Autumn usually brings some changes to the schedule. Busier changes. As moms and dads need to get children to and fro practice, and weekends are filled with game schedules, the best intentions to eat and snack well, may go out the door with you as you grab a cookie on your way out the door.

Busy schedules often override the dinner hour, and trying to fit healthy meals in around everyone’s schedule can be quite a challenge, especially if you are trying to follow a weight loss plan. To maintain a balanced diet, and stick to your weight loss goals, it is important that you make time to eat three meals a day. If you skip meals, you will end up grazing all day, and even if your choices are healthy, your portions are likely overboard adding up to more calories than you’d eat in a meal.

So consider these easy ideas to get you through the busy sports season without having to widen your belt:

* You know your day is going to be packed: Don’t skip breakfast. Have a bowl of high fiber cereal with low fat milk, an oat bran English muffin with peanut butter, or grab a breakfast bar to go along with a banana. If I am really rushed to get out the door, I’ll have a glass of low fat milk before I go, and bring along a Quaker Breakfast Cookie, my coffee, and a piece of fruit to hold me until lunch.

* Set reasonable expectations. While it is wonderful to sit down to dinner as a family as often as possible, if one student is picked up at 5:00 and the other dropped off at 5:30, this is unlikely to happen. So do what you can. Prepare an easy dish ahead, or prepare a 20-minute dish (see sidebar), and serve it in shifts to whoever is around.

* Face it, you may resort to fast food once in a while, and that’s okay. Choose small portions and encourage your child or teen to drink milk or a milkshake with the meal after practice. Also take a look at the nutrition guides for your favorite fast food stops, and make smarter choices using that information.

* Keep low calorie, healthy snacks in your vehicle. Portion-controlled snacks such as a small bag of trail mix, almonds or peanuts, or a low fat breakfast or sports bar, can come in handy when you are late for dinner. Try to keep a water bottle with you too, so you don’t get dehydrated through the day.

* Carry fruit with you. If there’s an apple in your purse, lunchbox, desk or briefcase, you will eat it at some point during the day.

Weight loss takes time, but hang in there. You can do it, one little behavior at a time. Don’t skip any meals, choose wisely, and those extra calories won’t sabotage your efforts. In addition, by making healthy on-the-go choices, you will be setting a great example for your small children and teenagers.