Life is busy, right? Work deadlines, full inboxes, children to look after, never-ending to-do lists – it’s a constant pressure. With food so easily accessible, cooking from scratch and eating healthily often falls to the bottom of the priority list. Yet, better choices can be easy, even for the busiest of us.
Cafeteria runs for the most convenient and quickest thing to eat at lunchtime, takeaways or deliveries after work are becoming a part of our reality without us even noticing it.
Convenience eating often results in people not hitting all macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fats) in their main meals, which causes them to constantly feel hungry, overeat and gain weight. The ‘grab and go’ mentality takes its toll through loss of energy, lack of concentration and increased stress.
Nothing can replace what quality nutrition and real food can do for your health. Food is information. It’s got a set of instructions that tells every single cell within your body exactly what to do every second of the day.
PLAN AHEAD
We can see eyes rolling and we can hear “but I don’t have time for that!” thoughts, but the saying is so true – if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Taking time to prepare is essential for nailing nutrition.
Write out a meal plan for the week and have it visible, make a couple of meals and save them in the freezer for nights where you know you’ll be running late. Even go as far as pre-chopping your vegetables so they are ready to toss in a pot or roasting tray whenever you need them. Make it as easy as possible for yourself.
COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE
Cook extra at dinner time and get out some extra containers to serve up lunch for the next day. Be sure to lock your lunch into containers at the same time you serve dinner; this will help you stick to appropriate portion sizes.
PRE-PORTION YOUR SNACKS
Snacking is a habit a lot of desk-bound workers get into. Even when you’re eating well, constant snacking prevents you from keeping track of how much you are actually eating. Use little containers with pre-portioned quality snacks, such as nuts, bliss balls or crackers. Having them already broken down into appropriate serving sizes means you won’t be tempted to mindlessly eat the whole packet.
QUALITY HYDRATION
Always do your best to keep water as your main drink. Avoid fizzy drinks, sugar-laden juices and energy drinks. These are just empty calories that don’t provide any nutritious benefit. Buy yourself a big 1.5 litre drink bottle and make a conscious effort to drink at least two bottles each day. Keeping hydrated is incredibly important; when you are dehydrated it’s harder to concentrate and every task becomes more difficult. If you struggle to remember to drink enough water there are some great free apps that can help, such as Aqualet and My Water Balance.
AVOID THE 3PM SLUMP!
We’ve all been here, right? It’s like the productive day comes to a grinding halt and all you can think about is diving into the lolly jar and heading down the road to grab a double-shot coffee.
READ ALSO: How to trick your brain into being more productive at work
A great way to avoid this happening in the first place is to think about your breakfast and lunch and ensure you are including quality sources of all three macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Ticking all three macros will leave you feeling satisfied for longer and will sustain your energy levels. If you still struggle around that 3pm mark, then get up and go for a short walk in the fresh air. You’ll boost your productivity for the afternoon and avoid the empty calories.
LAY OFF THE COFFEE
Don’t worry, there is nothing wrong with the occasional coffee, but it can be damaging to our health if we overconsume it. Try to limit your coffee to one or two a day max, and avoid coffee after lunch. Coffee is a stimulant and when consumed later in the day, there is a high chance it will impact your sleep. If you’re under stress, opt for a decaf. Caffeine releases the hormone, adrenaline, which can leave an already stressed person feeling overwhelmed, anxious and unable to concentrate. Not only this, too much coffee can stop us from absorbing nutrients and puts added pressure on our adrenal glands and liver.
READ ALSO: 7 surprising facts about coffee you need to know
OUTSOURCE
There are some incredibly good food delivery options that are available for those who struggle with time and meal planning. They take the thinking out of ‘what should we have?’ They usually do a great job at taking care of portion control and ensuring all food groups are covered. If your nutrition is constantly falling behind and you’re in a position to purchase an option like this, it’s a great investment. To give the best of yourself to the world you can’t put a price on your nutrition!
REAL HEALTH NZ
is an online gym with a whole library of recipes
and a great community of like-minded women.
Realhealthnz.co.nz
