7 Tips to Eat Healthy for Busy People

Do you feel your fitness and health is suffering from the busy professional lifestyle you lead? Is running around all day to achieve professional goals and meet targets stopping you from staying in control of your diet?

When I ask personal training clients how they are doing on the nutrition front they often tell me they hardly have time for a decent breakfast, they might grab something on the go for lunch between meetings which results in overly large dinner portions whether eating in or out.

A US study among young adults that worked varied amounts of hours per week, from part time to 40+ hours, has come to the conclusion that the number of hours they worked was directly related to their belief of available time for healthy eating and meals. 

In other words, the ones who worked the most thought they had the least time for healthy meals and were more prone to eating out and having fast food. The important detail here is “belief”. I believe you have time for what you value and make time for. 

So ask yourself this: What is more important? your health or your work? Here are 7 tips to help you become more efficient in staying on track with healthy eating.

1. Get organised

Failure to plan is planning to fail. I’m sure you’ve heard this saying before. To manage your life better you need to manage your time better and making sure your body gets what it needs to function properly is key. This includes sufficient amounts, and good quality, of nutrients, enough sleep for recovery and staying active.

How do you make sure you complete a very important work task or don’t miss an important meeting? You put them in your diary and/or on your “To Do” list. Why don’t you do the same with other important tasks in your personal life?

? You know you need sleep, ensure you remind yourself to go to bed on time.

? You know how many meals you likely need to eat per day, per week. Create a meal planner and PLAN from where you’ll source those meals from?

? You know your body needs activity for leisure, stress relief or to lose that stubborn body fat. Create an exercise calendar with your favourite classes, games or sessions marked and make sure you do at least 3-5 of them per week.

2. Cook in batches

You like freshly cooked dinners most nights and you like to cook it yourself. With a little planning you can make one or more extra portions and have it for lunch the day after or have the meals packed in the fridge ready to eat when you get home late.

3. The freezer is your friend

I agree. A frozen meal may not be as great as a freshly made one, however it’s far better than the one you buy from your nearest fast food restaurant. When you cook a batch of curry, make sure you pack a few portions for the freezer to have them available in future when time is tight. Not to mention you can freeze most veggies and fruits, chopped and prepped for cooking later.

4. Learn the labels

Most supermarkets have become very good at supplying for people who want to eat healthier, so there are a variety of ready meals, salads, wraps and sandwiches available which are not from the devil. 

All you need to be able to distinguish the good from the bad is to understand the labels. Not only the calories, but the ingredients and the nutrient contents. Aim for wholegrain, low saturated fat, low sugar, high protein and high fiber foods and a variety of colours.

5. Keep on snacking

Snacking on the right things I mean. Unsalted nuts, fruits, veggie sticks with nut butters, cottage cheese with berries, natural yoghurt with nuts and berries are great for snacking. 

When you know you have a busy schedule for the day, have 3-4 portions of different healthy snacks in your bag to munch on in between meetings so you won’t feel tempted to pick up a chocolate bar from the coffee shop.

6. Super shakes and smoothies can save the morning

I am not one for replacing meals with shakes, but everyone has that crazy morning occasionally, where you miss your alarm and you only have 10 minutes to leave the house. 

Throw some veggies and fruits, a little oats, mixed seeds and nuts, some protein powder if you like them and some liquid into your blender and you have a nutritious liquid breakfast you can take with you.

7. Pack your stuff the night before

Before going to bed, think about what you need the day after. Clothes, equipment and food too. Gather them all together and have them ready to be grabbed in the morning. Once you have your meals with you, you will be less likely to reach for convenient solutions.

I challenge you to try a few or all the tips above for just a week and see if you still don’t have time for healthy food. You’ll be surprised.

If you need further info or help or just would like to find out more on how to create a balanced diet, feel free to get in touch of comment below.