How To Fit Healthy Eating Into A Busy Lifestyle

Even the busiest workaholics, multi-tasking parents and socialites with no free time can live healthy lives. It’s easier than you might think. Unconvinced? Here’s how to fit healthy eating into a busy lifestyle. We’ll share some simple tips to help you on your way.

Eating healthier when you’re busy

We get it – when you’re busy, food becomes a low priority. Healthy eating can fall even further down the list. But, it can be done, and here’s how:

1. Meal-prep
2. Always eat breakfast
3. Make lunches in advance
4. Drink lots of water
5. Bring snacks with you
6. Set a schedule
7. Walk more¹
8. Keep it simple
9. Eat without distractions
10. Add flavour
11. Don’t skip the vegetables
12. Eat more protein
13. Variety is the spice of life
14. Manage stress levels
15. Get enough sleep
16. Exercise portion control
17. Understand nutrition
18. Keep a food diary
19. Be realistic²

#1 – Meal-prep

Short on time, so always grabbing food on the go? Meal prepping is the answer you might be looking for. You can prepare lunches or meals for the week in advance, for example, on a Sunday.

You’ll not only have more control over exactly what goes into your food, but you’ll be prepared, meaning you’ll be less likely to buy unhealthy snack foods. This can not only help your waistline, but your bank balance too.

Some great examples of meals to prep in advance include:

• Soups
• Stews
• Salads
• Overnight oats
• Curries
• Chicken with rice and beans³
• Chilli

You can batch-cook these easily, and either freeze them or eat them over the course of the week. Have a plan of what you want to eat, and when, before you do your weekly shop. This can help make healthy eating as simple as possible.

#2 – Always eat breakfast

There are many health benefits to eating breakfast, including:

• Boosting energy, restoring your glycogen levels ready to keep your metabolism up for the day
• Helping control blood sugar levels, suppressing hunger
• Providing essential nutrients and minerals
• Reducing the risk of certain illnesses
• Boosting brain power⁴

If you find you get ravenous throughout the day and choose high-sugar, high-fat foods to give you energy, eating breakfast can be a good idea.

#3 – Make lunches in advance

You’re never too old for a packed lunch. Don’t just make lunch for your kids, do the same for yourself. You wouldn’t send them to school without one, so why not you?

The more prepared you are, the easier healthy eating will be.

#4 – Drink lots of water

Staying hydrated is absolutely key. Water is essential for a healthy lifestyle, giving you energy, keeping you full and keeping vital organs working properly.

Try to swap those sugary drinks, or energy drinks, for more water throughout the day. It’s recommended you drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day.⁵

#5 – Bring snacks with you

Carry around healthy snacks such as fruit, nuts and seeds, especially on days when you’re out all day. It’s tough eating healthily when you’re constantly on the go, but you can make it easier for yourself.

Pre-portioning these can also help prevent overeating. Snacking is a habit many of us are looking to kick, so rather than take a whole bag of nuts, for example, take a smaller portion.

#6 – Set a schedule

Try to eat at regular intervals, around the same times every day. Some studies seem to support that eating at regular intervals helps curb hunger and may even help the body burn fat for energy more efficiently.⁶

Not leaving your first meal until too late can also help prevent you eating too much later on.

#7 – Walk more

Being more active in your day-to-day life is a key part of a healthy lifestyle. You might be too busy to go to the gym all the time, but simply incorporating more walks into your daily activities is a good idea.

You could walk to work, walk around while on the phone, get off the bus a few stops early, or even get a pedometer to track your step count.

#8 – Keep it simple

Keeping things simple makes healthy eating easier to follow. For example, salads are easy and quick to prepare, and much healthier than fast-food options.

#9 – Eat without distractions

Try to be more mindful when you’re eating. This largely involves:

• Eating without distractions, for example, turning off electronics
• Eating slowly
• Distinguishing between true hunger and boredom eating
• Appreciating your food
• Noticing the effects food has on you⁷

For some of us, eating while on the job is a must, not a choice. But, even if you can spare 20 minutes to enjoy your food away from your desk, you’ll likely find yourself more satisfied.

#10 – Add flavour

Don’t be afraid to spice it up! ‘Healthy’ food doesn’t have to be flavourless and boring. In fact, you give yourself a better chance of sticking to your goals if you keep things interesting.

Give yourself meals to look forward to! Try new recipes, add new flavours – there are many low-calorie condiments out there.

In fact, studies have also found that spicy food can temporarily increase metabolism by about 8% over a person’s normal rate.⁸ While this isn’t a lot, spicy foods may also increase feelings of satiety.

#11 – Don’t skip the vegetables

Add vegetables to everything. They’re filling, full of fibre and nutrients, while being low-calorie at the same time. They’re a must for healthy eating.

#12 – Eat more protein

Protein is a key macronutrient when it comes to building muscle and maintaining weight. It burns more calories when digested and metabolised than carbs or fat, reduces appetite and prevents metabolic slowdown.⁹

Sources include:

• Chicken
• Tofu
• Fish
• Beef
• Edamame
• Turkey

#13 – Variety is the spice of life

You don’t have to eat the same thing every day. Mix things up, and don’t be afraid to try new things. There are many healthy recipes and exciting ingredients out there.

#14 – Manage stress levels

‘Managing stress levels’ can sound easier said than done, especially if you live a busy lifestyle. However, stress can produce cortisol (the stress hormone), which can cause sugar cravings, slow down your metabolism and cause emotional eating.¹⁰ You’re also likely to exercise less and more likely to make unhealthy food choices.

Certain foods can relieve stress, such as leafy vegetables, blueberries and avocados. It’s about eating right, not less.

#15 – Get enough sleep

Poor sleep can wreak havoc on your health for a number of reasons. One of them is that it can cause weight gain. This is because sleep deprivation:

• Leads to the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin, increasing appetite
• Disrupts circadian rhythms, which can throw off your metabolism
• Makes you less likely to exercise¹¹

#16 – Exercise portion control

Pay attention to serving sizes – read packets carefully; it might contain two servings. Healthy eaters have a good understanding of portion sizes and how much they should be eating.

You can control your portion sizes by:

• Eating off of smaller plates
• Starting your meals with a glass of water
• Slowing down¹²

You could also use your plate as a guide:

• Fill up half of it with vegetables
• Carbs (e.g. whole grains) should take up a quarter
• Protein should be another quarter
• High-fat foods (e.g. oil) should be around half a tablespoon

#17 – Understand nutrition

Get a good understanding of nutrition to help make healthy eating as easy as possible. The more you know, the more it will become second-nature. You’ll be able to identify the healthier options on a menu, and cook nutritious meals without thinking too hard.

Eat a wide variety of foods that give you all the nutrients and minerals your body needs. That way, whether you’re at home or on the go, you’ll be eating healthily.

#18 – Keep a food diary

Many people keep track of what they’re eating – for example, in a food diary – to help them gain insight into what they’re eating and how much. This can be particularly helpful if you’re trying to stop snacking.

Alternatively, if you’re trying to lose weight, calorie counting can be a useful tool. After all, if you eat more calories than your body needs, it can lead to weight gain over time.

#19 – Be realistic

Set realistic goals, ones you can stick to. That way, you give yourself the best chance of success. Trying to do everything at once could set you up for failure. Start small: you could begin by preparing healthy lunches a few days a week and slowly build things up from there.

How to live a healthy, busy lifestyle

Healthy living is easier than you might think, even if you’re on the go all the time. It’s about being prepared, trying new things and making life as easy as possible. Even if you’re busy, you can still make healthy choices.

How sleep affects overall health

It’s not all about weight loss, sleep is essential for both physical and mental wellbeing. Here are just some of the ways regular poor sleep can impact overall health:

• It’s linked to depression
• Impairs immune function
• Decreases your ability to interact socially
• Can lead to heart disease
• Decreases sex drive
• Decreases fertility

So, it’s important to start making sleep a priority, not just when it comes to meeting your weight loss goals. It’s a key part of living a healthy lifestyle.

Along with being more active and eating well, good sleep is an essential ingredient when it comes to looking after overall health. You can’t look after your body and mind adequately without getting enough sleep. Take care of yourself, and make your needs a priority – you’ll soon start to reap the benefits.