Today’s episode is all about packing food so you never eat what you don’t want to eat.  This is not food prep, and it’s certainly not dieting tips… it’s simply thinking ahead about what you are going to eat so you feel your best.    And that’s going to look different for all of us.  But I think one thing most of us have in common is we get busy and end up grabbing something-anything fast on the go, or eating kids nuggets off their plate or ordering in or going out… all because we haven’t thought about our meals ahead of time.    It’s taken me so many years to learn what foods make me feel alive and have energy and what foods make me sluggish and just want a nice big middle of the day NAP.     I’m not talking about not enjoying or celebrating the things at the occasions… totally the opposite.  I’m talking about our routine meals… the ones we have to fuel our body and keep going… that we often don’t think about until we are STARVING and limited on time or ways to get something we want.    You will never find me at Disneyland or at an airport or on a road trip without a little cooler bag of food.  And it’s all delish and things I want to be eating, it’s not skimping or counting calories - totally the opposite.  It’s about finding foods you enjoy, and make you feel your best, and plan ahead of time to have them when you need them.   Let’s go!        Here’s what we know!!    -Homemade is ALWAYS best!!   -So you splurge when you WANT to… not because of lack of options.      -Think about these times when you might not have what you want: Airport  Disneyland  Road trips      -The celebration meals feel SO MUCH BETTER because you’re eating homemade, healthy food most of the time.  This is NOT about weight loss but you can maintain a healthy weight so much easier when your routine meals are healthy and don’t have cruddy ingredients.      -What to pack:  PROTEIN!  Healthy snacks  If packaged, the best ingredients only - use Bobby Approved app!      -Finding out what your gut likes  Allergy tests Trial and Error  My functional medicine doctor- Dr. Singler      -Creative Ideas  Freeze healthy bars - my fav - Mid Day Squares  Or freeze your healthy blueberry muffins - keeps them so fresh - especially for flying  Protein veggie patties (homemade) - with a side of yummy mustard  Fruit and veggie trays you make up (I like veggies first - fruit as a sweet usually)    -How to pack it: Glass at home, plastic on the go.      -Saves so much time and money! You know when you go out - not for the experience of it - just cause you need to eat!  It just takes so much time and money.  I’d rather go out when I have the time and headspace to ENJOY!  -And the time saved by last minute food errands is huge!    -It takes some pressure off exercise.  Daily movement is EVERYTHING- don’t get me wrong!  But what you eat can affect you more - for long term health and body composition.  If your eating feels in line, it’s not so much pressure for intense fitness which can be great for different seasons of life.   -SLEEP! You sleep SO MUCH better because your body is properly fueled!  And you’re not eating out super late because you’re in a bind.   -Mood  Less mad dashing, more planned is always good for our mood.      Overall, I think of routine meals as fuel- what will make me feel satisfied and happy and energized.  Everyday I’m eating foods I LOVE and I feel strong and lean.  It’s only taken me 20 + years of reading and listening to ALL the experts on this to figure out my groove myself.    Warning- your friends and family will at first look at you weird for bringing your own food- but they will get used to it- and ask for your snacks!!   CHEERS to fueling your body in the best way possible!