SMART
NUTRITION FOR BUSY PEOPLE
Even though you're
busy, it's crucial that you take the time to eat right. In fact, healthy
eating should be at the top of your priority list each day.
Why?
Well, first of all, you need a lot of energy and brain power to crank
through your hefty to-do list. The nutrition choices you make throughout
the day dramatically impact your ability to get things done... and get
them done right.
Second, you want your body to have the best chance at being healthy...
for life. The food you eat has a significant impact on your long-term
health.
For busy people like you, there are certain nutrition tips that will
help you fuel your body efficiently and effectively. Being a busy person
myself, I know the challenges you run into as you try to eat right.
But, I've figured out some secrets to making healthy eating a manageable
task for me, and I want to share them with you.
This tips are designed to help you eat well, even if you're incredibly
busy.
Tip #1: Eat a Healthy Breakfast:
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It breaks the fast from the night before. It jumpstarts your metabolism. It gives your body the fuel it needs to get through the morning. It wakes you up and sets the tone for the day.
Here are some quick, healthy, tasty breakfast ideas:
- Smoothies made with frozen fruit (you can make several batches at
once and put them in the fridge for future breakfasts)
- Homemade Oat-based Muesli (see recipe)
- Whole grain cereal with fruit and nuts on top
- Millet or quinoa with maple syrup, orange slices, almond slices and
grated coconut
- Whole-grain waffles with nuts, fruit, 100% natural maple syrup, and
ground flaxseeds (or put peanut butter, banana, and a few chocolate
chips on top for a morning treat)
- Fast 2-egg Scramble with spinach, hand-crumbled mushrooms, and cherry
tomatoes
- Fresh fruit salad or baked apples or pears
- Yogurt, fruit, and nut combo
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Piece of whole grain toast with nut butter on top, plus a piece of
fruit
Tip #2: Rearrange Your Lunchtime Eating Habits
Instead of eating your entire lunch at noon... why not save part of
it and eat it at 3:00 or 3:30? This will give your body something to
digest for the late afternoon which will keep your blood sugar stable.
It will also keep you from feeling stuffed after lunch! You may find
that this tip helps you avoid that afternoon energy crash.
Tip #3: Eat a Healthy Snack To Prevent the Afternoon Crash:
If you know that you always crash around 3:00, and Tip #2 didn't work
for you, then try having a snack a half hour before you normally crash.
The best snacks are those that provide a mix of complex carbohydrates,
protein, and good fat.
Here are some delicious snacks for you to try:
- Apples, bananas, or celery with peanut butter
- Veggie sticks (cucumber, celery, pepper) and dip (hummus, bean dip, salsa or your favorite dressing)
- Fresh fruit with slivered almonds, walnuts, or pecans
- Tomato, mozzarella, and basil with balsamic vinegar on top
- Kashi "TLC" crackers and bean dip or jam
- Organic yogurt and fresh fruit – grapes and berries are the fastest
to prepare
- Odwalla Bars or LARA-BARs
- Trail mix - raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit
- Edamame (these are soybeans – found in bags in the freezer section)
- Amy's or Healthy Valley soups (choose ones with beans or chicken in
them)
Tip #4: Eat Healthy At Work
Work is sometimes a landmine of candy bowls, coffee stations, and fattening
vending machines. If you don't have good snack options at work, it can
be really tempting to succumb to one of the less healthy options. Why
not try one of these options:
- Stock up your desk and work fridge with healthy snacks (See Healthy
Eating-on-the-Go document)
- Swap your candy bowl for a bowl of pre-cut fruit or veggies
- Drink water all throughout the day, especially when sugar cravings
hit
- Take a walk mid-afternoon when you need a boost
- Have tea instead of soda or coffee for a gentler caffeine fix
- Enlist other co-workers to share healthy snack responsibilities -
have someone bring in a healthy snack each week for everyone to sample
Tip #5: Eat A Healthy Dinner
Most families come together to eat dinner, but these days dinner is
usually take-out or a 'fend for yourself' kind of meal. How about redefining
your dinner experience by cooking some healthy meals that will be ready
quickly and reward your body for getting through another long day.
- Make a pot of quick-cooking grains (try Seeds of Change 'Fast-Cooking
Quinoa' or Lundberg’s 'Quick Cooking Brown Rice')
- Make a 'One-Pot Wonder' – put chicken or
tofu into the same pot as your grains and veggies - let it simmer or
stir fry all at once
- Make a huge pot of soup on Sunday night and freeze it for the rest
of the week
- Buy family-size packs of chicken, fish and meat - freeze them, then
put a few pieces in fridge when you leave for work in the a.m. so they
can defrost
- Make a whole-grain pasta dish - it cooks just as fast as regular pasta
- Make a whole wheat pita wrap with turkey, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers,
avocado, peppers, and honey mustard
- Make a salad with dark greens like mache, arugula, and spinach. Load
it with veggies like peppers, mushrooms, corn, tomatoes, carrots, summer
squash, onions, and broccoli (put them in the food processor for faster
chopping)
- Pick up some sushi on the way home
