Plan smart to eat better

by | Mar 9, 2014 | Fitness tips | 0 comments

Most busy clients I work with are actually very intelligent and knowledgeable when it comes to what a healthy diet looks like. The challenge is to make it happen and actually eat better in their hectic and over-committed lives!!

The fact that most busy people are also very driven can be turned into an asset in helping you implement healthy dietary changes.

Preparing meals together can be fun and can help you to eat better

For busy lives PLANNING smart is key to eating better. If you make healthy choices available to you when you need them, chances are you will also make better decisions.

Here are a few tips to help you plan better so you can eat better and feel better:

  • Plan for the week ahead – plan out your meals for the upcoming week at the weekend, and do all your grocery shopping in one trip or onliine (that will save you time too)
  • Set aside a couple of hours during the weekend to prepare your meals – e.g. you can chop some veggies, or even cook the entire dish and put portions of it in the fridge or freezer.
  • Bulk cook!!  cooked meals made from scratch. Having to scramble for dinner every evening can be challenging, and this idea can help you save time and headache. You can prepare more than one meal’s worth of food so you have leftovers for one more meal. One day cook a big batch of grains; another day vegetables; another day meat or fish and use them in different combinations.
  • An easy way to cook meat and vegetables together is to stick them all in a large casserole dish with water and slow cook them. This way you retain all the goodness from the meat bones as the juices are absorbed by the vegetables.
  • Stock your fridge and pantry with healthy snacks – make sure you have some healthy snack alternatives handy so you don’t go for the vending machine at work which is usually stocked with less desirable options.
  • If you are on the go, a handful of nuts with dried fruit or an apple with nut butter can be great pick-me-ups.
  • Prepare some celery sticks, carrots, broccoli, cucumber to take out with you

Fresh whole food is always better than processed foods, as most of them contain sugar, additives or chemical products that are less desirable.  If you have to turn to packaged foods, always read the label to make smart choices. Instead of getting caught with nothing for dinner, stock a few healthy frozen options.

Fresh vegetables to help you eat better

Eat better with lots of fresh vegetables

 

Make a point to pair frozen meals with fresh veggies, even if it’s just celery or carrot sticks with dips