Jeni Tackett and family look forward to the Bandits’ first home game. It has been rescheduled, courtesy the flood, to April 15, against the Cedar Rapids Kernels!

By Jeni Tackett, Dietitian Blogger, Let’s Move Quad Cities and Rock Valley PT

Spring sports have begun here in the Quad Cities, and many families are at the mercy of concession stands and fast food joints to feed their family.

You do not have to fall into the concession stand trap or the drive thru!

A key to eating healthy is planning. Preparing for weekend tournaments, after work games, and long trips just takes a little thought.

Even as a dietitian, I have fallen into the trap of being unprepared. Here are 5 tips to keep you eating healthy when the only food choices are processed cheese, hot dogs or burgers and fries:

• Get to the grocery store: Even if you have to shop on Friday night before a weekend tournament, get thee to the grocery store! You need to have plenty of produce and healthy sandwich fixings to survive long hours traveling in the car or watching games.
• Bring a cooler: Your destination may not allow you to bring a cooler inside, but you can still keep a cooler in your car and fuel up in between games. You can fill your cooler with fresh fruit, cut up veggies, sandwiches made with lean meats or nut butters, and plenty of water.
• Fill the hotel fridge: For overnight tournaments or vacations, find a hotel with a refrigerator and fill it up with healthy choices. You can have yogurt, fruit, veggies, and hummus for snacks instead of chips and candy bars from vending machines.
• Make the right restaurant choice: When you have a choice, pick a restaurant that has some healthy choices. Rather than a restaurant that features fried meats and sides, pick a restaurant with some lean meat options, fresh fruit, and salad options.
• Make the right choice at the restaurant: If you do end up at a fast food restaurant, do not order the deluxe burger and fries. You can choose a regular burger, grilled chicken sandwich with no mayonnaise, or salad with grilled chicken. Explore healthier sides such as a baked potato, fresh fruit or side salad.

Remember that YOU are in control of what you order and how much you eat.

Have a positive attitude that you can eat healthy no matter what is on your schedule.

Meet Jeni Tackett, Let’s Move Quad Cities Nutrition Blogger. Jeni is a registered and licensed dietitian for Rock Valley Health. Jeni counsels her clients on weight loss and nutrition. You can read Jeni’s bio and other blog posts by clicking here.