5 Ways to Eat Healthy When You’re On the Go and Short on Time

Eating healthy can sometimes be challenging to maintain—and when you add in a busy work schedule, raising kids, and other responsibilities or commitments, it can sometimes seem impossible to stay on track.

With fast food on every corner and vending machines calling your name, it’s completely understandable to think that healthy eating is not for you if you don’t have much time on your hands—but we’re here to tell you otherwise. 

Maintaining healthy eating habits can certainly be achieved when you’re short on time—it just takes a bit of planning. These five tips will help you reach your health goals, no matter how few minutes you have to spare.

How to Eat Healthier With a Busy Schedule

Everyone has things they need to do each day, so sometimes eating healthy can take a back seat. Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks to make things easier for you—even during your most hectic week.

1. Meal Prep or Batch Cook

Okay, so this one does take a bit of upfront preparation, but it saves you time throughout the week. 

Spending a few hours on a weekend or day off to prepare meals for the coming few days can be a huge help in sticking with your healthy eating plan.

Rather than succumb to the siren of takeout food or break room donuts, having a healthy meal ready to reheat can make your decision easier—not to mention it’ll save you tons of money. 

Even if you don’t have time to do a complete meal prep, you can simply make more of your dinner meals to have leftovers for work the next day. If you do have time (and space in your fridge or freezer), making additional recipes specifically for meal prepping can keep you eating healthy even on those uber-hectic days. 

This doesn’t just apply to making work lunches. You can utilize batch cooking to make your next night’s dinner easier. For example, if you’re having chicken tonight, cook an extra serving (or however many you need) so that you can skip that step tomorrow night. Another example is to make a large batch of soup on Monday night, which can be eaten for the next few days for lunch or dinner. 

2. Quick and Easy Meals

Not everyone loves to prep meals ahead of time—we get it. But you should definitely have some tried-and-true, quick-and-easy recipes (if we can call them that) on hand for those days when your stomach is growling and you just need something, stat.

Some foods to keep on hand to make quick and easy meals include:

• Smoothies (you can even “meal prep” smoothies by throwing all of the ingredients in a freezer-safe bag or container and blending the pre-frozen ingredients with milk or nut milk on the day of) 
• Premade protein shakes 
• Prepackaged salad kits 
• Pre-grilled chicken or other lean protein
• Healthy frozen meals (like Kevin’s) 
• Canned tuna or salmon 
• Ready-to-eat tuna pouches 
• Deli meats and rotisserie chicken 

You can also save time by buying pre-cut fruit, pre-chopped veggies, canned beans, pre-cooked grains (like frozen cooked quinoa or brown rice), cooked lentils, and frozen vegetables. These are still perfectly nutritious and can save you tons of time. 

Some examples of easy meals include stir-fries (frozen pre-cooked rice, frozen veggies, lean protein, soy sauce, sesame oil, and spices), sandwiches with deli meats and cheeses, rotisserie chicken with a side salad, sheet pan meals (everything goes on one tray into the oven), or breakfast for dinner (scrambled eggs are so quick!). 

3. Use Time-Saving Appliances

From Crock Pots to Instant Pots to Ninja Bullets, there are plenty of appliances designed to save you time.

A Crock Pot (aka slow cooker) is particularly useful if you want to prepare dinner in the morning, set it and forget it, and return to a fully cooked, ready-to-eat meal. 

Instant Pots (also known as pressure cookers) and air fryers (aka convection ovens) can also save you so much time by reducing the total cooking time—no more waiting an hour for your potatoes to roast.

Ninja Bullets (or similar small, single-serve blenders) are great for making smoothies and soups in a time crunch—plus, there’s no big blender that takes forever to get clean underneath the blades!

4. Learn How to Choose Healthy Meals Out

Sometimes, eating out just can’t be avoided, no matter how much you meal prep. Not to mention, no one wants to eat every single meal at home.

If you are going out to eat and want to stick to a healthy eating plan, there are some tips to keep on track:

• Always try to include a protein (chicken, turkey, pork, fish, shellfish, tofu, eggs, etc.) and vegetables in your meal 
• Avoid battered, breaded, or fried foods as much as possible
• Opt for grilled or baked proteins or vegetables 
• Choose veggie sides or salads over fries or other fried appetizers
• Be mindful of big restaurant portion sizes and consider sharing with a friend, taking half of it home, or ordering a kid’s size. 
• Research the menu beforehand to find healthy options and avoid moment-of-panic ordering. 
• Choose water or sparkling water instead of soda, juice, or alcoholic drinks. 
• If you do choose alcohol, opt for low-sugar cocktails (no sugary syrups or juices), wine, or light beer.
• Ask for modifications if need be (i.e., “hold the mayo” or “light dressing”). 

5. Stock Up on Healthy Snacks

Lastly, a solid snack is sometimes all you need to hold you over until you have more time. If you are constantly working or busy with something else and rarely have time for a complete meal during the day, ensure you are well-stocked with healthy snacks that will actually satiate you for a bit. Try to avoid ultra-processed foods (like chips, crackers, and snack foods) because they won’t fill you up.

Examples of healthy snacks include:

• Nuts and seeds: A classic for a reason. Nuts are portable and full of healthy fats, fiber, and protein, helping to keep you full. Keep a bag of almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pistachios on hand. 
• Individually portioned peanut butter or almond butter: These are perfect to keep in your bag and squeeze on an apple or some celery sticks. 
• Whole fresh fruit: Bananas, oranges, tangerines, and apples are portable and require no refrigeration or preparation. 
• Veggie sticks: You can buy precut veggie sticks (like carrot sticks or celery) to keep in your fridge. 
• String cheese: Enough said! 
• Hard-boiled eggs: You can prep these yourself or buy bags of premade hard-boiled eggs at the store. 
• Individual hummus or guacamole cups: To go with said veggie sticks.
• Greek yogurt: this is a protein-packed snack that should hold you over for a bit. A full-fat Greek yogurt with a banana on the side can definitely be a nutritious breakfast or snack.
• Protein bars: Protein bars like ALOHA, RXBar, and Rise Bar are great options.
• Meat sticks and jerky: Protein-packed, healthy meat sticks and jerky snacks like CHOMPS, EPIC, and Country Archer are excellent snacks. 

Combine enough of these, and you have a perfect snack meal!

Bonus Tip: Utilize Meal Delivery Services

Last but not least, if you have the resources to order a healthy meal delivery service, this will save time (immensely!) and help keep you on track with eating nutritious meals. 

However, this is cost-prohibitive, as many meal delivery services are costly. Some healthy options include Factor, Daily Harvest, and Thistle.

How to Eat Healthy On the Go FAQs: