Eating Healthy for “The No Time to Cook” People

On today’s fast paced environment, it is very challenging to adopt and maintain a healthy eating habit. Oftentimes, people have no time to prepare and cook their own food. Most people tend to get their foods in restaurants, fast food chains and convenience stores that offer pre-packaged, highly processed foods and beverages.

But good news, making smart choices when dining out or grab-on the go is not as hard as you think. Here are some ways to consume healthy and delicious food even if you have no time cook:

• Healthy meals start with planning. Plan ahead for the three W's: what food to eat, when to eat, and where to eat. This will help you ensure healthier choices. Try also to have an evenly spaced meals and snacks throughout the day. Eating 5 to 6 smaller meals per day, about 3 hours apart will help you to boost your metabolism; thus stimulate weight loss. Likewise, avoid multi-tasking while eating, such as eating while driving or watching TV. Being distracted or not paying attention to a meal tended to make people eat more.

• Meals on the go. Make sure you have nutritious snacks like fruits, chopped vegetables, low fat or fat-free milk products like yogurt, whole grain crackers and breads, and almonds/nuts.

• Take charge of portion control. Portion control is eating in healthy balance of amount and type. When you dine out, ask for half or smaller portion if possible or split your big order with another person. You may also ask for the other half portion to be packed.

• Stay hydrated. Replace sweetened drinks with water. Drinking water keep you feeling full without consuming high-calorie beverages like sodas, shakes, and even the "healthy" smoothies can all hold hidden calories in one jumbo cup. • Look for non-food "pick-me-up" alternatives. If you do take coffee break, maybe use one of them as time to walk around the block, do a few stretches, or to simply zone out.