How to Incorporate More Whole Foods When Life Gets Busy

 

Busy lives for caregivers and athletes can make healthy meal prep seem impossible. But it is possible to add more whole foods to breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and skip the fast-food stops after practice—with a bit of meal prep and some simple changes to avoid a fridge full of rotted veggies every week.

Here, TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, offers some simple tips to make whole foods part of your everyday life, no matter your budget or time limitations.

Keep It Simple

Often, we overcomplicate the idea of eating more whole foods, says Ziesmer. But it doesn't have to be fancy! For example, breakfast can be overnight oats with honey, nuts, and berries, paired with hard-boiled eggs. Lunch can be leftovers from dinner the night before wrapped in a whole grain burrito wrap. And dinner can be as simple as a rice bowl with vegetables and chicken. These meals can all be prepped ahead of time and put together in minutes.

Meal Planning on a Weekly Basis

"Life gets busy," says Ziesmer. "But if you take the time to meal prep on a weekly basis by making a plan for each meal and preparing some elements, you won't need to stop for fast food." Simple and quick activities like roasting a big tray of vegetables, shredding cooked chicken, boiling rice, chopping fresh fruit and vegetables, hard-boiling eggs, and making overnight steel cut oats can all be done ahead of time and will make putting meals together during the week much easier.