Healthy eating may become a secondary priority when you’re always busy. You barely have time to eat during the work day. When you arrive home from work, you’re so tired you can’t face the idea of cooking and take-out seems like the easiest option. This can take a real toll on your health.
Many busy people today are making use of meal delivery services, like Blue Apron. Measured and ready to use fresh ingredients are delivered straight to your door with recipe cards to make delicious, healthy meals. This option may not be suitable for everyone and here are some other ways to eat more healthily when you’re super busy.
Prioritize a simple healthy breakfast
Eating breakfast is important because it gets your metabolism going. A probiotic-packed Greek yoghurt is a healthy way to start the day and takes no preparation time. Add some fruit for more nutritional value.
A piece of whole-wheat toast with almond butter and a sliced banana is another healthy, nutritious breakfast that doesn’t take long to make. Overnight oats is another good option.
Pre-pack snacks
It doesn’t take long to pre-portion snacks of nuts and fruit to eat mid-morning and mid-afternoon. This will keep your blood sugar levels stable and prevent you from wanting to reach for junk food.
Chopping up some apple hardly takes any time at all and you can eat it with some almond butter for a healthy and tasty snack. Prepare snacks over the weekend if you feel you don’t have time during the week.
Eat at the same time every day
It helps to have a specific routine and time for eating every day. It means you can plan and make healthier choices, giving you have more control over your eating habits. When eating becomes something you try to fit in around other activities, you pay less attention to what you put in your mouth.
Go for a light lunch
It’s very easy to join in when colleagues order take-out for lunch. Calorie-rich business lunches can also wreak havoc on your health. Preparing a simple salad to eat for lunch is quick and healthy.
Try to avoid heavy dressings and opt for a little lemon juice with a touch of olive oil instead. Salads can end up being quite calorie-dense if you add in too many extras like nuts or bacon.
Keep them simple but appealing by adding ingredients like lean chicken breast. You can accompany your salad with a few crackers and some hummus for a healthy but filling meal.
Don’t keep unhealthy snacks in the house
It’s much easier to eat healthily if you have as little access to unhealthy foods as possible. Keeping a tub of ice cream or packets of chips in the house may be too tempting. A whole tub of ice cream may just disappear when you’re feeling a little down.
Plan ahead for dinner and prepare in batches
It may help you to decide what dishes you will have during the week, prepare them over the weekend and freeze them.
If you don’t want to spend your weekend cooking, don’t overlook frozen foods. This doesn’t mean frozen TV dinners. Fresh foods frozen at the peak of their freshness can be your best friend.
For example, if you’re in a rush, you can heat up some frozen quinoa, add some black beans and top with some tomato and avocado for a healthy meal.
Using a crockpot to make a one-pot dish while you’re at work can be overlooked as a simple and easy way to enjoy a healthy and nutritious evening meal.