Reduce Stress by Eating Healthier
Eating is what most, if not all, of us enjoy doing. After a long day at the office, most of us don’t have the energy or time to cook a meal. This can cause stress and force bad eating habits by choosing to eat less healthy options for food. Eating and cooking quick but healthy, satisfying meals can have a huge benefit for your body and mind! Here are some ways to help you stress less when it comes to finding ways to combat this.
Plan and Budget:
Going grocery shopping once a week and planning the week’s meals is a vital first step in a healthy eating plan. While shopping, aim to keep within a budget and have a list of the items you need. With a list and budget, you won’t be tempted to buy random/unnecessary foods, and your time in the store will be more efficient shopping.
Depending on where you live and what grocery markets are available, most stores will have a mobile application , which includes deals and coupons that can save you bundles of money. For example, Fry’s Food Stores offers shoppers points towards gas when you spend a certain amount in-store. There are always ways to save and plan.
If you are looking for meals to cook with a set budget, here are some ideas to prepare during your week.
Keep it Simple:
Most nights, you’re not trying to prepare a meal, which can take over an hour, to finish in 10 minutes, right? Making something as simple as a grilled chicken salad or even pasta with pesto sauce can save you a lot of time. Always aim for a healthy balance of protein, fruit, and, of course, vegetables. Having a limited amount of fats and carbohydrates is crucial for a balanced diet.
If you have an extreme sweet tooth, here are some vegan or plant-based desserts which taste similar to or even better than regular sweets.
Cook Your Meals Ahead of Time:
You can save time by preparing more food than you need and reheat it later in the week. Some people spend an entire day prepping meals for the week to have nutritious, homemade food to eat without having to put in any time as the week occurs. Some ideas could include a pot of soup or chili, but you can never go wrong with chicken, rice, and a side of vegetables.
There are hundreds of recipes online to help new and old meal preppers’ successfully finish in a day.Typically, the best day to meal prep for the week is Sunday. Depending on your work schedule, whatever day you have off is the best day to get it done and out of the way.
If, for example, you are a picky eater or have a bunch of ingredients but aren’t sure what to cook. Check out Supercook! It’s a terrific way to be creative while trying a variety of new recipes to incorporate into your meals. Who knows, you might even put together something you enjoy that you didn’t even know you could ever make!
Routine:
Once you get into the routine of cooking and eating more nutritious meals at home, you’ll slowly realize you can prepare something in 20 minutes or less. Hopefully, this will prevent you from stopping at a fast-food restaurant to get a quick grab and go.
This article from Healthline dives into the benefits of cooking at home versus ordering out. If you are someone who enjoys cooking at home or wants the challenge of a home-cooked meal, this article will be motivating! Challenge yourself by trying to cook at least one home-cooked meal per week and gradually work your way up to meal prepping or where you’re cooking in the kitchen Sunday-Thursday. When Friday and Saturday arrive, you can reward yourself by getting your favorite takeout food to enjoy.
If you have any more questions or want more tips on how to get into eating healthier. Feel free to send us an email at [email protected]. We would love to help and to see all of our nurses thrive in their respective lives!