10 Healthy Eating Strategies for Busy People with Busy Lives
When it comes to taking care of yourself, we all know one of the best things you can do is to maintain a healthy diet. In today’s world, though, that can be a real challenge! So many of my clients struggle to find the time to eat well, and I know there have been moments in my life when I have struggled with it, too. After a long day of work and childcare, who wants to slave away in the kitchen, let alone plan and shop for the ingredients you need? It’s so much easier to just order pizza, hit the drive-thru at McDonald’s, or eat another bowl of the kids’ cereal. Right?
Yep, we’ve all been there, and that’s ok. Sometimes it is unavoidable.
However, if we want to thrive in our bodies and have the energy we need to survive our daily marathon, we have to find ways to eat as many healthy, sustaining foods as possible—not just in spite of our crazy circumstances, but because of them.
You may notice a theme from other blogs of mine here. When life is difficult, it is especially important that we support our physical health. Every marathoner takes water and snack breaks along their journey. They also eat strategically in the days leading up to the race so that they have the fuel they need to be their best on race day. It takes a little planning, but they have proven tactics for staying strong under duress, and you can find tactics that work for you and your busy lifestyle, as well.
So, to help you do that, I’ve compiled what I hope will be some useful tips here for keeping up a healthy diet if you are pressed for time. There is a little something for everyone on this list, so pick and choose among these suggestions, experiment with them, and see what works for you. When life gets a little nuts, and maybe then some, you can still eat well. Here’s how:
1) Be honest with yourself. Consider what your real capacity is for meal planning, shopping, and cooking, and move forward accordingly with compassion.
How much time and energy do you really have to devote to meal planning and preparation? Chances are, if you are a busy person, you may not have much. Take note, though, of where there are openings in your schedule for it, if any, and also think about when among those openings you may have your best energy. Aim to do the bulk of your meal planning, shopping, or cooking during those times. If you don’t feel you have the capacity or the skills to do much at all in the way of planning and cooking, focus what energy you have into outsourcing it! More on that below, but the point is that you may want to take some time to do an honest assessment of how much work you think you can or really want to put into feeding yourself. And, be kind while you are doing it. This is not about eating perfectly. It’s about eating well expediently and efficiently based on what you can realistically achieve. You can still eat well even if you aren’t cooking every meal from scratch.
2) Even if you don’t have time to cook, make some time to plan your meals.
The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, but I can also guarantee that if you don’t plan your meals at all, you will have little chance of eating healthy on the regular when time is short. Sadly, when you have a lot going on, you have to plan for and schedule in the basics or they most often won’t happen. Therefore, just take 5-10 minutes once a week, look at your calendar, and think about where and how you will be getting your meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). What evenings or weekend days might be free for shopping or cooking? Which meals will need to be pre-prepared or quick? Will you be going out to eat at all? What restaurant food can you eat that will be healthy? Is there a danger that you will be so busy that you might go long between meals or miss one? What healthy drinks and snacks can you have on hand in that case? I typically think about these things over breakfast one or two mornings a week, while simultaneously compiling my grocery list. It is a part of my weekly ritual, and therefore doesn’t feel burdensome. When might you be able to fit in some weekly planning like this? It may be the most important thing you can do to ensure you eat well consistently.
3) Go ahead, order in, but order in healthy.
Wait, aren’t we supposed to be avoiding takeout? Yes, a lot of restaurant food, especially fast food, is loaded with ingredients we shouldn’t eat. It’s fatty, salty, and starchy, and lacks a lot of the nutrients we really need to thrive. But, in most parts of the country, you have got much healthier options available for delivery now. National chains like Cava, Panera, and Noodles & Co. deliver fast, are family friendly, and have diet-conscious entrées on offer. Take a look at the online menus of your local slow food restaurants that deliver, also, and you may find healthy options there, as well. Often the best bet entrées are heavy on the vegetables and low on fat and simple carbs. Opt for brown rice over white rice if you go for Asian fare, whole grain or vegetable pastas when ordering Italian, and in general watch your portion size. Most restaurant entrées are enough for two meals. Split an entrée with your favorite person or only plate half of your meal and save the rest for lunch or dinner the next day. That’s one less meal you will have to prepare.
4) Take advantage of a healthy meal kit program or prepared meal service.
These are particularly helpful if your cooking skills are limited, or if you like cooking a few times a week but can’t stomach the idea of planning one…more…thing at home. Mail order meal kits, like Purple Carrot and Green Chef give you all the ingredients you need and a recipe. In my experience, the meals can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to prepare and are delicious. They could give you a chance to play in the kitchen a little, if that fills you up, while saving you the time it would take to meal plan or shop. Meanwhile, healthy prepared meal services, such as Freshly or (my favorite) Splendid Spoon, take almost all the work out of the equation. As a rule, these options, while not cheap, are still cheaper per meal than you would spend on restaurant food. Just beware of two potential downsides. If you run out of time to cook any meal kit meals over the course of a week (most kit programs require you to buy at least 2-3 meals a week), that will be money and food down the drain. And, even while most are trying to improve on it, these programs definitely generate A LOT of packaging waste.
5) Save time with smart recipes and “habit meals.”
If you don’t want to outsource all of your food, you can save a lot of time just by picking the right recipes. You want recipes with the least amount of ingredients, preparation, cook time, and clean up, and there are lots of options. Think one-pot meals, sheet pan suppers, and partially homemade entrées. Set it and forget it with an instant pot or crockpot recipe and take care of other tasks on your to-do list while the food cooks. Bake a salmon fillet for 20 minutes at 425 degrees and pair it easily with a grocery store salad kit, or you could try something like the partially homemade pasta dish I’ve included at the end of this post. Build a repertoire of these kinds of recipes and turn your favorites into “habit meals.” I know it doesn’t sound sexy but eating the same meal or two every couple of weeks can help put meal planning, shopping, and cooking on autopilot for you. Keep the ingredients for these meals in your pantry and fridge all the time, and you will always have an easy option ready to go on the stove. As long as the ingredients are healthy, your body will thank you.
6) Keep a running grocery list and, if it all possible, shop online for delivery once or twice a week max.
It’s a basic rule of thumb that you will save time if you bundle your errands into one trip, and the same thing applies to grocery shopping. Keep a shopping list in your kitchen, on your phone, or anywhere else that you and the rest of your household can access it over the course of the week. Immediately write down everything that you run out of when it runs out, and then top off the list with any other ingredients you might need while you do your weekly meal planning. When the list is complete, order everything online for delivery in one fell swoop. Not every part of the country has delivery as an option, but since the pandemic began it has become widely available through Instacart and other services, and I highly recommend it. I personally hate shopping, and the amount of time I save not going to the store more than makes up for any delivery fees I might pay. By shopping online, too, you will likely save money since you won’t be as tempted to pick up any extra, unneeded items that could beckon you from inside the store.
7) Load up on healthy foods for your pantry and get rid of any junk food temptations.
Who here has a junk food meter that goes off as soon as they are tired? Me, me, me, me, me! I know I do, and chances are you do, too. Our brains are wired to crave sugar and fats when we get tired, and at the same time our executive function tends to bottom out. In other words, as busy, wiped-out people we often have less control over our urges. So, set yourself up for success by filling your pantry, car, desk drawer, or anywhere else you usually keep snacks with healthy options, and get rid of any junk food. Create an environment that supports your wellness goals, but also doesn’t deprive you. You can snack away when you need it. Just make sure the easy-access snack options you surround yourself with are healthy and that the junk is out of reach.
8) Buy grocery items that will save you time in the kitchen.
Have no fear! Healthy cooking does not require hours of prep work. You can cut down on your prep time by buying the right ingredients. Look for pre-cut fruits and vegetables in the produce section and freezer aisle. Frozen or vacuum-packed brown rice cooks up in 90 seconds instead of 30 minutes. Jarred sauces that are low on preservatives, bad fats, and sugar can be used to jazz up a pasta dish, veggies, or fish with little fuss. There are also frozen meals that will keep you out of the kitchen entirely. Go for meals that are heavy on the veggies, like Amy’s, and lower on the salt and fat content, if possible. Always check the labels before you buy, but there are plenty of partially or fully prepared foods at the store that will save you time once you get them home.
9) When you cook, make a few meals at once for later in the week or enough so that you have leftovers.
Once again, this is about bundling your efforts to save time. It’s a lot quicker and more efficient to peel and chop for multiple meals, snacks, or extra portions all at once than it is to do it separately in several installments over the course of the week. If you have a couple hours on the weekend, use them to prepare a few meals at once, or if you cook during the week, then make sure you cook extra portions so that you have leftovers. Invest in some high-quality storage containers, preferably glass or silicone to avoid having plastic leach into your food, and refrigerate or freeze the extras for later. Note that the best meals to freeze usually have a little sauce on them so that they don’t dry out when they are reheated.
10) Most of all, make it fun!
You’ve got a limited amount of free time, so however you spend it better be worth it, yes? Don’t let the kitchen drain you. Make your time there as fun and fulfilling as it can be. Blast your favorite music and sing along while you cook. Sip a fresh mocktail or sparkling water. Call up your best friend and chat over speaker phone. Make cooking a team sport and get some quality time with your spouse or kids. Gamify your cooking goals and reward yourself at the end of the week for however many meals you put on the table. And, cook the healthy foods you love best, really relishing the smell and taste of them as you prepare your meals. Indulge your senses and turn the kitchen into your playground, whatever it takes so you enjoy it. The fact remains that duty always calls for busy people. But when it comes to healthy eating and cooking, always make it fun!
Whole Grain Pasta with Vegan Sausage, Broccoli, and Jarred Sauce
This semi-homemade recipe is a favorite “habit meal” in the Wexler household on nights when we’re too tired to cook much, and I always keep the ingredients on hand. I tend to use broccoli in this dish, but you can substitute sliced bell pepper, zucchini, or any other soft vegetable you choose. Simply make sure you sauté it until it’s just lost its crispness before adding the sauce. Enjoy!
Prep time: 5 minutes or less
Cook time: 20-30 minutes
4-6 portions
Ingredients:
One lb. of whole grain or vegetable-based pasta, preferably rotini or rigatoni
2 T. olive oil
14 oz. vegan Italian sausage links, sliced on the diagonal into ½ inch slices
One large head of broccoli, purchased as or chopped into bite-size florets
One 24 oz. jar of pasta sauce, preferably marinara, roasted garlic, or other meatless and dairy-free sauce
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and while you wait quickly prep the other ingredients. Preheat a heavy 5-6 qt. stew pot with lid over medium heat and add the olive oil. Heat until the oil shimmers, then add the vegan sausage slices. Stir for 3-5 minutes until the slices are slightly browned, then add the broccoli florets. Continue to stir for another 3-5 minutes until the broccoli softens slightly and turns bright green. Then, pour in the jar of sauce and stir to combine thoroughly. Allow the sauce to come to a slow boil, then lower the heat to low and cover the pot. Let the sauce cook, stirring occasionally, while you cook your pasta in the now-boiling water. Once the pasta is done and drained, add it to the pot with the sauce, stir to combine, and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week, or freeze.