Guide To Eating Healthy For Busy People

It’s rare to meet anyone these days who doesn’t describe their lifestyle as ‘busy.’ It’s almost as rare as meeting someone who doesn’t want to follow a healthy diet.

Although it can be more difficult to prioritise healthy eating when life gets hectic, it’s certainly not impossible. It’s worth taking a little time, wherever you can find it, to plan ahead and do some preparation to keep your nutrition game strong when you need it the most.

These 6 tips for healthy eating will ensure your busy lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle.

Meal Prep

1. Plan ahead & be prepared

Let’s be real – spending a couple of hours on meal prep each week is much less time consuming than waiting in drive-thru’s or driving around in search for some vaguely healthy fast food. More importantly, meal prep ensures you eat the foods you know are best for you, in addition to saving a lot of money in the long run.

Making a plan of the meals you want to eat each week will drastically reduce the time you spend feeling overwhelmed in supermarket isles, and you’ll avoid the hassle of trying to figure out what to eat when you’re already hungry and in a hurry.

Simply making extra food at dinner time is an easy way to have a healthy lunch packed and ready to go for the next day. Why not check out our tasty vegan recipes or ‘Minus the Meat’ Meal Kits?

2. Don’t fear frozen fruit & veg

As great as it feels to leisurely stroll through the supermarket or farmers’ market to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables, the fact is – there isn’t always time.

Fortunately, frozen fruit and veg is just as healthy, and so much more convenient for busy people. It’s a total myth that fruits and vegetables lose all their nutrients when frozen, so buying frozen produce can save you time and money without sacrificing your nutritional needs.

Spend less time shopping and chopping, and never be without ripe, frozen fruits for your smoothies!

Frozen fruit

3. A blender is your best friend

On the subject of smoothies – a blender is a busy bee’s best friend. Not only do blenders make getting a quick, nutritious breakfast easy-peasy, you’ll also be able to create your own healthy salad dressings, nut butters, and so much more.

If you don’t have a blender yet, it’s one of the best investments to support your busy, healthy lifestyle. When you don’t have time to cook and prepare all those healthy whole foods you’ve bought – liquify them!

4. Eat Breakfast

Having too many other priories and too little time means that busy people are more likely to skip breakfast than those who live a more relaxed lifestyle.

What the busy breakfast-skippers don’t realise though, is that eating a healthy breakfast is an opportunity to make a positive start that will flow into the rest of their day – not to mention the extra energy it’ll give them.

Fortunately, a healthy breakfast doesn’t have to take much time, and a little planning and preparation goes a long way. Making something as simple as these No-Bake Oat Bars or a Berry & Maple Chia Pudding means you can wake up at the last minute to a delicious breakfast that’s literally ready to go, while blending up a smoothie is another super quick solution if you have your frozen fruits and a high-quality protein powder on standby.

Berry & Maple Chia Pudding

5. Carry Snacks

Having healthy snacks on-hand can be a real blessing on a busy day. Whether you prefer to munch on fruits, nuts, homemade goodies or a healthy protein bar – making a habit of carrying your snacks with you can save you from making unhealthy choices when hunger clouds your judgement.

6. Schedule time for meals

Although eating is important and necessary, meal times tend to lose their position of priority when we get really busy. We tell ourselves that we can easily grab something quick on our way out, and there’s almost always an opportunity for an unhealthy snack.

However, mindful and intentional eating is something we should strive for, regardless of how busy we are. Scheduling time specifically to sit down and eat our meals and snacks can ensure that we not only eat healthy foods, but also allows our bodies to prepare for digestion.

Schedule at least 20-30 minutes for each meal and 10-15 minutes for each snack – and actually put it in your diary, if healthy eating is a priority.

Summary

Maintaining healthy eating habits can be super easy for busy people too! As long as you can make it a priority to do a little planning and preparation, you’ll be able to fuel your body and mind, helping you to feel energised and get the most out of your busiest days.

Check these out next:

Recipes

Berry & Maple Chia Pudding Recipe

Desserts derailing your diet? Bored of the same old breakfast? Lucky for you, this berry & maple chia pudding will shake things up a bit.

2021-02-22 18:02:08 • By Jenessa

Recipes

No-Bake Oat Bars Recipe | Vegan Snack Ideas

Once you've made a batch of these No-Bake Oat Bars, there's no going back!

2021-02-26 08:26:14 • By Jenessa

Recipes

Chilli Non Carne Recipe | Vegan Dinner Ideas

Try this recipe for a delicious and comforting dinner - without needing to cook everything from scratch.

2021-02-17 08:00:18 • By Jenessa

Jenessa

Writer and expert

Jenessa is Myvegan's Senior Content Executive with a penchant for brutal HIIT classes and thick post-workout smoothies. She spends the majority of her spare time getting creative with plant-based recipes, in the gym or enjoying the odd spot of yoga, and is passionate about making healthy and sustainable lifestyles approachable and accessible for all – no matter one’s background or budget.