Do you find your daily schedule to be pretty hectic? Are you running around all day going from one thing to the next with little time in between? For many, this means a healthy diet can fall by the wayside in place of quick, easy and convenient food. It’s also no secret that quick, easy and convenient food often isn’t the most nutritious, nor does it provide the best energy or vitality that real food is supposed to.
If you’re one of the many people out there with very little free time on your hands and eating nutritious food is important to you, then continue reading as we’ve prepared 3 suggestions to help you out:
1) When you DO cook, make 3x as much (for the next two meals)
Whatever your schedule is, chances are you get at least 1 opportunity to cook per day (typically dinner). Instead of making just enough for dinner, triple the amount of ingredients so you have breakfast and lunch the next day covered. And YES, you can have leftovers for breakfast. The need to only eat “breakfast” foods in the morning has no basis in your body’s actual physiology.
2) Make friends with your blender
Learning how to make a smoothie you enjoy is a game changer for people who are in a time crunch. The key is to not use too much sugary fruit as this will NOT satiate you for very long, and will likely mess with your blood sugar (afternoon crash).
Here’s an example of a healthy smoothie recipe that will keep you full and not give you a crash later:
– ½-1 cup frozen berries
– Protein powder (Unsweetened whey isolate is a classic choice)
– Healthy fat source – Ex: 1 tbps almond butter, ¼-½ avocado (sounds weird, but actually makes it creamier and more filling without affecting the flavor)
– 1-2 tbsp chia seeds (satiating source of fiber)
– Milk of your choice (regular, almond, oat, etc)
3) Stock up on grab n’ go healthy staples
Have healthy non-perishables ready to go so if you’re in a hurry you can just throw them in your bag and you’ll be groovy. Some of my go-tos include:
– Canned salmon/sardines/tuna
– Unsweetened greek yogurt
– Jerky/biltong/meat sticks
– Baby carrots
– Parmesan cheese
– Nuts/seeds
– Avocados
– Fruit! Berries, apples, oranges, etc.
Don’t let your busy lifestyle be an excuse to treat your beautiful body poorly! Stress-eating a pizza because it’s fast and convenient is probably going to feel good WHILE you’re eating it, but it probably won’t give you much energy or real nourishment to get through your day as eating healthy would. Give any one of these 3 strategies a try and see how they work for you!
Need assistance with eating healthy and finding good options that work for you? Book a free consult with our registered dietician here!
