Nutrition is the foundation of health and well-being if you can optimise your nutrition everything else becomes simpler. Getting nutrition right is just as essential as training, but most people find it very hard to portion their meals and have very little time to prepare it all. For people working a full-time job or full-time studying, being able to cook all their meals in advance can often take too much time. How often have you got home and not been bothered to cook? Often, right? So how can you get nutrition right and optimise your training? Preparation is essential; ‘failing to plan is planning to fail.’ To get on top of your nutrition, you must make it a habit. Find a time in the day that best suits you, whether it is in the morning, evening, or even afternoon, find a time that works with your schedule. Be harsh, is there an hour in your day that you don’t do anything? Making your nutrition a habit will soon save you time and money, and before long you will see improvements in your fitness because you haven’t had fries with that.
So, what are the simplest ways to make nutrition easy?
Planning
Getting a plan down on paper is the first thing you should do. Having it on paper will be much easier to follow, and you won’t forget anything you need. Make a list of all your favourite vegetables, meats, nuts etc. Try to reduce sugars and get quality meat. Once you have written your favourite ‘whole’ foods, make a rough plan of what meals you will prepare and their recipes; this way you can easily refer to them.
Stick to your plan
Having a plan is all well and good, but you must stick to it. Don’t let your plan disappear under some paperwork or behind the sofa, stick it on your fridge in plain sight. When you go shopping, take your list (or make a specific shopping list) and don’t get anything that isn’t on it. If you don’t have bad foods in the house, they won’t tempt you!
Keep it simple
When making your meals, keep it simple. This way you save time and can get on with the other things you need to do. Choose snacks that require very little preparation. Fruit is an excellent example of this.
Don’t get bored, add some variety
Repeatedly having the same meals can become very dull. Overcome this by having a selection of meals you can make with your ingredients. It can be as easy as changing the protein you have with your meal, for example, having fish instead of chicken. This way, you can change your meals during the week and keep things different.
Be efficient when you are cooking
Once you get into the swing of things, you will soon start to see ways of making things easier for yourself. A great way of being efficient in the kitchen is by cooking everything at the same time. Turn the oven on once and be done with it. This way you can have all your meals prepared for the week within 30 minutes.
Keep your eyes on the prize
The most important thing to help you keep on track with your nutrition is remembering why you are doing it. Always look at the bigger picture. Having a proper diet is going to improve your health and make you a fitter human. Never forget what your goal is!
Contact More Energy if you are looking to improve your diet or would like help setting up a nutritional plan. Call 01895 265 307 or email us.