Have you ever noticed how hard it is to eat healthy when you’re busy? On days that I think to myself, “I’ll just pick up something to eat when I’m out” I’m reminded very quickly that food I can get quickly is not something that will nourish my body. More often then not, I wind up with something that makes me feel worse then I did when hungry. I find myself asking if it was really worthwhile to get the junk food and lamenting the fact that I didn’t plan better.
The truth is until fast food restaurants change their ways it can be a challenge to get healthy food when you’re not at home. There are things you can do to get food that’s good for you, even when you’re in a rush. Here are a few ideas to make sure you’re getting good food, all the time.
- Plan ahead – This is by far the best thing you can do. Take a day, preferably the day you go to the grocery store, and plan and prep your meals and healthy snacks for the week. Cut up your veggies ahead of time, make a big batch of oatmeal and portion it out. Get as much done as you can in advance so in the morning you can just grab your delicious, healthy food and go. By doing this you also can avoid the impulse eating, helping you stay away from that pesky fast food.
- Cook once and eat twice – Home cooking is a great way to get exactly what you want and to make sure the food you’re getting is good quality. The downside is that it takes time. When you have the time to cook, make more then you plan to eat. You can have the leftovers as lunch or dinner over the next few days.
- Know your local restaurants and cafes – Depending on where you live there are places where you can get a quick bite to eat that will be satisfying as well as nutritious. Take some time to talk to the people who work there or own it. Do they use organic produce? Do they make things from scratch with fresh ingredients? How well can they customize something to fit your personal dietary needs?
Shop smart – There are a lot of quick snacks in grocery stores claiming to be healthy. While some may be, others are not. Make sure you check the sugar and salt content of your food (especially yogurt) even when it’s organic.
While these require more thought and preparation in the long run your body will thank you for the extra effort.
