How many days out of the week do you come home completely exhausted from a long day of work, stressing out about what you are going to have for dinner and dreading having to actually make it?

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In the back of your mind you want to skip the whole ordeal altogether, but you know you and your family need to eat.  It’s times like these, when we are tired and lack motivation, when it is easy to fall victim to unhealthy habits as we often choose the quickest and easiest route…which in today’s world usually does not result in healthy eating. 

 

I understand everyone has a life, obligations, and a lack of time.   On the other hand, that should not be used as an excuse to live an unhealthy lifestyle, especially in regards to your nutrition.  Building better eating habits and taking responsibility for what you put in your mouth is not difficult, but it does require a few small changes. 

 

No matter what your situation is, take a deep breath, and let’s figure out an easier, healthier, and overall better way to improve your nutrition. 

 

Story Time

My mother always carried snacks in her purse when I was younger (…and possibly still does out of fear whenever I go home to visit).  I’ve had a healthy appetite from day one, and she knew it was better for everyone if she at least had an apple or bag of almonds on her at all times…you know, just in case I decided to take a turn for the worse (to put it nicely).



I have had to continue this trend as I’ve gotten older and started traveling, as it is not uncommon for me to be stuck in a shuttle or airplane for 5, 10, or even 15+ hours.  I’ve learned how to plan ahead and prepare snacks (or even meals) in advance.  I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m forced to go without food, either for its unavailability or not wanting to fall into bad habits by eating unhealthy food.

 

I want to share a few simple ways to change your mindset about shopping for food and preparing meals to make it easier to eat healthy. 

 

Gameplan Before You Shop



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You can also use this time to objectively review your grocery list.  How much meat, veggies, fruits, and nuts are on your list?  How many processed foods do you see?  How many items containing sugar?  Do you really need those bottles of soda and sports drinks?  Be critical on yourself, take responsibility, and make the right decisions before you even step foot in the grocery store. 

 

Prep Fruits and Veggies After Shopping

I want you to prep all of your fruits and vegetables after getting home from shopping. This may sound odd, but hear me out.    

 

We are going to take advantage of moments of high motivation (i.e. after shopping) to make it easier on ourselves during moments of low motivation (i.e. after a long day’s work). 

BJ Fogg, Ph.D. who runs the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University and is an expert in behavioral change, talks about using our motivational waves to our advantage in building new habits. 

 

Basically, we all go through motivational waves, meaning we have moments of high and low motivation.  During moments of high motivation, we are temporarily available to do hard things.  Low moments of motivation are natural periods when we cannot do those same hard things. 

 

Most people are typically in a state of high motivation after they shop – they are in a “get-s*%&-done” mindset – so use that to your advantage.  Commit to spending 30-60 minutes cleaning, chopping, and storing all of the fruits and veggies you bought. 

 

This will save precious time and make it extremely easy to eat healthy during the week.  Imagine coming home after a long days work, not having to worry about what you are having for dinner, and having the peace of mind knowing everything is prepared and you just have to dump it in a pot on the stove. 

 

Batch Cook Your Meats

By now, you have your menu set for the week and all of your fruits and vegetables are ready to go.  What about the main attraction?  How do you save time with the meats? 

 

Try cooking all your proteins for the next 2-3 days at the same time. 

 

Let’s say you are having chicken tonight, steak tomorrow, and venison the day afterwards.  Instead of prepping and cooking 1-2 chicken breasts per person tonight, go ahead and knock out the steak and venison as well.  I suggest making extra for lunch and snacks while you are at it. 

 

The food will keep perfectly fine and still taste delicious for 1-2 days, and you just freed up a ton of time for the following two nights. 

 

Other Ideas

• Make hearty stews: This will usually feed a family for several days.  It’s easy, healthy, and delicious…seriously, who doesn’t like a steak and veggie stew? 

• Put nuts and other healthy snack foods in containers on the counter: Take them out of the bag and make sure they are in sight and easy to get to. 

• Make plenty of food to take for lunch the following day(s) and prep any snacks you want to take for work the night before. 

 

A little thought and preparation can go a long way in freeing up time and reducing stress levels.  It’s just one less thing you have to think about when you mind and body are spent.  Everything we have discussed takes advantage of moments of high motivation to make it as easy as possible to not slip into unhealthy habits during moments of low motivation. 

 

Spend a few minutes to gameplan, make sure you are buying quality foods, prep as much as possible after your shop, batch cook when you can, and enjoy the time you have freed up during the week. 

 

Build better habits, take responsibility for your health, and don’t make it more difficult than it has to be.