Rule No. 1: Find a snack with a good nutrient balance
Koff says when you want to lose weight, you should aim to get in a serving of protein, carbs, healthy fats, and vegetables every three hours. This will help your blood sugar from plummeting -- which means you'll be less likely to ravenously lose control at your next pit stop and scoop up two Snickers bars and a bag of potato chips.
Now, we know what you're thinking: Vegetables? At 7-Eleven? Yeah, they are in short supply. Actually, they don't exist outside the V8 bottle. The best mini meal option, says Koff? A banana, a string cheese, a bag of (unsalted if you can find 'em) nuts, and a bottle of water. "Look for individual food items as opposed to things that are already prepared and flavored," says Koff. "But keep in mind that if you opt for fruit, you should also pick up some nuts so you get protein and healthy fat," she says.
Are you always going to choose this option? Our guess is no. So click on to see what your options are if you know you're going to splurge a little.
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Rule No. 2: Read labels for serving size
"Pre-portioned snacks help you not overdo it," says Koff. But here's the key: When possible, opt for snacks with only one serving in the package so you won't mindlessly eat more than one serving. If you start reading labels for serving sizes, you'll notice even small packages have two or three servings. For a healthy serving size, aim for 15 grams of carbs and 7 to 15 grams of protein.
If there is something you really like that doesn't come in single-serving packages, you can still buy it and split it in half. And here's a helpful tip: Once you split the food, put the uneaten half in the trunk of your car so you can't reach for it in a moment of weakness, Koff says.
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Rule No. 3: Choose crackers instead of cookies
When it comes to the type of snack you buy, Koff suggests picking up 7-Select Peanut Butter On Toast Sandwich Crackers instead of any kind of peanut butter cookies, like Nutter Butters. These crackers are only one serving size, so you wont be tempted to overindulge, and you get protein from the nuts (and not all the sugar you'd get from the cookies).
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Rule No. 4: Rebuild your sandwich
We tend to think that "freshly" made or hot foods might fair better than mass-produced, pre-packaged foods like chips and candies. But if it doesn't have a label -- like many of the hot dogs, sandwiches, and donuts sold at quickie marts -- we have no way of knowing what we are putting in our bellies, says Koff.
So, for example, that turkey sandwich you think is healthy because it's on whole grain bread might actually be as bad as a burger if you account for the amount of mayo or trans fat-filled spread that's on the bread. If that sandwich still looks like your best option, Koff suggests tossing the side of bread with spread and rebuilding your sammy by splitting the dressing-free piece of bread in half. You'll save up to 250 calories and 12 grams of fat.
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Rule No. 5: Choose FRS instead of Naked Juice
FRS only has one serving per bottle (ideal for portion control) and provides 25 grams of protein and 11 grams of carbs. One bottle of Naked Juice Protein Zone has two servings per bottle at 16 grams of protein and 34 grams of carbs in each serving. Koff says that means you'll have to limit yourself to drinking about a quarter of it every three hours (because ideally, you only want to consume 15 grams of carbohydrates every three hours). And let's be realistic, no one is going to do that.
Oh thank heaven for 7-Eleven. It's fast. It's convenient. It makes any road trip with screaming kids somewhat bearable.
Unfortunately, if you don't have the willpower to avoid the chip and candy aisles -- and of course, that delicious Slurpee machine -- those quickie mart pit stops could cause you to pack on some serious pounds.
To help make eating on the go a little less diet wrecking, we asked Ashley Koff, RD, a celebrity dietitian and author of "Mom Energy," to go shopping with us at our local 7-Eleven. She happily accepted the challenge.
And trust us, it was quite a challenge. Because convenience stores are, to put it bluntly, fat traps. With their "freshly baked" donuts, hot dogs, and endless amounts of pre-packaged snacks, it's hard to find something remotely healthy to choose when you're looking for a quick bite. Until now.
To avoid the common pitfalls dietiers -- or anyone trying to eat healthy -- will face at quick-stop shops like this, read on. Luckily, when you're armed with Koff's sneaky tricks, you can pull up without packing on any unwanted pounds.
