The truth is, life isn’t ideal for anyone. But you still have to eat. And you’re allowed to prioritise healthy eating even if you’re extremely busy or out on the road.
Luckily there are strategies for eating well even when you’re busy. Each depends on your willingness, time management, money management, and overall goals.
In this article we share 5 strategies we use with our nutrition coaching clients in order to help them stay on track with their goals…
Eating on the Go Option #1: Weekly ritual
Imagine this: Every time you are hungry and ready to eat, you flip open a cooler and take out a container of a tastey, nutritious food. Gosh, healthy nutrition would be fool-proof, right? If that sounds good, then introduce yourself to the “Weekly Ritual.”
The “Weekly Ritual” is commonly referred to as the Sunday ritual. You pick one day per week, set aside a few hours, plan your food intake, buy the foods, and prepare the foods.
This will take time, but remember, you get out what you put in. Things that are worthwhile (in nutrition and in life) take time and effort.
While Sunday is a popular day for this, any day will work. Let us warn you, at first, your friends and family may dismiss this new habit as “extremist.” They might insist that you’ve lost your mind and joined a food preparation cult. While certain situations do call for a more relaxed approach to eating (lugging your lunch pail into a restaurant with colleagues for a job interview isn’t very cool), having nutritious eats for the week is generally what fit people do.
Eating on the Go Option #2: Daily Ritual
So you don’t like the weekly gig, huh? No problem.
How about a daily food prep ritual? In less than 30 minutes, you can get all of your food organised for the day (or the following day). This can be as easy as heading to your local market/ shop before/after your day begins and loading up a big container (or 2) at the salad bar with the food you need.
Not that hardcore? Then how about setting the alarm 30 minutes earlier each day and doing a breakfast ritual. It’s a mini version of the weekly ritual. Just gather up the food you have on hand and prep your meals for the day. Steam some veggies, cut some fruit, mix some beans, cook some grains, etc. Just do this while you’re prepping meal #1 for the day. You’re going to do that anyways, right?
Eating On the Go #3: Have Go to Options
If you travel often you may want to jot down a few easy healthy options in your local service stations. Not every service station or stop will offer super quality nutrition BUT if you look hard enough and choose wisely there is often a lot more to be found than first meets the eye.
Below are some of our favourite that you can easily pick up…
Eating on the go #4: make better choices
While making your choices on the GO don’t feel you need to be perfect, instead focus on how you can do better.
Try to move away from that “ALL-OR-NOTHING” mindset and look at all of your choices on a spectrum instead. Making these better choices more often than not will start to pay off in the long term.
Eating on the go #5: Check Your mindset
- Decide whets you’ll stick to your healthy habits or take a temporary break. Either way is good as long as it is a conscious choice.
- Aim for better instead of perfect.
- Hunger is not an emergency. It is OK to be hungry at times, even for a couple of hours if you don’t like your food options.
- What are your minimums? E.g at least 1 serving of greens per day & 2 workouts a week.
- No matter what happens, you can always fall back on the simple stuff.. Eat slowly, mindfully and to 80% full. This way whatever your choice, you ensure you ENJOY it for what it is.
Want Help Becoming The Healthiest, Fittest, Strongest Version Of You?
Most people know that regular movement, eating well, sleep, and stress management is important for looking and feeling better. Yet they need help applying that knowledge in the context of their busy, sometimes stressful lives.
That’s why we work closely with our Nutrition Coaching clients to help them lose fat, get stronger, and improve their health… no matter what challenges they’re dealing with.
If you’re ready to change your body, and your life, with help from some of the country’s best coaches, this is your chance.