Strategies for high protein eats on the go.

Obviously when we set a goal to dial in our nutrition, optimal results will come with preparing our food at home, however, sometimes this just is not possible! Many of us are on the go and when we get home we're so burnt out that prepping foods for the next day (or even for dinner that night) can feel more treacherous than free climbing Mount Everest. While I want to encourage my audience to enjoy cooking as much as I do, I also want to be realistic, so here are my strategies for high protein eats on the go!

1. Try and think of your day as a whole, even if you don't have a great option for breakfast, thats okay, work with what you've got and you can course correct at lunch.

2. Remember that many gas station and convenience stores offer protein shakes and bars, greek yogurts, and some even offer fresh fruit.

3. Seek out high protein options, if you are able to access nutrition facts, aim for 40-50g protein per meal. Ensuring you eat enough protein will help you to feel "full" throughout the day.

4. Don't be afraid to modify, grabbing a salad from a fast food joint? Add in an extra side of chicken and your favorite sauce to make sure you're fueling your body!

5. Remember that imperfect choices are better than skipping a meal and you can always get right back on track tomorrow!

High protein fast food options.. here's what I ordered and why.

Breakfast: Fairlife core power chocolate protein shake and a fitcrunch protein bar. I'll be honest, this was painful for me because I LOVE breakfast food, but this was a quick easy option and the gas station near us really didn't have many options. I chose the fitcrunch protein bar because it had the highest protein content in this specific gas station and I wanted to prioritize getting 50ish grams of protein for my first meal of the day which I accomplished with the bar + the shake!

Lunch: (McDonalds) I ordered a cheeseburger and two additional beef patties (and ketchup!) and yes I ate the bun! I did a bit of preliminary research before I hit up the golden arches and each patty is only about 12 grams of protein which is why I ordered an additional two patties, and the bun is pretty inconsequential in my opinion. I know a lot of people in the wellness space will tell you to skip the bun, but 150 extra calories isn't going to make or break your day of eating and I personally like to enjoy my meals and a few patties alone just didn't sound appetizing to me! Sue me! (By the way, this was less than $5.00, score!)

Dinner: (Chic Fil A) I order the harvest salad and an additional 8 count of grilled nuggets with honey mustard bringing me to another 50ish grams of protein for this meal! Now...the Lord must be single handedly blessing each piece of this chicken because why was this one order almost TWENTY DOLLARS? You live and you learn I guess. Next time I'd probably order 20 grilled nuggets and a kale crunch salad as a side to make it a bit more cost effective.

All in, we were around 140g protein for the day, which in my book is pretty dang good for such an easy day of eats!