Let’s face it, life can get very busy!
Whether you are a student, parent, or single professional, sometimes it seems that life never slows down. Many of us are always on the go, rushing from one thing to the next and more often than not our nutrition falls by the way side. Unfortunately, by failing to maintain a healthy diet we end up impacting our health and well-being in the long run.
I see this very frequently in my practice. It’s so much easier to hit a fast food restaurant, order a pizza or rely on convenience packaged foods than it is to prepare healthy wholesome meals and brown bag it. Believe me I get it. Cooking, prepping and cleaning do take time. I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t, but I still believe you can eat healthy when on a tight schedule and on the run. So here are just a few tips to help you:
1. Plan ahead
Think about where you’ll be and what you can bring as a suitable quick meal or snack. Will you be sitting at a desk or driving in your car for a long time? Do you have access to refrigeration? The environment you are in will dictate what you can bring. Plan out what you can bring at least 2-3 days ahead of time so you can acquire the groceries you need and plan out when you can make the food.
2. Prepare food in advance
Do prep work the night before or several nights before if possible. Cook up meals in advance and freeze them. Dedicate some time on weekends to do prep work for meals for the next 2-3 days. Pre-wash and chop veggies, cook up grains, marinate proteins, etc. It’s typically the prep-work that takes the most time, so eliminate this from the equation.
3. Cook extra and take or freeze left overs
You’re already cooking, may as well cook extra. You can then take the extra as your lunch the following day or freeze the extra in smaller containers so you literally just take it out of the freezer the night before to let it thaw and you’re all set!
4. Stick to simple quick meals
Simple doesn’t have to mean tasteless. Stir fry and one pot dinners are super quick and tasty and clean-up is simple too. Fish is my go to on busy days. It’s healthy and so quick and easy to cook. Wild salmon with some garlic, lemon and herbs over a salad is super simple, tasty and healthy.
5. Use your crock pot
If you have a crock pot (slow cooker) you can toss in all your ingredients and set it over night or before you leave for work and the meal is done when you’re home. It can’t get any easier than that!
6. No refrigeration? No problem
If you know you’ll be on the go and not have any access to refrigeration, you can still bring meals that need to be kept cold by bringing a cooler or tossing an ice pack in your lunch bag. There are also a few lunch bags on the market that have built in ice packs. A really small portable one is PackIT. Another option is six pack bags.
7. Always have snacks on hand
In order to maintain a steady blood glucose level, it’s important to keep snacks on hand. There are many options of healthy snacks that transport well. An apple and some almonds, home made protein bars, granola, roasted chickpeas, trail mix (make your own with coconut flakes, a mix of nuts and seeds, and goji berries) etc. You can head over to our recipes section for many such options.
8. When out, choose smart
If you have to eat out select a meal that is balanced, meaning it contains all 3 macro nutrients, lean protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Salad is your best option topped with chicken, fish or tofu and ask to have the dressing on the side.
To fitness with love,
Tanya
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