The lure of fast food can be compelling when you’re on the run. But a bad diet can lead to bad health. Maintaining a healthy meal regimen that you can stick to is critical for your well-being. This is especially true if you have digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Eating healthier food can be accomplished even when your time is not entirely your own and you constantly feel rushed. Here are some tips to help you eat healthier so you’ll feel great.
Table of Contents
1. Choose a Low-FODMAP Diet
A low-FODMAP diet can benefit most people, even those without digestive issues. So, what is FODMAP anyway?
FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These organic compounds in foods can make it difficult for many people to digest and can wreak serious havoc on your digestive system, leading to diarrhea, bloody stool, abdominal pain and other symptoms.
Many low-FODMAP recipes can be prepared ahead of time. Others are surprisingly quick to prepare. This can give you extra time for work, family or whatever your busy schedule is lacking.
2. Discover the Mediterranean Diet
Most people know that the Mediterranean diet has many health benefits. Think you don’t have time for it? Choosing a Mediterranean diet meal delivery service could help you to incorporate a healthier diet into your busy schedule. Meal delivery kits can save you time since you don’t have to spend time planning and grocery shopping. Some even do the prep work for you.
There’s also less food waste because the ingredients are pre-proportioned. Some services offer easy-to-pack lunches, so you can eat well even when you’re at work. Most services let you pick your meals, so you always have food that you want to eat.
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3. Prepare Your Meals Ahead
If your schedule is hectic, you might find it helpful to plan meals that you can prepare ahead of time. Healthier eating habits can be put back on track with meals that you can prepare over the weekend or on days when you’re not as busy. When you know your food is ready to go in the oven or microwave, you can relax during the day, knowing that dinner is already taken care of.
4. Alternate Your Meal Choices
Keeping mealtime interesting can be more enjoyable than eating the same thing every day. But you might think that specialized diets make for boring meal time. Low-FODMAP meal delivery kits and services offer choices for every meal that can be modified to suit your particular needs and tastes. You can eat healthy food when you’re in a hurry and still have a variety of tasty foods.
5. Don’t Be Afraid To Personalize Your Food Routine
If you have a prescribed diet, there is no rule that says you have to eat what and when everyone else eats. If eating a particular food in the morning isn’t convenient, change it to a time that works better for you. Your diet needs to be healthy for you and fit your lifestyle. The final decision on what you put into your body and when is up to you!
6. Make Food Prep Fun
There are times when the meal you want is not available for home delivery. If you are prepping your own meals, make it fun! It’s important that you make time in your busy schedule to do something enjoyable. Food prep time can be relaxing if you put on some music or a podcast. It can turn into me time while you chop and prepare for future meals.
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7. Eat Healthier If You Have a Delicate Digestive System
Eating a healthier diet while maintaining a busy schedule can be helpful for people with digestive issues. The process of finding out which foods your digestive system can tolerate is similar to ruling out which foods you might be allergic to. To narrow down what might be causing you trouble, you can:
- Stop eating all foods that commonly cause stomach upset.
- Add one food back at a time until you see its effect.
- Refrain from eating foods proven to cause problems.
- When in doubt, eat potentially troublesome foods when your schedule is slower in case you need to run to the bathroom.
Common foods that cause digestive upset include:
- Dairy-based foods
- Foods containing wheat or gluten
- Vegetables that cause gas like broccoli and cauliflower
- Fruit high in fructose like apples and dates
- Fried foods
- Alcohol
- Beans
- Processed foods
- Caffeine
Foods that are generally acceptable for a delicate digestive system include:
- Fish and other meat
- Eggs
- Low-fat cheese
- Bananas, kiwi, oranges and some other fruits
- Carrots, kale, pumpkin and some other vegetables
- Some seeds
The foods your system can tolerate won’t be the same as everyone else’s. Once you know what foods agree with you, your meal planning will be easier.
8. Make a Book Full of Your Favorite Recipes
Keep your favorite recipes together for those times when you can’t decide what to eat. You can group them by meal, holiday, diet or any other way that is helpful for you. Pictures tend to make recipes come alive, so add pictures of your creations to help you decide next time and remind you of how delicious and healthy the meal was.
Enjoy a Healthier Diet While You Simplify Your Life
A little perseverance can open the door to a positive, healthier change in your eating habits. Follow some of the guidelines listed above for new ideas for living a healthier life even when you have a busy schedule.
