Being constantly busy, running from place to place, meeting to meeting or even country to county can mean that your diet takes a back seat. But if you’re serious about your health and fitness goals, being too laid back about what you’re eating can really hinder your progress. After all, it’s absolutely true what they say, you can’t out train a bad diet.
Even if you’re super busy, eating well on the go should be a top priority, and these top tips may help to make things easier:
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Pack a snack
To eliminate the temptation to eat unhealthily on the go, make sure you pack a decent supply of healthy snacks which can be pre-packed and easily consumed. Being organised and packing snacks can save you money in the long run and can also stop you from making impulsive, bad choices. A protein bar or pre-measured portion of unsalted nuts are both good options. Pre-preparing your snacks can also help you to keep on top of portion sizes.
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Pre-prepare meals
If you’re short on time, pre-preparing or batch cooking meals could be both time and money-saving. Spend a couple of hours at the weekend cooking in batches ready for the week ahead. Homemade soups, salads, roasted vegetables, boiled eggs and savoury muffins are all good options.
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Don’t skip breakfast
If you’re prone to eating on the go, it’s likely you lead a hectic life, but no matter how busy you are it’s important to start the day off right with a decent breakfast. Eating breakfast helps to kickstart your metabolism and stave off cravings, and it needn’t be an elaborate affair. Some great options for a healthy breakfast on the go include overnight oats, which as the name suggests can be made the night before by soaking rolled oats in either milk or yogurt and mixing in your favourite fruit. You could also make a protein-packed chia seed pudding to last you the week by mixing chia seeds with coconut milk, a little vanilla extract and berries or tropical fruit.
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Invest in a reusable water bottle
One of the most vital rules for healthy nutrition on the go is to not forget drinking water, especially when it’s hot outside. It’s also important to remember that alcohol, coffee and fizzy drinks do not replace water, so it’s well worth investing in a re-usable water bottle and keeping it topped up so that you can take sips throughout the day. When you become even slightly dehydrated, your brain can misinterpret thirst for hunger, driving appetite and cravings. On top of that, dehydration can drain energy levels, making you less likely to be physically active.
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Pay attention to what’s on your plate, even when you’re eating out
Despite your best efforts to plan, you may sometimes find the need to eat at a restaurant or pick up something quickly on-the-go. Dining out doesn’t mean you have to abandon your healthy eating habits altogether, simply make some healthy tweaks. For example, ask for dressing on the side and choose baked, boiled or grilled options instead of fried.
