Managing to Eat Clean with a Packed Schedule

A common aspect of daily life that professionals often neglect is eating correctly. Many people usually say that they’re too busy hustling to even squeeze in a snack or two—and that’s understandable. 

In this day and age, everybody’s seizing all sorts of financial opportunities, and more often than not, these opportunities are time-consuming. When you’re so engrossed in work, your mind tends to forget that you have a stomach to fill.

So, how do you manage to eat healthy with a busy schedule? 

Prep Your Breakfast Meals Ahead of Time

We get it; there’s nothing like the morning rush before work. But just because you have to start bustling early in the day doesn’t mean you can forget about the most important meal of the day—breakfast.

Breakfasts quite literally 'break the fast' after a long night of sleeping, that is, if you even sleep at night. You should eat foods that will replenish the glucose in your body, giving your energy level a boost and keeping you alert until lunchtime. 

Foods like oatmeal, greek yogurt, sliced fruits, and eggs are some of the best no-fuss breakfast meals you can prepare ahead of time. Preparing overnight oats only takes about five minutes out of your evening. Placing sliced fruits and greek yogurt in one container takes even less time. 

The critical factor here is preparing ahead of time, and that includes having a meal plan. With a meal plan, you know what you’re going to have tomorrow, making it easier to prepare and go. It’s also an excellent way to prioritize it on your schedule.

There are also tons of free meal plans on the internet that you can use for your reference.

Follow a Strict Eating Schedule

Given that you’re busy, you need a strict eating schedule—otherwise, you’re more than likely to keep skipping meals. Get as close to 'strict' as you can. This is going to take discipline early on.

When you’re too busy hustling, you tend to forget to eat. This forgetfulness can be solved by setting a strict eating schedule that you should condition yourself to follow. True, in the beginning, this can be a struggle but treat it as if you’re developing a healthy habit you won’t outgrow. 

Once your body gets used to your new eating schedule, your body will become adjusted, and it won’t feel like a struggle; you’ll naturally find yourself squeezing in meals no matter how busy you are because it will already be in your “DNA”.

Besides, having an eating schedule has many benefits like maximizing your digestive health and reducing the risks of obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. 

A sample schedule you can follow might look something like this:

• 7:30 AM - Breakfast
• 9:30 AM - Snack
• Noon - Lunch
• 3:00 PM - Snack
• 6:00 PM - Dinner
  

You can adjust the schedule accordingly, but remember that you need to eat within an hour of waking up, and lunch should be approximately 5 hours after breakfast. Snacks in between should be 3 hours after respective meals, except dinner time. And of course, dinner should be at least 3 hours before bed.

Portion Healthy Snacks 

Since we’ve mentioned having designated snack times are part of your eating schedule, it is imperative to incorporate healthy snacks into your routine. 

Snacks are a way for you to avoid the risk of feeling too hungry right before your meals, which may cause you to overindulge, even if it’s healthy. When portioned correctly, healthy snacks are also a way to keep your energy level high until your next full meal.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the time to pre-portion your snacks because these items are readily available in grocery stores and markets everywhere. 

Healthy snacks you can consume during your quick break time include nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, or yogurt. Mix and match but remember only to eat enough to keep your hunger at bay. Some examples of healthy snacks can be about a handful of nuts, 5 to 6 slices, or pieces of fruit, or 6 ounces of yogurt.

Utilize a Meal Plan Delivery 

If push comes to shove, numerous companies deliver healthy meals to your office or home for designated meal times. 

These companies also even offer you different types of meal plans depending on what kind of diet you’re following: Keto, Paleo, Low-Carb, Vegan, Low-fat, etc., naming a few.

Meal plan delivery might be an expensive option, but it’s one of the best ways to guarantee your stomach gets filled when it needs to. Consider it an investment for you to have good health for years to come.

Moreover, companies like this also hire nutritionists and dietitians to ensure that all meals are healthy and delicious. The only thing you have to worry about is specifying what kind of foods you don’t want and your preferred delivery time.

Some great options for meal plans are Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Gobble, and Sun Basket.