Healthy eating tips for women on the go

Busy working women often forget to eat regular, healthy meals. Here are some tips to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle in a rushed and stressful day...

1.   Planning, planning, planning

Plan ahead and don’t skip meals. Plan what you will have for breakfast, lunch and supper using a weekly meal planner and make a shopping list from that. That way you know all ingredients are available and you can take meat or chicken out of the freezer to thaw before you leave for work. This will reduce the temptation to stop for takeaway foods on your way home.

2.   Pack snacks and lunches

Use small containers for every meal and pack it in a small cooler bag. Pack fresh fruit, whole-wheat biscuits with low fat cheese, low fat yoghurt, and peanut butter whole wheat sandwiches.

3.   Take water in the car

Sip water every time you stop at a red light and refill the bottle regularly. Make sure the bottle you use has the plastic identification triangle with a 2, 4 or 5 in it – this ensures it is a plastic that is reusable and not harmful.

4.   Plan your exercise in your busy diary as if it is a meeting

You won’t skip a meeting with an important client, would you? So don’t skip this meeting with … YOU!

5.   Don’t forget to eat

Try having breakfast before you leave home or as soon as you get to the office. Set cell phone reminders or email reminders on your computer to go off mid-morning, lunch time, midafternoon to remind you to eat.

6.   Use weekends to your advantage

Bake low GI rusks over weekends and make meals that freeze well for those nights when you know you won’t have time to cook.

7.   Avoid the pitfalls at work: vending machines and meetings

Become a healthy choice advocate for your work place. Leave your wallet in the car if the temptation is unavoidable. Ask for healthier options in the vending machines and ask for meeting snacks to include fresh fruit, crudités platters with low fat hummus or fat free cottage cheese and water instead of fried snacks, muffins, biscuits and fruit juices.

8.   Don’t think about good foods and bad foods all day long

All foods can be part of healthy eating, when eaten in moderation.

9.   Make it a lifestyle

Make good lifestyle choices and you’ll never go on a diet again. And remember it all starts in the supermarket – go through your basket or shopping trolley before going to the till point and make sure you have only healthy items in there… especially when you're shopping on an empty stomach.

10.  Get the whole family involved

Don’t cook for youself and then also cook for the rest of the family… everyone can benefit from the same healthy foods. Make exercise planned family activities as well.

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