6 Tips For Eating Healthy When You Are Busy
Sure, you are busy! Family, work and new opportunities can often be the priority. Healthy eating can become a secondary concern in your life when you are busy and constantly on the go. You leave home without any breakfast, then run to the cafe to grab the easiest and most convenient thing to eat. Sometimes even skipping lunch and when you get home you are so tired you just grab whatever you have. This may solve the food problem however it eventually takes its toll on your health. So let’s change that!
Here are my Top 6 Tips For Eating Healthy When You Are Busy.
Create A Dinner Calendar
If you are constantly searching for ideas and wondering what to cook, then create a dinner calendar. Find simple recipes and put them in rotation. The rotation could be weekly, fortnightly or monthly. This makes it easier to stick to the plan and eat healthier.
Ideally, you want to aim for a rotation that is longer than a week to include lots of variety and avoid getting bored with eating the same meals.
Prep And Batch Cook Ahead
You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen on the weekend preparing for the week ahead. You could simply get up 5 minutes earlier in the morning, cut some veggies up ready to cook that night or you could buy foods that are already cut up for you to help save time. Batch prepping meals is also a great option. Deciding on two to four dishes you will have for the week (this can work for lunch, too) and cooking them on a weekend ready for you to eat during the week.
Pre Portion Snacks
Snacking is one habit that most people do throughout the day to get something into their system. However, sometimes we can lose track of how much we actually eat, especially if you have a whole packet of something in front of you. By pre portioning snacks like fruit and nuts, it can take the temptation away and also avoid overeating.
Use Your Freezer
When it comes to saving time, frozen foods can be a great option. When I say frozen foods, I don’t mean the frozen meals which are loaded with sodium or additives. I’m talking about whole foods like frozen veggies which you could throw in a stir fry. You can also freeze some of your batch cooked meals or lefts overs to have as meals when you can’t be bothered cooking or haven’t prepared anything.
Make Some One-Pot Meals
If your reservation about healthy eating is about the number of dishes you make and have to clean then consider some one-pot meals. These are dishes where you simply throw everything into the one pot and cook it. The crockpot is a perfect example of a one-pot meal that helps you save time.
Keep It Simple
There is nothing wrong with cooking recipes that are complicated and take time. However, if you are busy you probably don’t want to be doing that every night! Keep it simple and cook recipes that don’t have loads of ingredients in them or take ages to cook. Also only commit to cooking 1-2 new recipes a week to keep it simple.
Support With Eating Healthy When You Are Busy
Even if you are busy, eating healthy doesn’t have to fall by the wayside. You can still create healthy and tasty food when you are busy. Being organised when it comes to your food can keep you on track and take the stress out of it.
If you would like personalised support to plan healthy and nutritious meals, book an appointment with me and let’s start planning!
I also offer a FREE Ebook filled with delicious healthy desserts. Get your copy here.
Pam Hird helps women and men prioritise their health and wellbeing. As a naturopath, nutritionist and personal trainer she helps them take control of their mental health and various health conditions through natural medicine and healthy lifestyle changes. She gives realistic ways to help create a happier and healthier life - naturally.
You can meet Pam in her clinic in Brighton (Brisbane North) in Australia, for online/phone consultations, or catch her on Instagram and Facebook (links in footer below).