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Nutrition Tips for Busy Lives

April 17, 2024•3 min read

Do you feel like your days blur together? Like you never have enough time? How is it mid-April, 2024? We are often rushed. Busy. Distracted. A lack of time is a frequently cited reason for a poor diet. Though, as we witnessed in lockdown, and the pandemic pounds that ensued, a time crunch is not always the culprit. In our modern-day world eating well has become an uphill battle. Despite our best intentions, for many of us, it is a struggle to maintain a balanced diet. Why is it so difficult and what can we do to make it easier?

Pic: Rockstar and Bro

Below is a list of common challenges and practical strategies you can employ to tackle this dynamic head-on!

Main Culprits

Perceived Time Constraints and Convenience Culture

Modern life moves at the speed of light and meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking often get relegated to the bottom of the list. Services like Uber Eats make obtaining take-out easier than ever. Family dinners are disrupted by activities and late workdays. Cooking fresh, nutritious food, especially for a family, requires effort to procure and prepare. Who has the time? Fact: We all do but we need to make the time.

Temptations at Every Turn

Advertisements bombard us with images of mouth-watering, calorie-laden foods, eaten by people having the time of their lives. Look beyond this smoke screen.

Emotional Eating

Stress, boredom, sadness these emotions can drive us to seek comfort in sugary, salty foods. It is a coping strategy for life challenges. Once we understand this dynamic, better strategies can be developed for tough times.

Strategies for Success

Plan Ahead

This is where the issue of priorities comes into play. I know it has been said a million times, but planning is key to our success if we wish to eat a balanced diet. We don’t need to make a lot of time for it, but we need to make some. Know your limit and then set aside this time each week to plan your meals and snacks. 30 minutes is 30 minutes. Create a shopping list and stick to it to avoid impulse purchases. Challenge yourself to go to a store and only buy what is on your list. Can you do it? Have I? Other time savers include, having meats and fish delivered. Set-up an on-line grocery delivery service to keep you out of the shops and the cupboards full.

Mindful Eating

Pay attention to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Before reaching for a snack, ask yourself if you’re truly hungry or if there is something else going on. Practice putting down your fork between bites.

Stock Up on Healthy Staples

Keep the kitchen and fridge stocked with nutritious staples, i.e., whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Keep chopped up vegetables front and center in the fridge. Use the crisper for things you do not need regularly.

Cook in Batches

On days when you have more time, prepare large batches of healthy meals and freeze individual portions. Do this once a month and you’ll have convenient, homemade options available when the fridge is empty.

Seek Support

Healthy eating can seem complex and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! An Empower nutrition coach can help you build new healthy habits one step at a time.

Practice Moderation, Not Deprivation

Allow yourself treats without guilt. No foods are good or bad, some simply meet our goals better than others. Depriving yourself can lead to cravings and binge-eating episodes. Adopt an 80/20 rule. 80 % of your meals are whole foods, 20% wiggle room for whatever.