One of the best parts of my job as a model is the spontaneity of all of it. I am on call 24/7 and oftentimes do not know where I will end up going or what I will be doing. Some days will be busier than others, but regardless, I need to always be ready to up and leave whenever duty calls. That being said, one of the biggest questions I get asked is about what I eat and how I stay healthy while modeling and being a student at Ohio State. This is no walk in the park, but with time and practice I have learned a few tricks of healthy snack options to take with me when I’m running around day to day that I’d like to share with all of you.
- Mozzarella string-cheese sticks – my absolute favorite. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge fan of cheese, and while people often believe cheese is very good for you, there are only a select few kinds that are of good nutritional value. The best? Mozzarella. At around 80 calories and 7 grams of protein per stick, this is my favorite low-calorie high-protein option for snacking on the go. They’re usually found in most gas stations and can be sold single serving or in large packs at the grocery store. If you stock up on one thing let it be these weapons of fat destruction.
- Almond Packs – another favorite of mine: nuts. Just like the cheese however, some kinds are better than others. While peanuts are usually the go-to for many (especially if they’re the honey-roasted kind), they are amongst the worst in nutritional value for nuts, especially if there is any added sugar. The best kind of nut you can eat are almonds. These can vary based on the pack you buy from different companies, but I like to go with Emerald’s 100-calorie packs of almonds. At 100 calories, these have 3 grams of protein, 4g of carbs and are one of the best foods for following the ketogenic diet if you are trying to find new foods to eat.
- Beef Jerkey – a food I used to hate growing up quickly became another favorite of mine. at 80 calories per one-ounce serving, they have 10 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbohydrates and only one gram of fat with no sugar. It’s the perfect savory snack if you’re on the run and need a good source of protein. Just like mozzarella sticks and almond packs, these can be found at any gas station, grocery store or airport so there is no excuse to not eat healthy on the go.
- On-The-Go Tuna Packs – I just recently discovered these bad boys and I have no idea how I’ve been living without them my whole life thus far. Now you won’t have to be in the dark, either. These packs of tuna can be eaten straight out of the package or can be paired with vegetables or spread on a slice of wheat toast. They are between 70 and 80 calories, have 15g of protein, 1 gram of carbs and 1 gram of fat. Just keep in mind the sodium levels as they are around 360 milligrams, but are
- Select Fruits/Berries: one of my favorite snacks as well (though harder to find), are berries. These are also referred to as “nightshades” and have a tremendous amount of nutritional value to them. While they are not a high-protein source, they are a great sweet treat that are rich in natural sugars. Here’s a little secret: the darker the berry you can find, the better. A cup of blackberries (my favorite) has around 62 calories, 7 grams of natural sugars, almost 14 grams of carbohydrates and almost no fat. Other great fruit choices include apples, oranges and bananas.
Notice a trend? My go-to snacks for traveling when I’m shooting are high in protein, low in calorie and low in fat. While I am currently not following the ketogenic diet, I still believe these are the best snacks to have on hand at all times. As I like to say, running late is my cardio, and these are things I can quickly throw in my bag before running out the door. There is no worse feeling than being at an all-day shoot and not having a little snack to keep me energized and focused. Next to coffee, these are what keep me sane from day to day and curve the high-carb, processed-sugary snacks that are always around and ready to strike when energy and morale are both very low. Not only will these snacks get you through the day, they will also help tremendously with staying on track and progressing in the gym. Not to mention that I’m pretty sure some if not all of these snacks are great during lent as well if you are someone like myself who has opted to ditch the chocolate, candy and sugary snacks during this time of year. If there are any questions about nutritional content, you can simply go to fatsecret.com or download the app and it will give you nutritional information on just about any food you can imagine, cooked or uncooked with respect to differences with different companies as well. Without further ado, get up, get after the day and be sure to grab one of these high-protein, low calorie and low sugar snacks to help stay focused and tackle this Monday.
