now pretty much have to force myself to eat lunch b/c i've been so used to skipping a meal :shock:!
fascination
07-30-2006, 10:36 PM
Do they have any taste to them or are they bland like some that I have tried?better than most
Shooshoo
07-31-2006, 02:09 AM
I snack on date bars, much tastier than energy bars.
Of course nuts are also great (but not too much).
Twilight_Elena
07-31-2006, 04:22 AM
I snack on date bars, much tastier than energy bars.
Of course nuts are also great (but not too much).
Aren't nuts the ones that make you fat? Or is it almonds?
T_E
Shooshoo
07-31-2006, 04:37 AM
Aren't nuts the ones that make you fat? Or is it almonds?
T_E
Almonds are nuts (and others like walnuts, hazelnuts, etc) and they can be fattening, but if taken in moderation it's great. It is healhy fat. Contains lots of useful nutrients. I think a handful is enough. I've seen in some magazines they recommend to fill an egg-holder, but THAT I think is very little.
Twilight_Elena
07-31-2006, 04:41 AM
Almonds are nuts (and others like walnuts, hazelnuts, etc) and they can be fattening, but if taken in moderation it's great. It is healhy fat. Contains lots of useful nutrients. I think a handful is enough. I've seen in some magazines they recommend to fill an egg-holder, but THAT I think is very little.
Oooh. So I can and should eat a few! :D Thanks for the tip, Shooshoo.
T_E
fascination
07-31-2006, 09:34 AM
man all food is fattening in too much quantity...and some high calorie healthy stuff can do you a whole lot of good at tthe right time of day...I don't mind the calories as long as they aren't empty calories and come at the right time of the day to be burnt off while doing me maximum good at the same time
Mmmmmm.... Luna Bars.....
cornutt
07-31-2006, 10:05 AM
I do the cereal bars at work, but I also bring these little cups of apple sauce. They come in all kinds of flavors, and they're good for taking the edge off until the next meal time. Of course, you have to have a spoon handy.
fascination
07-31-2006, 10:08 AM
oh that reminds me...I also now do those packets of tuna and crackers TE
Twilight_Elena
07-31-2006, 05:53 PM
T_E, whatever you decide, i hope you develop a *healthy* eating habit! I lost my lunch appetite through 4 years of university - yep, you heard me right! I now pretty much have to force myself to eat lunch b/c i've been so used to skipping a meal :shock:!
Ooooh. Hmm. Weeeell. My schedhule is crazy enough that some days (once in five days?) I will probably eat lunch at home at a normal hour. Will see.
Schedhule thing is killing me. Summer has been so loooooose that I'll have a horrible time getting used to it...
T_E
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