How to Keep Your Nutrition on Track When Life Gets Crazy Busy
We all know how it feels when life kicks into overdrive — back-to-back meetings, endless to-do lists, and days that seem to fly by before we’ve even had a chance to breathe.
In the chaos, it’s easy to let your nutrition slide, reaching for whatever’s convenient instead of what’s healthy.
But staying on top of your nutrition doesn’t have to be another stressor. With a few smart strategies, you can keep your diet on track no matter how hectic your schedule gets. Here’s how to do it:
(1) TREAT YOUR MEALS AS YOU WOULD YOUR MOST IMPORTANT MEETINGS
Your nutrition has a direct and profound impact on how you feel and perform every day – including in the workplace -, so it deserves the same priority as your most important work tasks and meetings.
Schedule time in your calendar for meals just like you would for any important task or a meeting.
This not only keeps you accountable to yourself, but also signals to others that your lunchtime is non-negotiable. For instance, I’ve got a 45-minute “lunch meeting” blocked off every day, plus 10 minutes for a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack.
If your schedule is always changing, just tweak your meal times each Sunday based on what’s coming up that week.
(2) PLAN AHEAD, EVEN IF IT’S JUST A LITTLE
Even if you don’t like to prepare a meal plan for the entire week,
take a few minutes each evening to look at your schedule for the next day and plan your meals and snacks accordingly.
Having a rough idea of where and what you’ll eat ahead of time can help you make much smarter food choices and avoid temptations and unhealthy options when you are already super hungry.
(3) PACK PORTABLE, NUTRITIOUS SNACKS
If you look at my handbag, there is one thing you are always guaranteed to find in there – food 😊.
Unsalted nuts and fruit that doesn’t get spoiled so easily such as apples, or sometimes a box of sliced veggies (e.g. cucumber, peppers, cherry tomatoes, celery, etc), whole-grain crackers, skyr or a thermos flask with a high protein-fruit-veggie smoothie.
Occasionally you might even find a boiled egg in there.
I normally prepare these in the evening, keep them in the fridge and then pack them in my handbag in the morning. They are all highly nutritious and help me stay on track with my meal schedule when I’m out and about, stuck in back-to-back meetings or during a long travel day.
In the office you can simply keep them on your desk (or in the office fridge if you have it), to help you avoid the temptation of vending machines or sweet treats from the cafeteria.
(4) DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST
When your mornings are rushed, breakfast is often the first thing to go. But honestly, breakfast is absolutely key for our wellbeing and skipping it is never a good idea.
Among other,
not having breakfast can undermine your energy levels, moods, brain functioning, weight management and contribute to sugar cravings later in the day.
If you’re always short on time in the morning and need something quick and nutritious, I highly recommend overnight oats. They take just 5 minutes to prepare in the evening and in the morning you can just take them out of the fridge and eat them. Plus, you can make them in bulk and keep them in the fridge for 3 days at a time.
There’s a lot of different recipes out there that you can use – here’s one of my own to help you get started.
(5) EAT MINDFULLY, EVEN WHEN BUSY
And finally, it’s easy to eat on autopilot when you’re busy, but slowing down and being mindful of what and how you’re eating is really important.
That’s because if you eat too fast or multitask during your mealtimes you’re much more likely to end up with bloating, wind and reflux - and overeat too. Plus, your body will not be able to absorb the nutrients from food as well, which can lead to nutrient insufficiencies and related health challenges in the long term.
So try to eat slowly, chew food well, avoid multitasking (e.g. responding to emails or browsing your phone while eating), and pay attention to the taste, smell and texture of the food.
Now all of this said – while I do recommend you are as consistent with these five tips as you can,
it’s also important to remember not to be too hard on yourself.
Life happens, and sometimes you might grab a less-than-ideal meal or stray from your usual meal schedule. That’s okay! What matters is that you’re making an effort most of the time. One indulgent meal won’t ruin your progress – just get back on track with your next meal.
