We have all wished we could eat healthier at some point in our lives. But life gets busy. And having the time to create a plate of food worthy of the Turner Prize is often in short supply. So you have the right intentions of wanting to eat healthier. But none of the time to achieve it. What are you meant to do?
Thankfully, there are a few simple life hacks that will let you eat better, even on a very tight schedule.
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1. The Grab-And-Go Fruit Snack
This is simplicity at its finest. It may seem silly even to include it in a hack list. But you’d be surprised at how many people forget the ease of grabbing fruit on the go when trying to come up with fitting healthier foods into a busy life.
The simpler, the better. Next time you need food on the go, reach for the fruit rather than the crisps. Picking fruit also means you’ll feel fuller for longer; it’s a win-win.
2. Blended Perfection
Another simple way to get more fruit and veg into your diet is to make smoothies. Smoothies are a super tasty and super simple way to get healthier. They’re perfect for having on the go during the busy mornings.
It’s easy to get more veg than usual into your diet too. Blending everything up means you can hide veg and fruit that might not be your favorite under flavors you love. Take your smoothie up a notch by adding Chia seeds or Goji berries for the ultimate health kick.
3. Add Veg Into Every Meal
It may sound silly, but just making an effort to eat some vegetables at every meal will get you eating healthier. Because you’re building better habits. Even a pizza can have a veggie accompaniment in the form of a super salad. Be open to all types of vegetables too. Sticking too firmly to one thing causes food obsession along with boredom.
If time really is in short supply, opt for frozen or tinned vegetable options. It takes the prep time out of the equation, and they still have all the goodness you get when they’re fresh.
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4. Get Batch Cooking
We often opt for unhealthier options when time is in short supply, and making something fresh would eat into precious minutes. A great way to avoid this is to cook up a storm in large batches and freeze the food in handy portions.
This way, you’ve always got something healthy to reach for, even if you only have 30 minutes to spare.
5. Have A Plan
You don’t have to be strict about it, but having a loose plan of meals you’ll eat in a week will make life easier. It means you’ll have everything you need because shopping lists are based around it. And you don’t have to think up an imaginative, healthy meal when you get home from work.
You did all the hard work for yourself so just enjoy the extra time and healthy food.
6. Stock Up
Make sure you actually have healthy options available. It’s all well and good wanting to eat healthily, but you’re making life ten times harder if your cupboards aren’t even stocked up. Opt for healthy food in time-saving forms like canned, frozen, or even pre-cut.
If you’re not sure what foods you should be going for, take the time to look up nutritious foods to include in your diet.
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7. Create Your Own Recipe Book
Once you’ve figured out some healthy meals that work for you, make yourself a recipe book. Having tried and tested recipes in one place means that when you don’t have a lot of spare time, you already have a load of options ready and waiting for you.
Eating healthily on a tight schedule is all about cutting out all the unnecessary steps. Once you’ve done that, you’ll find this healthy eating thing comes pretty naturally to you.
