We all want to eat healthily, but sometimes life just gets in the way and we find ourselves grabbing the wrong foods. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of seven simple strategies to help you stay on track with your diet while getting through the day. Whether it’s by bringing your own lunch or packing snacks for later, these simple tips can help you go from a sugar-coma to a state of pure bliss!
1. Bring Your Own Lunch
The easiest thing you can do is pack your lunch each morning so that when hunger strikes at noon, there are no bad choices left. All it takes is 20 minutes before bedtime and an hour in the morning to prepare 3 days worth of food, one for each workday, then pack it all up in individual bags so you can just grab and go!
Make sure to include some form of protein (beef, chicken, tofu), some kind of grains (quinoa, rice), and veggies (broccoli, carrots). You can get super creative with this if you want, and you can find more inspiration if you click here in case you want additional ideas for your meals! For example, people often make stir-fry on Sundays that gets divided into 3 Tupperware containers. It’s quick, easy, and you’ll be happy with the health benefits.
2. Homemade Healthy Snacks
If packing your lunch seems like too much work, there are always breakfast items to fall back on. From granola bars to protein shakes, to eggs and toast, these are all easy snacks that won’t leave you feeling overloaded with sugar or hunger an hour after downing them.
Especially as a college student, it’s really hard not to go for the cookies at midnight when we get home from studying all day. However, for those of us who want to stay healthy, keeping healthy snacks within arms-length is a must.
When we see cookies or candy lying around, we become tempted to eat them and don’t realize what happens after that. To keep yourself out of this cookie jar, stock up on your favourite fruits and veggies. Bananas and apples are just as filling as the candy we’re trying to avoid, plus they have a lot of healthy benefits.
3. Save The Junk Food For Later
If you’re going out to eat it’s best to be aware of what you’re going to order before sitting down. Don’t let yourself be swayed by a menu that’s loaded with desserts and fried sides if your goal is a healthy meal. Instead, eat a healthy snack beforehand and choose something from the menu that’s not going to derail your efforts.
If it’s not on the menu, ask for a substitution! It doesn’t hurt to ask. For example, if there are no healthy salads on the menu you could always ask for a side salad instead of fries or potatoes. If it’s still too hard to see all of your options, just go with whatever veggie is in season. This way you’re still eating healthy while letting them know your preferences.
4. Remember Your Water Bottle
Now more than ever, staying hydrated is important. Studies show most of us are chronically dehydrated and don’t even realize it, which can lead to all kinds of health problems. At school or work, choose water over soda or juice because these will only make you hungrier later on. It’s also important to drink water at meals so you can fill your stomach and feel satisfied with less food.
In order to stay hydrated, you should be getting at least 8 glasses of water a day, more if you live somewhere hot or are exercising regularly. If you can’t keep track of how much you’ve had throughout the day, try bringing a reusable water bottle with you and filling it up every time it’s empty.
5. Don’t Skip Breakfast
No matter how busy your morning is, never skip breakfast! You need to eat first thing in order to function properly and if you’re dashing off to work without any food in your system you’ll be so hungry by the time lunch rolls around that it’s easy to make a mistake.
Packing a healthy breakfast and bringing it with you is not only good for your body but also saves you money since you won’t be tempted to grab something expensive and unhealthy on the way out the door. There’s a reason for saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
6. The Healthy Dinner
For most busy working people, dinner time is often the last chance to eat properly for the day. This is why it’s so important to plan ahead with a healthy meal that will be filling and satisfying. It also helps if you’re able to find this option in restaurants near you, these can be hard to come by! Luckily there are plenty of places that offer healthy meals within your reach with food that tastes delicious.
One big factor when choosing an optimal dinner spot is cost. If you know how much money will be in your budget at the end of each week, it’ll make finding a place easier when considering what kind of healthy dish to order. Make sure you take into account any gratuities or drinks when planning your budget so you know what you’re working with.
7. Listen To Your Body
In the end, it all comes down to listening to your body. When you eat something with sugar or carbs, there’s going to be a blood-sugar spike with a crash soon to follow. So if you’re feeling sluggish or sad, don’t just reach for the first thing you see on a counter, take a minute and listen to what your body is telling you it needs, chances are it’s something healthy!
One of the main mistakes we make when we’re trying to eat healthily is that we confuse hunger with craving. A craving is a moment of intense, uncontrollable desire for something specific, such as ice cream or french fries. But if we’ve been resisting food all day, when that ice cream craving hits it feels like we need to eat it right then and there. We confuse this with hunger, but really our body just wants something sweet! So before saying yes to a craving, take a minute and think about whether this is actually what your body needs. If not, choose a healthy snack that can help curb the craving and wait until your next meal to eat something more substantial.
It’s no secret that we all want to eat healthily, but sometimes life just gets in the way and we find ourselves grabbing the wrong foods. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of 7 strategies to help you stay on track with your diet while getting through the day. So there you have it, some very simple things that will help improve your diet even on the busiest of days. Try these strategies next time you need to get through a long day and let us know how it goes!