When you’re under the pump, do you use being ‘time-poor’ as an excuse to eat foods that are nutrient-poor too? You don’t have time to eat healthily do you? You’re busy!

We’re all busy! Yet some of us use that excuse as a free-card to opt for the sugar-filled snack or greasy fast food. But don’t let being busy sabotage your health! When you’re busy or stressed, it is the time your body really needs good fuel the most.

Here’s my Fave Fast Foods to help you stay healthy, even (especially) when you are busy!

SMOOTHIES

So fast, just pour some coconut water, rice milk or almond milk into the blender, then throw in your fruit AND some veggies (spinach, cucumber, romaine lettuce, just to name a few).

Add some protein if you like (hemp seed or chia seed, or maybe a scoop of hemp protein powder) and some healthy fats (avocado, coconut milk. or the proteins I mentioned before which also have you covered on the healthy-fat front!).

For extra flavor, add some vanilla extract or dash of cinnamon.

Here’s a couple of my favourite Breakfast Smoothie recipes.

SALADS

Chop up a bunch of lettuce – romaine or red leaf – and add some spinach. Pile on some other veggies – tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, sliced beets, bell peppers, onions…whatever you like.

Add some protein. Choose pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, cooked organic chicken breast, kidney beans, sprouts, a hard-boiled egg, or salmon or tuna.

Make a quick dressing with stone-ground mustard, olive oil, and a couple sprays of Bragg’s Amino Acids (or just a bit of sea salt if you don’t have Bragg’s or can’t find it). Toss it all together and eat.

If you chop the veggies in bulk you can make a couple salads at a time, don’t add the dressing to them yet, and they usually last a couple days.

KNOW WHERE TO GET HEALTHY TAKEOUT

This could be from a nearby restaurant (I love my local Vietnamese restaurant and it’s really close and inexpensive) or most supermarkets now have a good selection of healthy, ready-made meals. Today, most chefs are happy to tweak dishes at your request. Ask for extra greens, or to cut back on the sugar, replace white rice with brown, or pasta with zoodles. Simple things can make a big difference to your health!

MEALS SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

There are also some great Healthy Home delivered meals services such as HelloFresh or  Eat Fit Food. And for the vegan, Soulara have a fantastic range. All healthy, all delivered, all at the tip of your keyboard! Their portions will keep you on track but you can also get a medium or large size meal if you want to have extra leftovers.

What I love about meal services such as HelloFresh, is the decision of what to have for dinner is taken care of, and the stress-relief that comes with that is pretty tasty. You also receive fresh ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe cards turning the non-cooker into a chef. And the priceless look on the kids’ face when they ask that tedious question ‘what’s for dinner mum?’ and you reply ‘Honey & Thyme Glazed Pork with Cheesy-Mashed Potatoes & Garlic Veggies’ is an added bonus!

No, it’s not quite as cheap as buying and preparing it yourself, but if you are a busy person (OR you just don’t enjoy cooking) and would just spend the money on junky fast food or pizza delivery, then it’s a much better value.

It’s always the small habits that add up. Don’t let yourself fall back into old habits that cause you to not feel so great! I’d love to hear from you, too: what do you like to eat when you are really busy?