5 Strategies to Eat Healthy With a Busy Schedule

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The first 2 months of 2021 have come and gone. How are you doing with your health goals?

The start of a new year can inspire you to commit to new habits, but motivation quickly wanes when the pace of life quickens. It can be challenging to stick to your healthy lifestyle goals - eating healthy, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly - with a super busy schedule that feels both hectic and unpredictable.

When you feel like you have little to no control over your schedule and the day brings unexpected challenges, you may think you just don't have time to eat healthy. I want to remind you that it's not as impossible as you may think.

​Here are 5 practical strategies to help you eat healthy even when you have a busy schedule:

1. Start with focusing on what you do have control of - endlessly complaining, and blaming others (or life) for all the uncontrollable circumstances in your life is an exercise in frustration and doesn’t result in any meaningful change. Instead, channel that mental and emotional energy on creative strategies to address the situations that you do have control over. Begin the day with a wholesome nutrient dense meal to fuel your morning. Carry a water bottle to stay hydrated. Pack lunch so you don’t have to find time to get your next meal.


2. Plan for the unexpected - extra patients or meetings added to your calendar, a call from your child’s school or news about a loved one with a health emergency or life challenge can significantly impact our mental and emotional state. It may be tempting to reach for unhealthy food and drink choices for comfort. Carry emergency food options with you to carry you through until you can get to your next meal. My favorite go-to snacks are raw nuts with fresh fruit, cut up veggies with hummus, olives and crackers or in a pinch, a bar with protein and low sugar 


3. Keep it simple - variety may be the spice of life but too many choices can paralyze your brain when you’re feeling stressed. Any parent or caregiver knows not to open a closet or drawer and ask a 2-year old what they want to wear today. You give them the power to choose while narrowing options to make the decision easier - do you want to wear “this” or “that”. This strategy can work well for simplifying food choices too. When I do my weekly meal planning, I have 2 breakfast options - oatmeal bowl and protein smoothie, 2 snack options - popcorn and fruit with nuts and 2 dinner options - grain bowls and loaded potatoes. This makes it much easier to decide what I'm going to eat for each meal/snack.


4. Progress not perfection - track your daily wins and celebrate them; evaluate your progress weekly by asking what’s working, what’s not, and what’s missing. Use the answers to inform your planning strategy for the coming week.


5. Expect failure along the way - embrace it. When you’re building new habits expect that it won’t all go according to plan. Your power lies in your ability to frame the mistake or failure as a learning opportunity. You’re understanding what may or may not work for you and that leads to valuable insights for building a more customized plan for you that will be sustainable long-term.

Let me know in the comments which strategy you find most helpful. And if you’d like to see more articles on creating healthy lifestyle routines and habits, click here to let me know.