Busy AF? Nutrition Tips For A Hectic Schedule
One of the biggest challenges our clients face when staying healthy is working 50+ hours a week or having multiple priorities like full-time work, families and study to juggle. You can plan to make healthy decisions but when the time comes; during or after a hectic day; you may just be too tired and lack the willpower to make a healthy choice. Here are some tips to help keep your nutrition on track during those crazy seasons at work.
Learn to love minimal meals
There’s no time to spend hours preparing and cooking fancy meals when your weekday calendar is chock full. Commit to making simple meals (3 – 5 ingredients) which are minimal on grocery shopping and prep time, while maximum on flavour. Once you’ve nailed a bunch of simple recipes, you’ll have a repertoire full of meals that you can shop for and prepare in a heartbeat.
Snack on walnuts
If you’re clocking up extra time at the office, this may mean you’re cubicle bound for the best part of the day and getting outside less. Over time, this can cause fatigue and even mild depression to set in. Adding some serotonin boosting foods to your diet is a great strategy to promote good mental health during busy periods.
Walnuts are a rich plant source of omega-3 fatty acid which supports brain function and may help reduce symptoms of mild depression. They also happen to make a super convenient and tasty snack.
Keep a stash of snacks
Staying on the snack theme, having access to healthy snacks in your desk drawer or the office fridge is key to staying on track healthwise when work is crazy busy. A homemade or quality store-bought unsweetened trail mix is our go-to.
A few other quick snack ideas: chopped apple and almond butter, air-popped popcorn or a tub of plain greek yogurt topped with sliced banana and the trail mix for crunch.
Meal prep Sundays
Ok, it doesn’t have to be Sunday, but carving out time one day a week to prep and cook in bulk is a lifesaver.
Aim to cook four to ten servings at a time, portion and freeze/refrigerate the meals so there’s something healthy to grab throughout the week. One pot wonders will be your best friend on meal prep days; minimal fuss and minimal cleaning up. Choose a day you’re more likely to feel up for spending a few hours in the kitchen and your motivation is high; which probably isn’t going to be Monday night after a long day’s work.
Or…..
Handball meal prep to someone else
The ultimate time saver when it comes to meal planning is to hand it over to someone else!
Here at Daley Fuel, we’re early risers. We get up and hit the markets to source the freshest ingredients in season each week. Our clever head nutritionist and her team of chefs then get to work preparing meals that are the right blend of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to sustain you throughout the day. All meals are weighed into single serve portions and contain no additives, preservatives or refined sugar.
Supercharge your focus with brain food
Eating foods to boost your cognitive function won’t just keep your health on track, you’ll be smarter at work too.
Salmon is a top-notch brain food option, it’s packed with omega-3 essential fatty acids and a fantastic source of vitamin B12, both essential nutrients for a healthy brain and nervous system. Baked salmon and roast veggies make a super healthy (and simple!) lunch option that can be cooked the night before.
Berries are also brilliant brain food. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are packed with flavonoids. Flavonoids are potent antioxidants that protect our brain cells from oxidative damage and research suggests flavonoids can boost learning, memory and decision-making skills.
Take a bullet blender to the office
Bust office-bound hunger and blend up a smoothie rather than hitting up the vending machine. Invest in a single serve bullet blender to keep at the office, along with a stash of oats, protein powder, greek yogurt and frozen berries; go-to ingredients for a quick, healthy and tasty smoothie.
Eat mindfully
Even when you’re up to your eyeballs in work, take 20 minutes out to focus on eating your lunch. Trying to eat while you finish that report off is the kind of multi-tasking that sets you up for overeating. Splitting your concentration between work and chowing down distracts you from reading your body’s hunger signals properly.
What tips do you have for keeping your health on track when you’re crazy busy?
Gem
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