By Megan O'Connell, Student at UW – Platteville

It’s Monday morning and in typical weekend fashion, you barely got enough sleep because you put off all your homework until late Sunday night. You roll out of bed a half an hour before class and immediately enter panic mode. You probably think to yourself, “Do I have time to shower? What am I going to wear? Do I have everything ready for class? And oh no, what am I going to eat?”

Obviously the above scenario is a bit dramatic, but we’ve all been there. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably often found yourself not having time to eat, let alone to eat well. If you’re not like me, then I bet you’d enjoy some tips on eating well on the go anyway.

I’ve experimented with several healthy recipes to assist you in your daily schedule. Before I give you these delicious recipes, I must first encourage you to snack throughout the day. Snacking on fresh fruits and veggies will not only curb your hunger, but they’re also very good for you. Nuts also make a good on-the-go snack, and they have great health benefits as well.

Listed with the recipes are their appropriate cook times so you can determine whether or not the recipe will work for your time constraints. I hope you find these healthy and tasty treats just as delectable as I do!

Fruit Sandwiches
Tired of your boring bread, meat and cheese sandwich for lunch every day? Trying to stay away from the carbs that come along with bread? To jazz up your lunch routine, try out the recipe below for a different twist on your average sandwich.

Prep time: Five minutes

Need: One apple or pear
Peanut butter
Cashews
Raisins or dried cranberries

Directions: To begin, cut off the ends of your apple or pear. Next, cut out the core of your chosen fruit. Now cut the fruit in slices just under an inch thick. Smother one of the slices with peanut butter and top it with cashews and raisins. Top this smothered slice with another clean slice and behold, a fruit sandwich!

Stuffed Crescents
OK, so these might not exactly fall into the "healthy" category, but we all deserve a little comfort food now and then. Like myself, you’re probably feeling like you have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Well, as I have learned, making time for you is a very important part of a daily routine. If you don’t take time out of your day for a little "me time," it’s easy to get lost in the chaos of your average day. Take 30 minutes for yourself each day to regroup, treat yourself and clear your mind. Then maybe you can start catching up on group projects, papers and memorizing lines for theater club. Treat yourself during "me time" to some irresistible stuffed crescents. I have listed four of my favorite most successful recipes below, but feel free to get creative and stuff away! All recipes require one package of crescents.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Alfredo Crescents
Need: 1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 cooked chicken breast (chopped into pieces)

Pizza Crescents
Need: Four sticks of string cheese
Pepperoni slices
Any of your favorite pizza toppings

Peanut Butter Cup Crescents
Need: One jar of creamy or crunchy peanut butter
One bag of your favorite chocolate chips

Grilled Cheese Crescents
Need: Three types of your favorite cheese. I recommend cheddar, mozzarella or feta.

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375. On a cookie sheet, roll out your crescent dough. At the wide end, start spreading your goodies across the length of the crescent. Next, roll from the wide end up. Bake your crescents for about 10 minutes or until they look golden brown and yummy. These tasty treats also make good appetizers if you plan on having friends or family over. Enjoy!

Bagels
Bagels are a pretty self-explanatory food. Stop by your local grocery and buy a bag of whole grain bagels at the beginning of a new week. Also experiment with different low-fat cream cheeses to see which one you enjoy the most. Don’t be afraid to get creative with bagels either. I enjoy putting a slice of turkey on top of mine every now and then. Bagels are a great food to eat on the go because they’re sustaining.

Prep time: Five minutes

Need: Half a bagel
Cream cheese
Any other toppings of your choice (raisins, walnuts, etc.)
     
Directions: Depending on your hunger, cut your bagel in half and determine whether you want just the one side or both. Next, spread your bagel with a low-fat cream cheese. Finally, sprinkle your bagel with the walnuts and raisins. Enjoy on your way out the door!

Although I’ve only listed a few ideas, the options are endless. If you find you’re still having trouble eating on the go, visit websites such as My Fridge Food. This website recommends recipes after you tell it which foods you have in your fridge. Also, EatingWell offers a lengthy list of quick, healthy and cheap dinners.

Set an alarm, ditch the excuses and use the above information to start eating better on the go. The better you eat, the better you feel and the happier you’ll be.
 

Image: Pong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net