Many busy people, be they students or professionals, have issues with healthy eating. Though you’re extremely devoted to your job and chores, it can sometimes be super hard to dedicate that extra couple of minutes to ourselves to properly nourish our bodies.
Though food is a necessity, it’s also a way we show appreciation and love to other people, so why not show it to ourselves too? If you’re constantly relying on delivery or you’re just skipping meals by accident, here are some of the ways you can take care of your nutrition and not spend a copious amount of time.
1. Your freezer is your friend
Many people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables since it is quite time-consuming to wash, prep, and store fresh produce. When you’re pressed for time, having frozen or canned foods on hand might be a lifesaver. Contrary to popular belief, frozen goods are equally as nutritious as fresh options. You may add frozen cherries to cool your oatmeal or some frozen veggies to your favorite canned soup. There you have it – a quick and painless method to pack a meal with vitamins and minerals.
You can also go a step further! There are many frozen meal options that are even higher in quality nutrition than the regular delivery services. ChefPrep, for example, works with many restaurants that will prepare and pack your food for you to just take out of your freezer and reheat. Their hearty baked boscaiola al forno is a great option for all the pasta lovers out there.
2. Don’t skip breakfast
Because of your early rise, you may be tempted to skip breakfast. Breakfast, on the other hand, is a vital meal that prepares your body for a long day ahead. Obesity, diabetes, and even some psychological issues are all linked to skipping breakfast. When you’re busy, it’s easy to just forget, but your health will suffer as a result.
Breakfast is essential for your body to operate properly, and it’s also a great way to start the day. Make sure that your nutritious breakfast includes all the macronutrients in a fine balance. Have a nice portion of carbs such as wholegrain bread or oats and some protein in eggs or ham. Don’t forget about a source of healthy fats too. If you still don’t feel full, add a piece of fruit to your meal. These will keep you going strong throughout the first half of the day!
3. Eat on a schedule
If you’re someone who tends to forget about eating this tip is for you. We’ve all been there – too busy and anxious to have a proper meal, just drinking coffee after coffee without realizing that we actually need some real fuel to function. Furthermore, when you’re too hungry it’s very easy to overeat to the point of feeling quite sick. To get rid of this problem you should make eating another point on your to-do list. Eat at the same time every day. For example, have breakfast at 8 in the morning, lunch at 1 PM, and dinner once you come home from work. You may even set a reminder on your phone. Don’t forget about the late-night snack too!
4. Don’t eat and work at the same time
Though it may be a tempting way to save some time, eating while on your phone or computer is not very healthy. Mindfully approaching your nutrition is very important if you want to garner a healthy relationship with food. Furthermore, eating while multitasking may cause you to overeat or even choose meals that are easier to consume at your office and these are not always the healthiest options.
5. Prepare the ingredients or meals in advance
If you haven’t tried meal prepping before, it’s a terrific way to save time and avoid making meals a huge undertaking every time. Preparing individual items rather than whole meals might provide some diversity to your meal prep routine.
That way, you can mix and match them throughout the week to keep things interesting. Make sure to prep some protein ahead of time such as chicken breasts since they’re very versatile. Also, having tasty and healthy carbs like sweet potatoes or rice on demand makes it simple to put together a nutritious, balanced dinner. If you want to go a step further you may also pre-chop some veggies and keep them in glass containers in your fridge. Add some nuts and dressing and you’ve just prepared a healthy salad in no time!
6. The simpler the better
Remember, not every meal and snack has to look glorious or appeal to all your senses. It doesn’t matter how long it took you to prepare your lunch! Some of the healthiest lunches can be prepared in a couple of minutes. For example, mash some berries and spread them on a slice of whole-wheat bread. On another slice spread some peanut butter and put it on top. Your healthy peanut butter and jam sandwich can be enjoyed with some yogurt or skyr. It takes less than five minutes to prepare but it’s nutritious, healthy, and filling!