In a Rush? Four Healthy Eating Tips for Busy People

One of the biggest barriers to eating healthy is not having enough time. However, with these 4 smart tips you can eat healthy on even your busiest days.

1) Have a Go-To Meal.

For your most time-crunched & tired days, have one signature no-recipe-needed-meal. This will be your simple & healthy go-to option instead of falling victim to fatty drive-thru or take-out food. Examples:

- Pepperoni Pita Pizza & Side Salad. Broil a whole grain pita with pasta sauce, turkey pepperoni and part-skim mozzarella cheese for 8 minutes. Pair it with a simple garden salad.

- Bean Burritos. Fill whole grain tortillas with warm low-fat spicy canned beans and top with salsa, bell pepper slices and avocado.

- Mediterranean Tapas. Enjoy a simple plate of olives, whole grain crackers, hummus or seasoned tuna, canned artichoke hearts and grape tomatoes.

2) Do Modern Batch Cooking.

You don't have to make an old-fashion casserole and eat it every day for a week. Modern batch cooking is when you make extra healthy ingredients to have on hand for mix & match meals through the week. Examples:

- Grilled chicken breasts. Enjoy for meals such as BBQ chicken sandwiches or healthy chicken Caesar salads.

- Grilled or roasted vegetables. Toss into pasta, stuff in pitas or chop with vinaigrette as a side salad.

- Hard-boiled eggs. Enjoy as a quick morning sandwich on a whole grain English muffin, chop and mix with olive oil mayo for a quick egg salad sandwich or slice eggs into a garden salad.

- Whole grain pasta. Warm a small portions of your pre-cooked pasta in the microwave or skillet instead of waiting for a pot of water to boil.

NOTE: These foods can last in the fridge for 5 days... enough to get you from Monday through Friday!

3) Stock Up on Healthy Convenience Foods.

There are many foods in the grocery store that are grab & go ready to save you time.

Examples:

- Weekly rotisserie chicken (no skin please). Pair it with a microwaved potato & veggies or pulled apart to toss into a chicken wrap.

- Precooked frozen shrimp. Thaw & toss into a quick veggie stir-fry.

- Frozen vegetables & unsweetened fruit. These bags save a ton of time because they are already cut & cleaned. Plus, the long shelf-life ensures they will always be there – even on days/weeks you don’t get to the store.

- Frozen brown rice. Enjoy in a fast burrito lunch bowl or dinner stir-fry.

- Pre-made veggie tray with low-fat dip. Great for quick snacking or throw the broccoli, cauliflower, peapods and carrots into a speedy salad or stir-fry. This should be in the fridge every week.

4) Use Convenient Kitchen Tools.

Having the right equipment in the kitchen can save time. Examples:

- Hand blender. Use it for quick morning smoothies so there's no blender to clean, just a quick rinse and clean-up is done.

- Indoor grill. Grilling cooks foods quickly so you can get your fish, chicken and veggies on the table fast.

- Slow cooker. Pop everything in for a soup, stew, casserole or roast, turn it on low, go to work and when you get home dinner is done.

What time saving tips & tricks do you use to eat well? Share them here in the comments.