Healthy eating tips for busy professionals

Busyness is our daily companion. And in this busyness, we are indifferent to eating. We do not eat in any hurry. Due to spending a long time in the office, attending meetings, etc., we tend to eat unhealthy food more often. Not eating on time causes various problems in the body. Diabetes, heart disease, and various other issues are created due to stress, weight gain, and a decrease in attention to work.
In this article, we will discuss some simple and effective tips for busy professionals that will help them develop healthy eating habits with proper planning and a little effort.

Healthy Eating Habits for Busy Professionals

1. Weekly Meal Planning and Preparation

Those who are busy cannot prepare food due to a lack of time. As a result, they tend to eat more unhealthy food. Various problems arise due to consuming unhealthy food. So prepare the week’s food in advance. This will save you more time. With a weekly meal plan, your tendency to eat unhealthy food will decrease, and healthy food will always be at hand. According to the weekly meal plan, you will divide your time into three days. And keep the time for the day off separately. This way, you can choose what to eat. Buy the vegetables, fish, and meat required for a week. Cut the vegetables, fish, and meat, and eat them according to the time.

2. Healthy breakfast

Nowadays, our most common habit is skipping breakfast. Busy professionals often skip breakfast.
Studies have shown that the risk of coronary heart disease is 27% higher in those who skip breakfast. Harvard School of Public Health (2013)
Not eating breakfast reduces blood sugar levels. As a result, fatigue, irritability, and decreased attention to work occur.
Even if you’re short on time, skipping breakfast isn’t a bad idea; you should eat something, at least. A healthy breakfast is very beneficial for the body. Breakfast increases metabolism in the body and helps to focus on work. Those who have difficulty waking up in the morning can eat a banana or a boiled egg to help them feel more alert. These save time and better meet the nutritional needs. Mix oats, fruits, and nuts with milk or yogurt the night before and keep them. You can eat them directly in the morning.

3. Lunch

American Dietetic Association:
Those who skip lunch tend to eat more sugar, fast food, and unhealthy snacks later in the day.
Lunch is even more important for busy people. Due to being busy, there is a tendency to eat fried foods, fast food, and unhealthy foods at lunch. Lunch should be eaten less, but it must be nutritious. Among the healthy lunch foods, it is better to take home-made food with you.
It has been seen that one day you can have grilled chicken, fish, vegetables, etc., with brown rice. One day, you can have lentils, vegetables, etc.
Harvard Medical School:
Skipping lunch can put your body into “starvation mode“, which can lead to decreased metabolism and weight gain in the long run.

4. Dinner

You should eat light and balanced meals instead of skipping dinner. This improves digestion, enhances sleep quality, and reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the long run. Many people come home late from work due to busy schedules, which leads to delayed eating.
Journal of Obesity (2014):
Those who eat dinner very late (after 9 pm) are more likely to gain weight.
So try to return home as soon as possible after work. If you are hungry at night, you will not be able to sleep. Various mental problems arise. You should eat 2 hours before going to bed, and eat foods that are low in fat.

5. Healthy Snacks

In addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, eating the right snacks throughout the day will give your body energy, reduce excess hunger, and improve your metabolism. Due to busy schedules, it is not possible to eat a nutritious breakfast or lunch. So, after breakfast, you can eat nuts, fruits, and cucumbers at a fixed time. These are healthy, and they will help you focus on work. The advantage of this is that eating these will keep your stomach full and, as a result, you will be less likely to overeat at lunch or at night.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:
Eating healthy snacks during the day keeps your metabolism active and prevents overeating.

6. Stay hydrated

In a busy life, you should not only focus on eating, but also stay hydrated. If there is a lack of water in the body, various problems arise. Energy levels decrease, leading to a lack of attention at work. A lack of water causes constipation, dehydration, and acidity problems. So drink water between work.
National Academies of Sciences (U.S., 2020):
Adult men should consume an average of 3.7 liters and women 2.7 liters of fluids (water, fruits, drinks) per day.
You can drink water, lemon water, tea, or coffee. However, you should refrain from consuming excess caffeine. You can mix lemon water with tap water.

6. Small exercises

In a busy life, you should focus not only on eating, but also on exercise. It is also important to exercise along with eating to stay fit. It has been seen that you can wake up every morning and do light jogging and walking. Also, use the stairs instead of the elevator in the office. After eating, do a little walking. You can do desk push-ups in the office. Such small things will give you good results.

Quantity control

Even though eating in large quantities is healthy, it is harmful to the body. Because it makes the body heavy, keep snacks small. Research has shown that if you open a large packet, you will likely finish it, so it is best to divide it into smaller portions.

Habits to avoid

Due to busy hours, we eat whatever comes in front of us to save time. Unhealthy things create various problems in our bodies. Excess sugar should be given up. You should eat early at night. These are one of the ways to stay healthy.

Adequate sleep

In a busy life, you should not only emphasize food, but also ensure good sleep. Nowadays, we have become accustomed to sleeping late at night, which results in late waking up in the morning and missing breakfast. A healthy person needs to sleep 7-9 hours daily. Digital screens should be avoided an hour before going to bed. And you should eat dinner 2 hours before. If you sleep early at night, you can wake up early in the morning without affecting your busy life.

CoreWellFit’s Wellness Wisdom

Following healthy food tips for busy professionals will keep your body fit, increase your efficiency, and make your life more vibrant. A nutritious breakfast, balanced lunch, and dinner will give your body the energy it needs. Everyone will be busy in life, so you cannot give up. To stay fit, you need to exercise regularly along with nutritious food.
Small exercises will increase your focus and efficiency. Small changes bring big results. If you exercise regularly and follow these healthy food tips for busy professionals, you can easily live a healthy, fit, and energy-filled life.