Grab 'N Go!

Just Grab...'N Go

Living with cystic fibrosis often means eating extra calories each day. Busy schedules can get in the way of preparing and eating meals and snacks. To avoid the hassle, make meals and snacks a part of your routine. Here are some suggestions for using foods you can just Grab ’N Go throughout the day.

Back-up Your Enzymes

Make sure you always take your enzymes with food and beverages, even just a snack. Keep enzymes everywhere from your coat pockets to your book bag.

Grab ‘N Go Snacks

Keep these snacks cool with an ice pack in an insulated lunch bag or in a cooler.

• High-fat deli meat and cheese “roll-ups”
• Cheese sticks and single servings (peel and eat varieties such as gouda, cheddar, and string cheeses)
• Single servings of whole milk cottage cheese
• Whole milk yogurt and yogurt drinks
• Hummus in a small container and a pita cut into triangles
• Single serving canned pears, peaches, or fruit cocktail

Keep these anywhere.

• Trail mix
• Granola, protein and snack bars
• Fig bars
• Cheese and cracker packs
• Shakes, canned or bottled
• Individual peanut butter packets
• Muffins
• Graham crackers, vanilla wafers, gingersnap cookies, animal crackers
• Nuts (peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc.)
• Sunflower seeds
• Raisin bread
• Pretzels
• Cereal
• Single-serving juice or milk boxes
• Dried fruit
• Bottles of frappuccino
• Pudding snacks (some brands do not have to be refrigerated)
• Hot cocoa mix
• Fresh fruit

Grab ‘N Go Mini-Meals

Top bagel halves with spaghetti sauce and shredded cheese. Wrap in plastic wrap and heat up just before you run out the door.

Make sandwiches (PB&J, ham, or turkey) at the beginning of the week and freeze them. Toss one in your bag and let it thaw during the day. You also can look for frozen PB&J sandwiches in the grocery store.

Think about refrigerating wraps or burritos. Buy microwavable burritos, so you can wrap one in a paper towel, heat, and run.
Pack microwavable instant soup, instant noodles fun-size containers of spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, or spaghettios.

Try a tuna kit (comes with tuna fish, crackers, and mayo).

Remember to take enzymes everytime you eat.

Start Stashing

Before you go to sleep, think about the busy day ahead of you. Where will you be spending your time? Where can you stash food that is convenient for you?

Back pack
Purse
Briefcase
Desk drawer
Locker
Cooler in your car

Streamline Your Snacks

Organize your kitchen so everything you need is within arm’s length (plastic utensils, plastic bags in different sizes, napkins, straws, etc.).

Create a shelf in your kitchen and/or refrigerator just for your Grab ‘N Go favorites.

Keep plastic containers on hand to store meal-sized portions in the refrigerator or freezer. In the morning, just grab a filled container to take to work or school.

Buy peanut butter, jelly, cream cheese, and other foods in single packet servings you can just toss in your bag. If you have trouble finding these in your grocery store, there are countless varieties available online at restaurant supply stores. (Use the search phrase “restaurant supplies condiments.”)

Cook once to eat three times. In other words, when cooking, make enough to pack a meal for tomorrow's lunch or use plastic containers to freeze meals that you can Grab ‘N Go. Try chili, lasagna, or stew.