If time is your limiting factor when it comes to your health, diet and fitness goals then this article is for you! We hear it all the time, “I don’t have time for that”, “there aren’t enough hours in the day” “that will take too long”... but the truth is, if it is important to you and enough of a priority you can make sure you have enough time for those important things.
Below are 5 tips to help you make better decisions when you are short on time.
Meal Prepping
Now when we say meal prep, a lot of you will automatically think of plain chicken, broccoli and rice in a tupperware!! But when we say there is a lot more to meal prep than this, trust us. Being organised and planning ahead is one of the most beneficial changes we see. There are a few different options when it comes to meal prep.
Firstly, work out which meals in the day you have less time for and would benefit from having prepared ahead of time. For example, if you know you are short on time in the morning, something like prepping overnight oats in the evening will save you in the morning. Open the fridge, grab and go!
If it’s lunch, then spend some time on a Sunday to cook lunches for the week. Either cook a whole meal and individually box up. Otherwise cook a batch of protein such as chicken/fish/tofu, a batch of carbs such as rice/pasta/potatoes and a tub of veggies. That way each morning or evening you can build your own lunch by adding the veggies, protein source, carbohydrate source and adding a little fat with a dressing, drizzle of olive oil, handful of nuts or avocado.
MuscleFood offers high quality protein sources, carbohydrate sources and vegetables online, so check out the options available here.
Finally, if you are someone who doesn’t have the time on a Sunday or doesn’t wish to spend part of your Sunday in the kitchen, when you prepare dinner in the evenings, just double the portions so you have leftovers for the following day.
On-the-go prepared options
If you aren’t the biggest fan of cooking, MuscleFood offers a great variety of pre-prepared meals that would be a huge time saver. There is a huge range of meals available, all with the full nutrition breakdown for those with specific goals and dietary needs. All you need to do is heat up your meal in the microwave, making these meals a great option for lunch or dinner if you are short on time.
What to choose when you are on the go and haven’t prepared anything
A common question I get asked a lot is what to choose for lunch when you haven’t prepared anything and just need to grab something on the go quickly. A lot of on the go choices tend to have a poor balance of macronutrients for example are high in carbohydrates and low in protein or high in saturated fats and salt and low in vegetables and fibre. When looking for pre-prepared meals, look for something with a good source of protein, low in salt and added sugars, low in saturated fats and is a well balanced meal containing some carbohydrates, protein and unsaturated fats. Ideally you also want some added vegetables and high in fibre. Ticking all of these boxes would ensure a highly nutritious meal that will keep you feeling full throughout the afternoon and not leave you hungry an hour later or cravings sweet treats.
Avoid the temptations of unhealthier, convenient options when you are tired, hungry and short on time.
It’s a Thursday evening, you have had a long busy week, you forgot to pre prepare dinner so you now have an empty fridge. You are on your way home from work, you are tired and hungry, you can almost smell the takeaway pizza and takeaway curry. It’s at this point that you need to remind yourself of your goals, your priorities and what is important to you.
MuscleFood have a brilliant variety of takeaway style meals such as curries, fish and chips and pizza stuffed chicken breasts. Always keep a few in the fridge and freezer and you will always be covered when in these situations!
Plan, plan, plan.
Our final tip is to always have a plan! Spend 5 minutes on a Sunday mapping out your week of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. That way you have no excuse to pull out the short on time excuse. Some people love writing on a whiteboard on the fridge, writing on a big monthly calendar or typing up on a spreadsheet. Make sure you write a shopping list from your planner so you know exactly what you need to buy each week. If you want to save time shopping, do an online food order. This is where MuscleFood comes in handy as you can buy a variety of meats, vegetables, carbohydrate sources, prepared meals, recipe packs and snacks all in one place.
