Healthy Eating on the Go

Let’s face it: life is busy. As everything starts to kick back up into high gear after a year of COVID restrictions, it can feel as though all hopes of healthy eating are about to go out the window. Although it’s natural for healthy eating to be harder or feel less natural during busy seasons in our lives, that doesn’t mean we have to give up on pursuing a healthy lifestyle when things pick up. Creating a sustainable healthy lifestyle includes learning to make wise choices when we don’t have immediate control over the foods around us. Whether we are in a time in life when our calendar is booked solid or in a time when life moves at a slower pace, the same concepts of healthy eating still apply. The important part is that we learn to take healthy principles we know and apply them to our daily life- no matter what that looks like. 

Thinking ahead

Oftentimes the reason people eat unhealthy during busy seasons in their lives is because they forget about food entirely. It is easy to get caught up in going from one thing to the next, then the next thing you know you either missed or forgotten to plan for your meal and grab fast food instead. This happens because of a failure to make food a priority in your life. Food becomes something to get to once we finish our “to-do” list rather than a part of our “to-do” list.  Eating healthy and consistently is part of what gives us the energy and confidence to do all the other things in our life to the best of our ability. So when we neglect healthy living, then the other areas in our life suffer as well. Instead, when we add food to our priority list and plan our schedules around making healthy choices, then we will be better equipped and energized for the rest of our day and lives. So the next time you have a busy day ahead of you, make a mental plan of the food you plan on eating and set yourself up for a healthy success.

Planning for “backup meals”

One of the most practical ways to plan on eating healthy in busy seasons is to have a “back-up” or “go-to” meal. Meaning, have a meal that is quick, balanced, and that you can eat whenever you find yourself in a pinch for a healthy choice. Backup meals should have lean protein, a source of fiber through fruits, vegetables, or whole grain, and a source of healthy fats. In practice this looks different for everyone, but essentially applies the same principles you apply to meals when you have all the time in the world. 

Some examples may be a fast food item you know fits into your meal plan (the taco bell fresco bean burrito is a surprisingly great example of this),  or a meal you always have prepped and in your freezer ready to go, or a meal you know you can whip together with one pot in 20 minutes or less. In our home, I always have a thin crust pizza in the freezer. When I’m in a rush, I’ll grab a bagged salad from Kroger and serve the pizza with added chicken and a pre-made salad on the side. It’s not perfect, but it works for what I need on a busy evening. Regardless of what this looks like for your family, always having a healthy and balanced meal in the back of your mind makes a huge difference when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. 

Looking for color

Another key way to eat healthy on the go is to always look for color in your meals. This particularly comes in handy when you find yourself in a situation when you have little to no control over what is being served or eaten. Looking for color means making it a priority to make choices that add fruits or vegetables in some way, and as a result means you add vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Although you may not be able to escape eating some unhealthy foods, you always have a choice in how you build your plate and what you put into your body. 

Some examples of this would be adding a side salad at the burger joint your family decided to eat at, asking for extra salsa to load up your plate with tomatoes when eating Mexican food at a friend’s house, or even grabbing a fruit cup at a gas station while running errands and before a catered meal. For me, this looks like always packing some type of fruit with me in my work bag whenever I go to a work event. That way, I always know I will have a source of nutrients to add to whatever meal I find myself eating. Whatever this looks like, as long as you are adding color to your meals in some way, your body will still have more of what it needs to function healthily. 

In the end, balanced eating doesn’t end when life begins. Healthy living is about finding ways to make healthy decisions, meals, and habits happen throughout all of life. Follow us @nutrition502 on Instagram or email us at natalie@nutrition502.com to learn more about what healthy eating can look like for you during every season in life.