You can hardly drive a few miles in our area without running into a Wawa. They are practically on every corner. From coffee, to a quick snack or even a full meal, they are a convenient way to get some food in our belly when we are hungry and short on time.  But we don't have to sacrifice good nutrition just because we are eating on the run.

121202008
Jacob Wackerhausen
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Here are just a few selections recommended on the website Eat This, Not That...

Strawberries and Blueberries Fruit Cup, Veggies and Dip, Humus with Pita Rounds and if you love hoagies, the chicken steak shorti hoagie with peppers and spinach or the Egg White Breakfast bowl with chicken steak, salsa and spinach for any time of the day...each only 170 calories.

And after picking up a healthy meal, don’t blow by grabbing a soda, keep it healthy with a bottle of water or unsweetened tea.

Check out the nutritional breakdown of these and some other healthier choices from Wawa from Eat This Not That. Plus, see the do's and don'ts of healthy eating at Wawa below.

  • 1

    Small Meals

    DO: Try to eat four to six small meals a day. When you eat smaller, more frequent meals, it helps to keep your blood sugar levels stable and can increase you metabolism. This will prevent you from going after junk food when you are super hungry. So when the thought kicks in of what to eat, plan to get only a small salad, a shorti rather than a classic,  or size small cup of soup over the large.  Even if you are eating clean, it will be hard to lose weight eating portions fit for a sumo champ.

    Don't: Only eat three meals a day and binge when doing so. This will only leave you hungry and tempted to eat badly in between meals.

  • 2

    Breakfast

    DO: Make sure to leave plenty of time each day to ensure you stop for breakfast. Eating breakfast is like fueling up your body's tank. By eating in the morning, you will feel more awake and alert throughout your day. So go for that egg white bowl, hard boiled egg, oatmeal and apple slices or yogurt with granola to properly fill up for the day.

    DON'T: Skip breakfast! Never. Ever. This morning meal establishes a healthy metabolism throughout the day. Without it, you are more likely to consume larger quantities of foods at later meals. And when you eat too much...What happens? You feel extremely tired and sluggish the rest of the day.

  • 3

    Drinks

    DO: Drink plenty of water. Make sure you consume at least six to eight glasses of fluids everyday to keep the body hydrated and feeling full. This will makes you less likely to give in to unhealthy snacks. Drinks like mineral water and coconut water are the best for you. When in need of some caffeine, grab a unsweetened Pure Leaf to quench your thirst since it contains natural ingredients. Believe it or not, even clear soup broth works as well when you want some substance.

    DON'T: Grab drinks like sodas, sweetened coffee, energy drinks, fruit juices or sweetened iced teas. They contain large amounts of sugar and caffeine that will only cause your energy levels crash later on.

  • 4

    Healthy Snacks on Hand

    DO: Always have easy-to-grab clean eating snacks at hand. That way when hunger sets in, you can quickly select something healthy rather than just the first thing you see. Pick foods like fruit bowls, trail mix and other nuts, small salad, protein packs or a Kind Bar to eat throughout the day.  Limit the amount of nuts and bars since the calories can add up.

    Don't: Allow yourself to choose things like candy, cupcakes, donuts, muffins, chips, cookies, ice cream or instant noodles when picking out snacks. These contain many calories that not only leads to obesity but also can affect our appetite and hinder the intake of nutritious.  Make a list ahead of time and force yourself to only get the stuff on that list. Be strong, you can do it!

     

  • 5

    Excessive Sugar

    Do: stay away from packaged and processed foods that can flood the body with unneeded sugar. Just because it sound healthy, like the product apple sauce, it does not always mean it is. Store-bought apple sauce actually contains too much refined sugar. Therefore, go for a whole apple which has natural sugar instead.

    Don't: sabotage yourself with too much extra sugar. Large amounts of sugar is linked to higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and inflammation.

  • 6

    Get Very Veggie

    Do: Eat plenty of veggies such carrots, salads and multi-veggie packs that are rich in dietary fiber. Make sure to load up on these with each meal.

    Don't: Pass on the veggies. Eat them first so you do not fill up on everything else.

  • 7

    Combine Lean Protein & Complex Carbs

    Do: Combine lean protein with complex carbs at every meal. This helps to decrease insulin spikes and maintains energy levels. This supreme duo acts as a natural appetite suppressant, helping to make you feel fuller longer. Use these foods as a guide in choosing a lean protein and complex carbs meal combination: proteins such as ham, turkey, chicken or beef and complex carbs such as barley, whole-wheat past or bread, black beans, oatmeal, quinoa, or green peas.

    Don't: Just load up on carbs. Make sure each meal contains an equal amount of each food group.

  • 8

    Meal Plan

    DO: Be a planner. Before walking into Wawa, decide what healthy foods you will be selecting. That way you do not get tempted to just choose something that you first see.  

    DON'T: Go into each visit without a meal plan. This leads to bad temptations of unhealthy eating.

  • 9

    Food Labels

    Do: Check and read labels carefully. As best as you can, shoot for low numbers for fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar and high numbers for protein, fiber and vitamin or other nutrients.

    Don't: Just go by what you think may be healthy, or is labeled "healthy." Sometimes we do not know how healthy or unhealthy something is until we read the fine print.

  • 10

    Types of Cooking Methods

    Do: Try to only grab foods cooked using methods such as steaming, stewed, roasted or boiled. If you are not sure about a certain product, you can always ask someone at the store who does the food preparations. Meats such as chicken or steak can be stewed or roasted, fish boiled and vegetables steamed. So look for these kinds of foods.

    Don't: Buy anything that is pre-packaged. They tend to be processed and striped of the essential nutrients you need.

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