MAKING FOOD CHOICES EASIER: CONVENIENCE FOODS FOR STRESSFUL TIMES
AKA How to eat well when life feels like hell.
We've been amid these “unprecedented times” for far too long, it seems, and current events have only seemed to exacerbate the overwhelm and languish. This doesn't even include our day-to-day personal struggles specific to us. And let me tell you, I have felt the reality of all of this crashing down many times.
As a result, it's been effortless to turn to food for comfort (not a bad thing, by the way, but hopefully not the only way to manage emotions), as well as feeling the general flood of being able to manage my nutrition and wellness.
So if you're finding yourself in any or all of these categories, consider yourself seen.
DO YOU:
1 || Have limited food options on hand;
2 || have the limited capacity to manage things outside of work, family, and life;
3 || have only the capacity to sit on the couch, but
4 || still want to make progress toward your health and wellness goals?
That is doable, even when it feels hard.
The fact is, nutrition may not feel like it’s even in the realm of your top five or ten priorities. It doesn't have to be! But that also doesn’t mean you can’t see progress just because you have other priorities that come first. Rather than feeling the need to spend hours on end meticulously planning or setting aside an entire day cooking and prepping your meals for the week, it may be that for some time you seek to make nutrition more of a support for the rest of the top ten priorities. By taking some small actions, you can still feel like it’s important to you, and actually supporting the life you’re currently living.
In terms of making food choices easier, you can still prioritize your nutrition in a pinch and a 5-10 minute grocery run.
Perhaps the “war on fast food” over the past 10-20 years has made us weary of frozen, packaged, or convenience foods. Somehow, we’ve seemed to equate “fast” or “quick and easy” with being less nutritious, which isn't the case at all. Even now as I write this, I’m eating pre-cut celery sticks with a shot glass of ranch dressing as my chicken nuggets warm up in the air fryer. Because I recognize I can make quick choices that support the other demands in my life as a dad, attorney, coach, and athlete.
If this is you, know we are here with you.
And, rather than feeling completely overwhelmed with the need to cook every meal from scratch and have individually prepared tupperware meal prep meals, take a deep breath. The next time you go to the grocery store, just run into the store and grab these items:
1 || A rotisserie chicken;
2 || A bag or two of salad (a salad kit with dressings & toppings is just great);
3 || A frozen protein source (chicken nuggets/fingers, turkey or beef burgers, frozen grilled chicken breast, etc.);
4 || A frozen microwaveable steam bag of veggies or canned veggies.
The theme? Buy the things you can easily keep on hand that require nothing more than a microwave in your time of need that will also align with your goals. You don't ALWAYS have to spend countless hours meal prepping in order to be “successful” in your nutrition. Success can look like utilizing convenience foods to save both time and mental capacity.
YOU CAN ALSO GRAB OUR MACRO FRIENDLY MEAL PREP COOKBOOK FOR FREE HERE
When you're feeling good, maximize it. But if you're feeling like a hot pile of garbage, realize that you can still make some quick and convenient choices so that you are fueling yourself well despite a busy schedule, stressful circumstances, or a tough season of life you may be navigating.
If you are looking for more support in your nutrition as you navigate a stressful life full of many different responsibilities, learn more about our 1:1 Nutrition Coaching. We provide high support, unlimited communication, and the guidance you need to work towards your health and nutrition goals even when in the toughest seasons of life.