Pressed For Time? 8 Ways to Eat Healthy on A Busy Schedule

With all the many positive things a modern lifestyle comes with, it also brings some unhealthy eating habits. From struggling to grab a breakfast on-the-run to ordering meals online, most busy people make the wrong food choices, which costs them a lot of money and makes it challenging to eat healthily. So, are you a busy professional struggling to eat healthy? Do you spend lots of money every month ordering fast food and takeaways? Then find out how you can eat healthier no matter how busy you are.

• Blend as much food as you can

Blending your food is one of the easiest ways to get your meals on-the-go and an effective way to improve nutrients absorption. Aside from the fact that it is effortless to do (even if you’ve never handled a blender in your life), your blended meal can replace any meal of the day, whether breakfast, lunch, or supper. You can also take it as a snack or dessert. 

So, what food can you blend and which ones can you not? From veggies, fruits to different kinds of meat, you can blend absolutely any food. And if you lack ideas, there are so many options available on the internet to inspire you. 

• Don’t skip meals

When you have a busy lifestyle, skipping a meal or two during the day is unfortunately very easy. Most of the time, you either feel too busy to stop for a meal, or you just forget about it until you hear your stomach grumble for attention. When the rumbling happens, you usually find yourself very hungry and eat a lot- all at go! That is because the longer you go without food, the more your cravings intensify. The hunger may make you too tired to prepare a healthy meal, and fast food might seem to be a good choice- which is obviously not. But as tempting as it may be to continue working during your lunch break or skipping breakfast, one of the worst things you can put your body through is depriving it of the fuel it needs to operate. So, if you’re anticipating an early morning, try setting up your breakfast the previous night. 

• Start with a simple grocery list

Relying on eating out and buying fast food is not only expensive but can also be dangerous to your health. Besides, what is healthier than being in complete control of what goes into your mouth? But how will you make time to go grocery shopping when you barely have time to eat? This is where your money-saving meal prep plan comes into play. With it in mind, you can create a simple yet healthy grocery list. Choose four of your favorite veggies and fruits, four starches or grain foods, and two protein foods. Then rotate your choices during your next grocery shopping. This way, not only will you spend very little time at the grocery store, but planning your meals will also be less complicated. Plus, you may not even need a list next time you go grocery shopping. You can change your spices and sauces to add a little bit of variety. 

• Make your breakfast as simple as possible

There are so many reasons why experts say breakfast is the most important meal in the day. It gives your body the fuel it needs to meet the day’s challenges, and as its name suggests, it is a break from the overnight fasting period. A healthy breakfast replenishes your system with an adequate supply of glucose. This helps to boost your energy levels and keep you very alert throughout your day. If you don’t have enough time, try to keep your breakfast as simple as possible. Like your simple grocery list, your breakfast options should be straightforward and contain energy, probiotics, and vitamins. 

• Shop for the right grab-and-go snacks

There may be times when your days will be so busy that sitting down to eat a full lunch will be quite impossible, and you will end up stretching your hunger for longer hours. But that should not be a reason to starve yourself. Instead of relying on energy drinks and the vending machine sweets, invest in healthy snacks that you can eat on-the-go. You can buy healthy food protein bars or snack-size foods that you can munch on while working. Fortunately, there are several options available to choose from. Just make sure that your choice is both filling and nutritious at the same time.

• Order healthy meals

With so much awareness about eating healthy, we are beginning to see so many healthy food options available to order online. Although this option may be a bit more expensive than the other tips already mentioned, it may be your best option if you have the budget for it. It is time to stop the unhealthy box of pizza, pastries, and soda orders, and instead take the time to find out which restaurants around you offer healthy food options on the online menu you can call when you need to order food. Fortunately, with so many foods, restaurants, and delivery apps available, you have the chance to browse through the menu options, their prices and make your plans. 

• Try open-pan dinners

You may not always have the time to do your cooking with several bowls, pans, and pots. In that case, try preparing all your meals using a single baking sheet instead, and arrange your ingredients neatly. For example, if your ingredients involve meat and veggies, set them next to each other (with any other ingredients that require heating) and throw them in your oven. This way, you will be able to prepare different meals at one go and save a lot of time, and you will be left with very few dishes to clean after. Because the cooking time of each ingredient may differ, the most important thing here is to know what time to take each component out of the mix. For example, you will have to remove your veggies first, and the meat last. 

• Eat at the same time of the day

One advantage of setting a routine for your eating habit is that it puts you in control, instead of only eating when your stomach reminds you by sending you that rumbling signal. Create an eating routine that comes with specific eating times. Doing this will help to make sure that you prepare ahead of time for each meal, instead of going with whatever comes to mind when you start feeling hungry. Plus, your body will also adjust to this time table.

• Drink loads of water

You are probably aware of the hydrating and cleansing benefits of drinking a lot of water during the day. But beyond these, water also helps fill you up and keep you away from those cravings that cause you to reach for those unhealthy snacks. Many people prefer to drink a lot of coffee in the day because of its energy-boosting effect, but that can also lead to a build-up of toxins in the body. Drinking water often helps to take care of that problem. Plus, drinking water about 30 minutes before and after your meals helps to keep you filled.

Lack of time should not be an excuse to indulge in unhealthy eating habits, as this can be both expensive and dangerous on your health. With the above tips, anyone should be able to eat healthily every day, no matter how busy your daily schedule is.