In today’s world, there is little free time. Between working, picking up kids, running errands, it seems like every minute is accounted for. Unfortunately, one of the first things that busy people let go of is cooking. This results in eating on the go, whether it be fast food restaurants or carry-out. No matter how healthy you try to order while out at a restaurant you still can’t control the ingredients and you end up eating bigger portions and less quality food as compared to a home cooked meal.

Here are some tips to stay healthy for even the busiest of schedules:

• Go to the store 1x/week. Make a list of exactly what you need and stick to the list. This will help you estimate exact ingredients and prevent you from over or under-buying. I always try to go to the store on Saturdays to get everything for the week.
• Make a menu for dinner items. This is a must!
• Pre-cut your veggies and store them in a tupperware on a visible shelf in the fridge.
• Make your lunch the night before.
• Buy already washed kale, spinach and other veggies. You can even buy pre-cut veggies. They may not be the freshest but it saves you time and it encourages you to eat more produce overall.
• Cook in bulk on Sundays. Make a big batch of soup (always double the recipe) and freeze half of it. You’ll be so glad you did this on a busy work night when you can just pull something out of the freezer in the morning. Here are some of my favorite “freezer-friendly” recipes.
• Bake 6-8 chicken breasts or filets of fish in advance on a Sunday. Store in a tupperware in the fridge. Top your pre-washed salad greens with these easy sources of protein for easy lunches throughout the week.
• Boil 6-8 eggs on a Sunday. Hard boiled eggs make for an easy protein packed snack. 2 hard-boiled eggs can be an easy breakfast as well.
• Ration out hummus, black bean dip, nut butters and trail mix in small tupperware containers. Grab a container daily along with some cut up veggies for a snack or side to your lunch.
• Make “Ants on a log” in advance (celery sticks with almond or peanut butter, topped with raisins). You can make a whole batch of these on the weekend and then pre-package them in tin foil packs to take with you to work.

The key to eating healthy is PLANNING! It does take work to feel good, but it sure does beat feeling ill all the time.

Here are some more ideas for easy meals and snack ideas.

Editor’s Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health practitioners with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, supplement, fitness, or other health program.