If there’s one thing that will never change about eating healthy, it’s this. You have to cook, and you have to cook a lot. There’s no way around it. The good stuff is the stuff you make at home with fresh ingredients, and the bad stuff is pre-packaged and processed. Simple as that.
I find it funny that so many people I know avoid healthy food choices, not because they don’t taste good, but because they require so much preparation. We live in a go go go world, and most people don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen.
Fair enough. I don’t either. I’m a very busy guy too, and that’s why I’ve learned how to adapt my healthy eating habits to my hectic and sometimes downright impossible schedule. With a few small adjustments to your ordinary cooking schedule, you can too.
1.) Learn to cook in batches. I think it’s positively crazy to get out all of the cooking gear and go to town for just one meal! In my mind, that’s like flying all the way out to Paris, stopping for a cup of coffee, and then hopping back on the plane and coming home. You’ve already got the gears in motion. Why don’t you just cook a bunch of food and eat some of it later?
I think it’s especially important to do with your proteins. When you pre-cook lean protein, you never have an excuse to skip a meal. It’s already there. You made it. You can put it into a sandwich or mix in with something else and bring it with you in a tupperware. I know it sounds like such a simple thing to do, but how many times have you stopped in your tracks mid-afternoon because you forgot to pack a good lunch?
I have some friends who are so into batch cooking that they make all of their meals in a single cooking session on Sunday. That’s right. They buy up a bunch of chicken, cook it all at once, and then they’ve got protein for an entire week. Just think about how much time that frees up. You can spend 1.5 hours doing what you would normally do in 6.
2.) Shop smart. Convenience food is everywhere you look. It dominates the shelves. If you find yourself purchasing convenience food thinking it will save you from your midday hunger, think again. You’re much better off preparing full meals in advance.
Instead of snacking on chips and pretzels, consider getting some fresh apples and carrots. I always bring a big tupperware full of vegetables to work. Whenever I get hungry, I break it out until my next meal. Oftentimes, the difference between a regular food and a snack food is a little preparation. While you’re cooking up all of your protein for the week, start chopping those vegetables too. Like I said, the gears are already in motion.
3.) Stay hydrated. It’s easy to feel hungry when you’re not properly hydrated. That’s why I always carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go. Plus, if I start to feel an energy slump (usually around 2 P.M.), I just mix in some Shakeology, and I’m good to go. It gives me a quick energy boost to get through my rough part of the day.
In terms of being productive, nothing is better than having water near your desk at all times. You’ll avoid the need to get up and get a drink, an interruption that can hamper your productivity. When you’ve got everything you need right there, you can just zone in and get stuff done.
Do you have time to eat unhealthily? After adapting my healthy eating habits to my busy schedule, I’ve realized something. Poor eating habits actually take more out of your day than you might think. If you haven’t prepared a healthy lunch beforehand, chances are you’ll start to feel awful for about an hour until you actually do something about it. Then you’ll have to rush off to grab a bite somewhere or pick up a convenience snack, taking even more time out of your busy schedule.
Why not be a prepared and responsible adult? Why not do all of your cooking in one afternoon and then enjoy the benefit of not having to cook for the next 6 days? That’s the healthy path. In my experience, it’s the path of least resistance.
