At Stark, we work with a lot of high-performers. Some of them are athletes, others are executives/entrepreneurs, and some are super parents that have to keep up with their kids. And one constant struggle we need to help our students with is figuring out how to stay on top of their nutrition while trying to accomplish everything they need to do in a day.
Here are three simple tips to eating healthy while maintaining a busy schedule.
- Cook In Bulk
This one is a no brainer. In most cases, cooking more food does not require more time. For example, it takes the same amount of time to BBQ six chicken breasts as it does only one. And if you do that, you can portion it up into containers for lunch during the week, slice some up and put it on a salad, or heat it up as leftovers if you’re in a rush and need to eat something quick. If you’re going to go to the effort of cooking, it’s a good idea to cook enough for at least 2-3 meals.
- Jerky
Two challenges we face with our students are the fact that they’re always on the go, and they have a hard time getting enough protein. Keeping jerky on hand helps with both. Since it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, you can keep it in your car or in your bag, and you can eat it in between meetings or while your kids are at soccer practice. And some jerky’s have 30 grams of protein in each pack, so it can also help you get to your daily protein target. Plus, depending on your food sensitivities, there are lots of gluten-free options, as well as various kinds of meat, not just beef. In fact, this gluten-free turkey jerky is from free-range turkeys and comes in 1 oz. packs that have 12 grams of protein and only 60 calories!
- Food Delivery Subscriptions
The easiest way to get into trouble with your nutrition is when you don’t have food on hand. That’s when most people reach for the snack cupboard or order fast food. That’s why we are big fans of food delivery subscriptions. You can have all kinds of healthy foods show up on your doorstep without requiring you to make a trip to the store. And you can set the amount and frequency so that right before you run out, another delivery shows up! Here are few that I recommend:
- Butcher Box: high-quality meats with easily customizable boxes
- Farm Fresh To You: organic produce with boxes that provide seasonal options for your area
- Sun Basket: ready-to-cook meal kits with organic ingredients and meal plans tailored to various dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, paleo, etc.
- Imperfect Foods: customizable boxes with a little bit of everything: produce, dairy, meat/fish, and more.