You worked through your lunch break and had to settle for a candy bar from the vending machine. Your executive brings in pizza and the salad that you so carefully packed this morning sits uneaten in the breakroom fridge. You’re tired and stressed at the end of the day so you opt for drive-thru burgers and fries rather than a homecooked meal.
We’ve all been there. And while unhealthy food choices are fine sometimes, when they become a habit, it’s time for a change.
The food you choose to put into your body matters more than you think. You’re not only at risk of consuming extra calories leading to weight gain, but you’re also jeopardizing your focus, productivity, and general wellbeing.
But it doesn’t have to be that way! These simple tips can help you eat more healthfully without sacrificing a lot of time or energy.
- Create a weekly meal plan. At the beginning of each week, decide what you want to make each day, as well as when you’ll eat out or order takeout. Try to keep to your meal plan to avoid scrambling to come up with a meal or last-minute trips to the drive-thru. Depending on the size of your family and the amount of food you make, this helps you better plan for leftovers consumption too.
- Use recipe apps or websites for ideas. AllRecipes is a personal favorite of mine, but there are plenty more out there. Some even allow you to search for recipes based on allergies, special diets, or food sensitivities. Do some research. Ask around. Use these apps to find new ideas you can try.
- Use grocery or list-making apps for creating your shopping list. When you find recipes you want to try, immediately add the ingredients you need to your shopping list. I am still a paper person when it comes to my grocery list, so I often print the recipe and add the items to my written list so I don’t forget. Most major grocery chains have their own apps with list-making capabilities. Do whatever works best for you.
- Explore meal kits options. Hello Fresh, Home Chef, Freshly, Blue Apron, and others will deliver meal kits with easy-to-follow recipes straight to your door. Many grocery stores are also offering meal kits now. This is a simple way to make a healthy meal without having to purchase each of the ingredients.
- Prep your lunch the night before. We all think we’ll have plenty of time to throw together our lunch in the morning, but more often than not, time gets away from us. Packing your lunch the night before allows you to grab it on your way out the door without trying to carve out time to make it during the morning rush.
Eating well takes planning and preparation, but the effects it will have on your mind, body, and spirit are well worth the extra time you need to put in!
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Julie Perrine, CAP-OM, is the founder and CEO of All Things Admin, providing training, mentoring and resources for administrative professionals worldwide. Julie applies her administrative expertise and passion for lifelong learning to serving as an enthusiastic mentor, speaker and author who educates admins around the world on how to be more effective every day. Learn more about Julie’s books — The Innovative Admin: Unleash the Power of Innovation in Your Administrative Career and The Organized Admin: Leverage Your Unique Organizing Style to Create Systems, Reduce Overwhelm, and Increase Productivity, and Become a Procedures Pro: The Admin’s Guide to Developing Effective Office Systems and Procedures.
