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Nowadays almost everyone has a busy schedule. Most of us don’t like to spend hours every day in the kitchen preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner. So we often grab food on the go – from a store, restaurant or from the fridge at the last minute. 

Whether you’re hurrying between meetings, attending to chores, or travelling, maintaining a healthy diet does not need to be sidelined by your busy lifestyle. With a few simple habits and planning tricks, you can fuel your body better, even with limited time. With a little planning and a few smart habits, you can eat well even on your busiest schedules. Here’s how to keep making easy and nourishing meals, without compromising on convenience.

Here are 6 quick and healthy meal ideas for healthy eating on the go

1. Plan Ahead- Make a Simple Eating Strategy in Advance

Planning your meals and snacks is much more straightforward when you take an honest look at your schedule. Identify your busiest times of the day, such as in the mornings, during your commute, or in the late afternoons, by reflecting on your typical week. Accordingly, you can plan your meals for these times. It’s simpler to make healthier food choices when you know when you’re most likely to grab something to eat.

2. Prepare Meals and Snacks Ahead of Time

Cooking meals doesn’t have to be too time-consuming. You can learn a simple meal prep habit. It simply means making food easier for you in the future.

Meal preparation can include:

• Cooking quinoa, pasta, or rice in large quantities
• Chopping the veggies in advance
• Boiling eggs for instant protein.
• Clean the fruits and get them ready; you cut the fruit box at night only.
• Snacks should be packed in tiny containers.

You don’t even have to prepare for the entire week. You can just implement this habit and prep meals for Monday and Tuesday if they are hectic days.

Time-saving tip: Cut and store vegetables as soon as you get home from food shopping. This small habit can make busy mornings a lot easier. Cooking in the morning takes much less time because you have already finished washing and chopping vegetables.

3. Snack Smart to Avoid Overeating Later

On your busy schedules, a long gap without food can make you feel more hungry, which ultimately results in overeating or choosing junk food. A good healthy snack can really help keep you from overeating later in the day. 

Here are a few good snack options:

• Nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, and walnuts) without salt
• Trail mix that includes dry fruits and berries, nuts & seeds, but avoid adding additional sugar
• Prefer eating whole fruits such as bananas, strawberries, apples, oranges, and pineapples instead of juice
• Slice vegetables with salsa or hummus.
• Yoghurt or homemade curd
• Crackers made from whole grains and high in fibre
• Low-sugar protein bars, or try making your own protein bars at home, like pumpkin apple protein bars.

Likewise, you can create your own homemade snack packets. This helps you keep ingredients of your choice in adequate amounts and saves money.

4. Make Smarter Fast Food Choices

You can try this:

• Opt for fresh fruits or a side salad instead of fries.
• Order grilled meals over fried food items.
• Aim for a small portion size. If you want to eat fries, get a small-size pack rather than a medium or large.
• Avoid sugary sodas and order water or unsweetened iced tea or coffee.
• Request dressings and sauces on the side of the plate.
• You don’t have to be perfect; just small adjustments can add up to significant changes over time.

5. Plan Smart for Social Events and Travel

When you go out for a trip or have a party, healthy eating does not end. It just requires a little planning. 

Planning Tips for Social Gatherings

• During the day eat normally instead of “saving calories”, which can ultimately end up in overeating later in the day.
• Bring a dish that satisfies your dietary needs and taste.
• Take small portions of your favourite foods and eat mindfully.

Planning Tips for Travel

When travelling, fresh foods aren’t always feasible, so rely on smart, healthy, portable options, such as:

• Dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, freeze-dried mango, or any other dried fruit of your choice
• Nuts and seeds for healthy fats and protein; avoid salted ones.
• Try to choose low-sugar protein or energy bars.

With these small habits you can stay nourished, energised, and balanced, no matter where your schedule takes you.

6. Bring Plenty of High-Fibre, High-Protein Snacks

If you’re planning to go out for a long road trip, get a small cooler where you can keep hard-boiled eggs, yoghurt and fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating balanced snacks and avoiding fast food from restaurants on the road can help reduce your sodium intake, just like home-cooked food.

This can keep your blood pressure in control and may safeguard your heart health. 

Final takeaway

Even if you have a hectic schedule, it is feasible to eat healthily or sensibly while on a trip. It only requires a bit of awareness, planning, preparation, and smart food choices.

You don’t require an ideal regimen. All you need is just a plan that works for you without compromising on taste and nutrition.

(The article is written by Nancy Dixit, Subject Matter Expert, and reviewed by Monalisa Deka, Deputy Manager, Clinical Health & Content, Medical Affairs)

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