Juggling Healthy Eating with a Busy Schedule

As the fall season is settling in, our lives may become busier and our calendars start to crowd. Suddenly, the urge to microwave that frozen pizza pocket the instant you come home grows familiar again. We have all been there, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the occasional frozen comfort meal!

But at most times, these meals are eaten mainly for convenience and not for balanced nutrition purposes. As our bodies need to keep up with the busier seasonal demands, it is possible to have nourishing meals with the same level of convenience as your favourite frozen comfort food!

Meal Prep Made Simple

On social media, the most popular form of meal prep is 6 containers of the same dinner everyday for a week. If you have watched these videos, and thought “There’s no way I can stick to the same meal everyday for a week” you’re not alone!

“Meal prep” can take many forms and one of the simpler and more realistic forms is batch cooking!

Batch cooking is preparing basic foods that can be incorporated into many different dishes! This can look like freezing a batch of:

Chopped grilled chicken
Soups and stews
Your favourite pasta sauces
Roasting and blanching your favourite veggies

Breakfast Made Simple: Kickstart Your Day

A bad habit that may look more familiar in these busy times is skipping breakfast. We all know how important breakfast is for fuel throughout the day, but sometimes life gets the better of us.

Some realistic and easy-to-prep breakfast ideas are:

Overnight oats you can prep the night before. You can top it with nuts and peanut butter for an extra protein boost.
A batch of egg bites or mini frittatas can be prepped in an hour and stored in the freezer for future use. Bake or microwave your breakfast portion and take it on-the-go!
Yoghurt parfaits can also be prepped the night before. You can make 3-4 portions at once as a weekly prep.

Listening to Your Bodily Demands

Eating well can be extra hard with long shift hours. Here’s some advice:

Aim for balanced meals…this means portion some veggies, protein, carbs, and fats to maintain a good energy level throughout your busy day
Keep your handy water bottle nearby all day and stay hydrated! Dehydration symptoms include fatigue and weakness.1
Avoid skipping meals as it can backfire, making your tasks feel even harder and putting more demand on your body

Wrapping it Up

Mixing a busy schedule with healthy eating revolves around thoughtfulness and preparation. Using the power of healthy eating can help your busy days feel less exhausting. By food prepping, having your favourite freezer staples and thoughtful health reminders, you are providing yourself more ease.

Nutrition shouldn’t add onto your stress, it should lessen your load and support your health.

Bibliography

Cleveland Clinic. Dehydration. Cleveland Clinic. Published June 5, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9013-dehydration