I have been on the go a lot lately. I feel like I have just enough time between work or exercise or a social activity to change and get ready for the next. I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way...especially during the holiday season. The saying 'so little time so much to do' really rings true for me.
The first thing to take a backseat when I get super busy is my meal preparation. I try every night to get my day organized. I lay out my clothes, I pack my snacks and I try to think ahead so if I can't go home, I don't have to take a pit stop somewhere for a meal. On occasion I do and I make good choices but if I'm going to spend a decent amount of money at the grocery store every week, that is the food that I don't want to go to waste. So to keep my life on track and not feel like my nutrition struggles, I am going to attempt to follow these tips.
1. Pick a couple hours a week to spend preparing meals for the week. Typically for me this would be Sunday sometime. I usually have something going in the crockpot. I will make rice or quinoa in a bigger quantity to last me the whole week. I also like to try new recipes now and again. Last week was taco salad with seasoned ground chicken. I keep in mind what I have going on that week so I can figure out how many meals I need to pack into separate containers to grab and go. If you're okay with leftovers, plans some meals that are large enough that they can last you a few days.
2. Cut up fruits and veggies right after you get home from the store. I have much better success eating a balance of fruits and veggies if they are washed, cut up and put in containers on my busy days. They are good fillers and you can consume as many veggies as you want throughout the day. What better snack is there than that? Fruits are great too, you just have to watch your sugar consumption.
3. Pack food for the day the night before. Most of the time I'm pretty good at doing this though I tend to struggle when it's getting towards the end of the week. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches usually become a meal and sometimes days just get thrown together with whatever I have left. I don't like hodge podge days so I am going to try to be better about preparing my grocery list as well as making sure I have enough food to last me the whole week.
4. Remember to hydrate all day. I like water and I have good intentions each day to drink enough and then some depending on what my workout is but sometimes it gets away from me. A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water before and with every meal. It is so important to stay hydrated especially if you work out almost every day like I do.
5. Have snacks available when you're on a tight schedule. I'm not a huge fan of most granola or protein bars because they are high in calories, they typically have a lot of fillers you don't need to consume and I don't feel full very long after I eat one. With that said, it's better than nothing especially if you are on the move all day long. There are a few granola bar choices that only have five or six ingredients and they taste good. The more natural ingredients, the better.
There is always time to get your week organized just like there is always time to get a workout in...you just have to plan for it and stick to your plan. My best feeling weeks are the ones that start and end with good meals and proper hydration. Good nutrition is so important when it comes to a busy lifestyle. The better you feel, the easier it is going to be to wake up each morning and tackle the day.
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