How do you eat healthfully when you are busy?

Question

I'm trying to eat a healthier diet more consistently-as in eat more rice, fish, veggies, fruit, that sort of thing, and not give up and hit the nearest drive through when I get stressed or busy. Does anybody have any cooking and food prep tips/recipes, etc? Thanks!

Answer 1

Prepare ahead of time! :) Pick a day when you are as busy, a slow Sunday, for instance......

Rice is really easy, as it keeps well. Prepare a large batch of rice, and keep in in a large, tightly sealed storage container in your fridge.

Chop you veggies all at once, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, celery..... Place in sealed containers, or in ziplock baggies - if you prefer. Prepare your salad greens and keep them in a large container or a large ziplock bag in your fridge.

The same with fruit... Slice apples, quarter oranges and store in containers/baggies.

You can even prepare complete healthy meals, divide into meal size portions and store in the freezer. Basically, make your own "lean cuisine" style dinners!

On the go a lot? Keep a small cooler in the car, bring along healthy snacks and drinks. :)

Answer 2

I keep a couple frozen dinners on hand, Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine for when I really don't feel like cooking. Otherwise, check your grocery store's meat counter, sometimes they have prepared meats you can put in the oven, like chicken florentine with spinach or with broccoli.
Make out your menu for the week so you know what you're having every night, that way you avoid that "what's for dinner" question and hopefully the drive thru. :)
Marinating meats before you leave for work is good too, then just put in the oven when you get home. Try the bottled marinades. Then just add some veggies and brown instant rice. I love the veggies that come in a bag you can put in the microwave!
Also, here's a recipe for a frittata I love, and it's great to make with either leftover pasta, or cook it up fresh. It's fast and filling. This is a Nigella Lawson recipe.

Heat the broiler or turn the oven on high. Whisk together 3 eggs, or you can use egg whites or Egg Beaters, 1 cup pasta (tear it if it's long) and some pepper in a bowl. You can add some veggies to this also if you like, some mushrooms, tomatoes...whatever. Heat a skillet, add a little margarine and a little garlic oil, add the egg/pasta mixture, cook until it's done on the bottom. Then put the pan in the oven and cook until it's puffy and a knife comes out clean, about 5 mins usually.

Answer 3

It's just as easy to broil a salmon filet as it is to cook a hamburger. For those times when I can't cook, I always keep a few frozen vegatarian entees...Boca Lasagne was my dinner tonight, with a side of sauteed zuchinni. The entire meal took less than 10 minutes to prepare. As far as the drive through-fast food in general-I gave it up in 1997 and have never looked back. If you cut it out 100%, then you'll never have those occasions when you do 'go bad'. Also keep fresh fruits, nuts, yogurt, low fat cottage cheese on hand...it makes things so much easier...

Answer 4

You got a bunch of great tips from everybody, but when you're dying for something from a drive-thru, the Burger King veggie burger (BK Veggie) is awesome. My husband is a fast food junky, and I get sick of eating drive-thru salads... when I want something hot, and avoid clogging my arteries with every bite, the BK Veggie is the way to go (and it actually tastes really good, and I'm primarily a meat-eater!)

Answer 5

I put 2 pieces of fresh fruit (different pieces) in my briefcase everyday. I eat well, but I frequently have a severe, mind altering craving for french fries. Fruit is very portable, cheap and easy.

Just make sure to refrigerate it if you don't eat it that day, or bugs will come.

Answer 6

you will need filler food... like cheese, nuts and meat (love ham the best). Skip the rice if u can... snack healthy when busy!

Answer 7

grapes, fruit, baked salmon