Nutrition Nugget: Eating the Right Food and Maintaining Good Eating Habits is Essential

How many times have you been on a business trip and just been too busy to have a proper lunch? With today's fast-paced lifestyle, it is important to follow these essential guidelines to proper nutrition and good eating habits on the road.

When selecting meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low-fat or fat-free. 
  
Eating the right food means consuming a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables. Select from all five vegetable subgroups (dark green, orange, legumes, starchy vegetables and other vegetables) several times a week.
  
Consume three or more ounce-equivalents of whole-grain products per day. In general, at least half the grains should come from whole grains.
  
As part of your good eating habits during your travels, consume three cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products.
  
Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol, and keep trans-fatty acid consumption as low as possible.
  
Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories.
  
For those long trips, choose beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners.
  
Most importantly, eating the right food on the road should not jeopardize your safety or that of other drives. Do not drive and eat at the same time, since you lose track of the type and quantities of food you are consuming as well as distracting you from your driving. 

Remember that proper nutrition can make the difference between feeling great and feeling just okayóespecially when traveling. Proper nutrition is easy to maintain, even on the road. In fact, all you need to do to ensure your health and well being is to follow the simple steps, outlined above.