You really are, as they say, what you eat. Good food means good fuel for your body. However, it isn’t always easy to maintain healthy eating habits when you’re busy. From work obligations to personal responsibilities, our daily schedules can be very unforgiving when it comes to carving out time to shop, cook, and eat healthily. Oftentimes, it’s easier to either eat out or order in, but what’s easy and hassle-free isn’t always the healthiest.
Here are some ways to eat healthy when you’re busy.
Preferably Have Breakfast
Breakfast is the perfect nutritional start to your day, so while it is important, on one hand, to actually have breakfast, it is equally important, on the other, to consume foods that are good for you. In other words, sugary cereals and pancakes loaded with syrup aren’t going to cut it.
Protein should be an important component of your breakfast, so opt for eggs, yogurt, or oatmeal. Alongside that, load up your plate with colourful fruits and vegetables for a morning burst of vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, etc. Having a well-balanced and healthy breakfast will give you the fuel to kickstart your day, prevent you from crashing in the afternoon, and reduce stress levels.
Meal Prep/Pack Your Own Food
This two-for-one tip is a huge time-saver. Prepping your meals on weekends means less worry during the week. On top of that, carefully laying out your meals for the week, allows you to consider more closely what you’re eating, which gives you the opportunity to tailor your meals to suit your dietary needs. With your meals prepped and packed for each day, you won’t have to scramble for meal ideas nor will you have to resort to eating out.
Schedule Your Meals and Snacks
For a lot of us, our days are meticulously planned. Whether it’s meetings, due dates, events, or appointments, many aspects of our lives are scheduled so that we don’t miss key dates or engagements. This is how eating should be treated: by scheduling your lunch or snack times, the chances are higher that you’ll commit yourself to taking a break and refueling. Bonus: if you follow a meal prep plan (as outline in the previous point), it’ll make scheduling time for food so much easier.
Make Healthier Choices at the Restaurant
It’s inevitable that, at some point during your week, you may find yourself eating at a restaurant. It may be a lunch meeting, a romantic night out, or an evening of catching up with friends. Whatever the case, eating at a restaurant doesn’t preclude you from eating healthy. Look for veggie-based dishes, lean proteins (like chicken and fish), or grains and seeds (like quinoa). Bonus tip: if the healthy meal you’ve chosen comes in a large portion, save half for the next day’s lunch or dinner.
Drink Lots of Water
Water will be your best friend, especially when you’re running around and trying to accomplish the millions of things on your to-do list. Water keeps you hydrated, helps clean your insides, and contributes to clear and healthy skin. While sugary drinks and alcohol are fun options, at the end of the day, nothing will nourish you like water.
Jericho Tadeo | Contributing Writer
