When it comes to learning to eat healthy, there’s one thing most of us battle: time. Sure we could meal prep until we are blue in the face. If it works for you, that’s awesome. I, however, am the queen of good intentions and wasting food. Meal prep seems all fine and dandy until it comes time to eat said prepped meals. They look disgusting.
So for those of you who are like me aka you want to eat healthy, are limited on time and hate meal prep, you’re in the right place! Today I’m sharing all my tips for how I still eat healthy and save time. Everything from buying groceries to cooking meals is covered. And hopefully, by the end of this post, you’ll feel ready to conquer the kitchen once more. Let’s get started, shall we?
GROCERY DELIVERY OR PICKUP
Every since I stopped doing food reviews on the blog, I’ve embraced the idea of grocery delivery. Yes, I still love a the opportunity to peruse Whole Foods. But when I’m strapped for time, it’s Instacart to the rescue. Unfortunately, I find that I often still need to make a trip to the store to stock up on the random bits. However, for the general bulk of my items, I can passively multi-task while someone else does my grocery shopping. It’s glorious!
I know places like Walmart & Target offer drive up service which is great on the way home from work. And occasionally, the timings aren’t optimal or you’re stuck waiting for food much longer than if you just did it yourself. Nevertheless, I love using instacart to save me on time and preventing me from buying random things that I have a tendency to find when I’m shopping in store. It’s a win win for making the most of my day and helping me eat healthy!
BORROW FROM THE GENIUS OF OTHERS
Overall, most of the food babes I follow aren’t into meal prep. I find that with intuitive eating what I want varies day to day. If I have it all prepped ahead, it takes away from the fun of listening to my body! Thankfully, there are bloggers like Downshiftology who understand my struggles. Lisa has created more than one seasonal meal prep guide on her channel I use for inspiration.
With extra time and energy, I’m sure I could do the same to help myself eat healthy. But I’m a woman who likes to play to her strengths. And if I can lean on the genius of someone else, I’ll happily do so.
For you, this might mean signing up for a meal plan that tells you what to buy. Or it could mean finding meal prep guides similar to Lisa’s that help you prep for the week without cooking all your meals ahead. Finding someone who’s wisdom you can borrow is helpful. And it will definitely save you on time in the long run!
FOOD PREP
Ah yes, my favorite way to prep for the week ahead: food prep. It sounds like it’s meal prep but it’s not. Profound right? Instead of cooking ahead, you’re essentially making it easier for you to throw meals together. I’ll do things like prep proteins: grill or poach chicken, boil eggs for mom and bake salmon for a meal or so. Then I’ll go ahead and make one salad dressing for the week. My recent discovery of an avocado sensitivity means I’m making more of my own again and avoiding my favorite Primal Kitchen dressings*.
For veggies, I’ll chop, dice or roast things that take longer. This means I can quickly throw together bowl meals or salads on the fly. It also means that unless I’m in the mood to cook, most of my meals take less than 10 minutes hands on during the week. If it’s longer, I use the tips below. Overall, food prep has become key in helping me eat healthy and save time. I do the batch work up front and stress less during the week. It’s amazing.
INSTANT POT MEALS
Listen, I know I took ages to get on the instant pot train*. I’m not even on the air fryer on yet because the idea of another kitchen appliance in our limited space stresses me out. I can’t deal with the clutter. But my instant pot, she’s quickly become my new kitchen bestie.
Occasionally, I really do enjoy spending time in the kitchen cooking. It’s relaxing and a good excuse to listen to music or watch a movie. However, I find most days that I feel more productive with hands off meals. A lot of instant pot meals can be time consuming depending on the recipe. So I tend to stick with simple things like cooking chicken or sweet potatoes. There’s the odd recipe thrown in from my favorite instant pot cookbook* here and there. But I mostly use it to help me eat healthy and have time to shower at all the same time. Again, I love good bit of multi-tasking.
MAKE THE OVEN YOUR BEST FRIEND
Have I mentioned how much I love hands off meals? Seriously, they are the best thing ever. If I can throw it all on a pan and toss it into the oven, it’s my perfect dinner. And it’s how I frequently make most of my sides and proteins. Some of my favorite oven recipes include Dijon Mustard Salmon, Roasted Potatoes and Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup.
The best thing about most oven meals is that they always somehow feel fancier without all the added kitchen time. I recently made the dijon salmon for the first time and we fell in love with it. You’d think it took loads of effort but nope. Just a few ingredients whisked together for a sauce, pour it on the salmon and put it in the oven. Dinner is ready in 20 minutes. Quick, easy and healthy – my three favorite words when it comes to making dinner.
MEAL DELIVERY PLANS
I’ve toyed with adding this back into rotation in our house. I know it’s not the most budget conscious option for everyone. But it definitely keeps things fun when you’re looking to eat healthy. I’ve tried a few different plans over the years and by far my favorite is Sun Basket*.
Eating out often is channeling with a 90 year old who is wheel chair bound. Sometimes it’s just easier to stay in. So having the option for meal delivery plans give us the convenience of restaurant meals but without the faff of leaving the house. Yes, I’ve fully embraced my inner grandma. If I can stay in my slippers* and black leggings while I eat dinner, I’m a happy gal.
If you’re looking for meals that cost around $10 per serving, source high quality ingredients and accommodate multiple diets, you need to try Sun Basket*. It’s easily the best option on the market particularly if you’re vegan or gluten free. There’s always some special going so be sure to double check when you sign up. But right now you can save $70 off your first three boxes with Sun Basket by using my link*. Happy cooking babes!
What about you? Do you have any time saving hacks that help you eat healthy? I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment below and let me know. And feel free to share this post with someone you think might enjoy it. Until next time. Xoxo, Savvy
