Although we recommend making the majority of your meals at home, there are times when we need to eat on the go such as travelling, staying away from home, or when we're very busy and just haven't had time to plan.
Finding balanced meals when eating on the go can be more challenging, but it's not impossible. Remember, your choices don't have to be perfect, just try to make the best choices you can with the options available.
In this guide, we'll share some advice on how to make balanced choices when eating on the go. You'll find more support with reading food labels, making healthy swaps, and eating out in the 'Making healthy choices when eating out' article in the Nutrition Toolbox.
Use the balanced plate model
Eating away from home can bring a different set of challenges but the key is to keep the balanced plate model in mind. You'll find this in the Nutrition Toolbox in the app.
As a recap, our balanced plate is made up of either:
1/2 plate of vegetables, 1/4 plate of protein, 1/4 plate of complex carbohydrates, and at least 1 serving of fat
2/3 plate of vegetables, 1/3 plate of protein, and at least 1 serving of fat
You may also find the 'Portion sizes guide' in the Nutrition Toolbox helpful to revisit.
Ingredients list
When trying to base your meal on the balanced plate model, it can be useful to take a look at the ingredients list.
Pre-packaged on the go meals are often more processed, which is why we recommend trying to make the majority of your meals at home. However, if we need to choose a meal on the go, there are a couple of things to look out for on the ingredients list:
Ingredients are listed in order of weight, so the main ingredients in the packaged food always come first. If you find complex carbohydrates are listed first or second, it might be a good idea to reduce your portion size of that food.
Try to choose something where the main ingredients are foods that we recognise as whole foods
Look out for added sugar. If the sugar comes in the first few ingredients, we know the food is high in added sugar. Foods with added sugar can be ok to have occasionally, but we recommend trying to reduce these.
Use the ingredients list to identify which parts of the meal count towards each aspect of the balanced plate model and whether any aspect is missing
How to navigate ‘food to go’ sections
Many supermarkets, shops, and cafes have a 'food to go' section. Within these, there are usually meal deals that include a main, side/snack, and a drink. Meal deals are convenient and provide good value for money, but many of the options are high in refined carbohydrates. So it's important to be mindful of how to make more balanced choices.
Mains
Try to base this on the balanced plate model, for example:
Salads with a source of protein such as chicken, salmon, edamame beans, eggs, mozzarella, or hummus can be a good choice
Soups are a great way to get plenty of vegetables, but they can be low in protein, so be sure to add a protein-based snack on the side
Sandwiches and wraps are popular options but try to choose one that’s based on wholegrain bread, has a good source of protein, and includes vegetables or salad
If you’re missing any element of the balanced plate in your main, this can be added through the side & snacks.
Sides and snacks
When choosing a side, choose one that will complement your main and help to create a balanced plate. If you’re choosing a snack to have by itself, try to choose one with a good source of protein and/or fat.
Here are some healthy options that are usually available:
Plain nuts
Seeds
Hummus, tzatziki, or guacamole with veg sticks (e.g. carrots or cucumber)
Edamame beans
Olives
Fruit with a protein or fat source (e.g. nuts or yoghurt)
Boiled eggs
Greek/natural yoghurt pot
Small cheese stick
No-drain tuna pot
Slices of good quality pre-cooked meat (e.g. chicken or ham slices)
If you’re able to prepare snacks ahead of time, see the ‘Healthy snacking' article in the Nutrition Toolbox for how to build balanced snacks.
Drinks
Soft drinks with added sugar and sweeteners are often on offer, but we’d recommend choosing still or sparkling water instead (especially if you're having meal deals regularly). Herbal teas, decaf tea and coffee, and milk are also fine choices.
Putting it all into practice
With mains like sandwiches, soups, or pasta it can be helpful to break them down and consider which foods are providing each aspect of the balanced plate so that you can choose a side to complement it. Here are some examples:
A vegetarian tomato and feta pasta contains:
Vegetables from red pepper, tomato, onion, and spinach
Protein from feta
Complex carbohydrates from pasta
Fat from oil and sundried tomatoes
A chicken salad sandwich contains:
Vegetables from lettuce, cucumber, and tomato
Protein from chicken
Complex carbohydrates from malted bread
Fat from mayonnaise
Both of these mains could be balanced with some more vegetables and possibly an extra source of protein or fat. You could choose one of the following sides or snacks:
Vegetable sticks pot
Edamame beans pot
Olives
Plain nuts
Boiled egg
Yoghurt pot
For drinks, we'd recommend still or sparkling water.
Staying away from home
Staying away from home can bring a different set of challenges as our routines might change and the options on offer might not be the most balanced. One of our top tips is to be prepared.
Think about any difficult scenarios you might face or have faced in the past when staying away from home
Next, consider what sort of cues might lead to an unhealthy choice or habit in these circumstances
Is there anything you could plan ahead of time that would help to manage these situations?
For example, you could pack some foods that might make it easier to make healthy choices, like nuts and seeds, wholegrain crackers, a jar of peanut butter, dark chocolate, and herbal teas. You could also bring your own water bottle so that you can keep hydrated.
Breakfast buffets
Breakfast buffets can be exciting, but they can also play a trick on our hunger and fullness cues. So try to be mindful of this and base your meal on the balanced plate model.
Here are some suggestions for making a balanced choice at a buffet:
Eggs (scrambled, fried, poached, boiled) with a piece of wholemeal toast, bacon, and some vegetables such as mushrooms and tomatoes
Omelette or boiled eggs with some cured meats or cheeses and additional vegetables
A piece of toast with nut butter
Greek yoghurt with nuts/seeds and fruit
Oats or porridge with nuts/seeds and fruit
Wholegrain cereals without added sugar (such as Weetabix) balanced with a serving of nuts/seeds, greek yoghurt, and fruit
For more support with eating out, take a look at our 'Making healthy choices when eating out' guide in the Nutrition Toolbox or reach out to your health coach.
Take home messages
Finding balanced meals when eating on the go can be more challenging, but it's not impossible. Remember, your choices don't have to be perfect. Just try to make the best choice you can with the options available.
When choosing a meal on the go, try to keep the Second Nature balanced plate model in mind. Choose the main meal based on this, then choose any snacks or sides that will help to balance your plate.
Plan ahead - consider when you have found things challenging before and try to prepare for these. For example, preparing balanced snacks to take with you.