In today's fast-paced world of 16 hour workdays, driving the kids to soccer practice, attending business meetings and managing financial affairs, it is not always easy to eat healthy. This problem can be twofold: You might eat too many empty calorie foods and not eat enough nutrient dense foods, or simply not consuming enough food. To eat healthy on a busy schedule, you must plan ahead and be disciplined.
Step 1
Stock your house with nothing but healthy foods. When you are busy and have junk food lying around, it is easy to pick up and run out the door while munching. Replace all these foods with fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, nut butters, frozen fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, cottage cheese and yogurt. Remember: If you do not have access to unhealthy foods, it will be impossible to eat them.
Step 2
Prepare foods ahead of time. Spend an hour pre-making foods on the weekend that you can use in the week ahead. Bake several chicken breasts and yams, steam a pot of brown rice and hard boil a couple dozen eggs. Blend together a stir fry with lean beef, mixed vegetables and quinoa or some other form of whole grain. Fix triple the amount you would normally make and store it in individual containers. Put them in the freezer for use during the week.
Step 3
Pack healthy snacks in your briefcase or purse. Substitute the high-fat, high-sugar sweets that get passed around at work with healthier options you bring from home, including dried fruit, nuts, trail mixes, fresh fruit and nutrition bars. Eat these snacks between meals to prevent getting hungry and eating a high-calorie snack. If your office has a refrigerator, bring yogurt, cheese cubes, baby carrots, celery sticks and all natural peanut butter.
Step 4
Eat something that is easy to prepare for breakfast. Skipping breakfast can keep slow your metabolism and cause you to become ravenous later in the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, people who eat breakfast regularly tend to have a healthier diet. If your schedule is too tight to fit in breakfast, grab two pre-made, hard-boiled eggs and half of a whole grain bagel on your way out the door. Munch them on your way to work.
Step 5
Mix up meal replacement shakes that have a balance of protein, carbs and fat. Search for varieties that also offer vitamins and minerals. Place the mix in a shaker cup with the recommended amount of low-fat milk or ice cold water, then close the lid and shake until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Use these shakes when you are on the road and do not have access to healthy food for several hours.
Step 6
Order the right kinds of foods at fast-food chains. If you absolutely have no choice but to stop at a fast-food restaurant, know what to order. Select grilled and baked meats, salads with low-calorie dressing, whole grain rolls and bread, and broth-based soups. Avoid the deep-fried foods and high-calorie sauces.
Things You'll Need
- Fresh fruits
- Fresh vegetables
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Nutrition bars
- Meal replacement shakes
- Low-fat milk or ice cold water
- Shaker cup
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