Food, on the run
Well if you are a working single guy or gal in the city, blues are not restricted to Mondays alone! When stress and deadlines are your constant companions, who has the time to think about food, much less cook it! More often than not you find yourself reaching out for that bar of chocolate, endless cups of coffee, deep fried chicken lollipops, French fries and the ubiquitous chips. You sure are entitled to “comfort foods” (there’s nothing like digging your teeth into some dark chocolate pastry after a hard day’s work), but the trouble with single working people is that it becomes their staple diet instead of a rare treat leading to obesity, acidity, ulcers and the works!.
Let me do some “hard selling” for nutritious food. It helps you to
Stay fit and prevents cold and flu
Studies confirm that singles not on home food are 6 times more prone to common colds.
Prevents unnecessary weight gain
A study at the University of Minnesota shows how fixing your own dinner as apposed to eating out prevents weight gain and reduces by 80 percent the urge to binge.
Conquer that constipation
Ouch! That one sure should bring some reason to your fast-food-fed-brain.
Revs up your energy levels
High fiber, low calorie diet of fresh fruits, green veggies and fruit juices give you that energy boost you always wanted.
Gives you smooth, glowing skin
And for all the young ladies, good food gives you the smooth, pearly skin
In short you are what you eat! Sounds hackneyed but is true nevertheless!
Here are some 10 quick fixes for all you city slickers who are miles away from good wholesome, healthy home food to keep your energy up and immune system strong.
1) Plan and stock:
Spend a few minutes planning your week’s menu in advance. Visit the local supermarket and pick up peeled and chopped, fresh veggies and fruits and stock your refrigerator. Buying fresh food will force you to cook more often and eat healthy.
2) Pick healthy cooked meals
There are loads of pre-packaged, convenient, take-away healthy foods and curries, available in the market pick those that at any rate are the least unhealthy. Then learn to quickly and easily improve the nutritional content of the meal by adding some fresh cream, cottage cheese etc. There’s nothing wrong with a good quality pizza but add a mixed vegetable salad alongside it and finish with a piece of fruit for complete nutrition.
3) Make extra large portions for busy days-
The special days, when you do cook something nice and healthy; make bigger portions for those busy weekdays and stock up the extra in the deep freezer. Frozen cooked meals are a practical solution for the time starved young working professional. Cooked veggies can last for days in the fridge, extra rice can be used for a stir-fry, left over vegetables can be turned into a tasty soup, shredded chicken with a tomato sauce and shredded cabbage will make for a nutritious and healthy sandwich filling.
4) Let friends help you- organize “cook-and-eat-parties”, little messy, but worth the fun.
By making food preparation a part of your social life you will enhance the fun of cooking – it isn’t always a drudgery.
5) A smoothie a day keeps the blues away
Invest in a blender and enjoy your own, economical, smoothies. Keep frozen fruits (strawberries, bananas, mangoes) and some protein powder handy for a spur of the moment whirl. Here’s the basic recipe:
Combine 1cup of frozen or fresh fruit with 1 cup of lowfat, skim or soy milk. Add 1 scoop of soy protein powder, vanilla flavored. Sweeten with your choice of sweetener if needed. Blend & enjoy!
6) Always eat your breakfast
Skipping breakfast makes it harder to maintain stable blood sugar levels and effective functioning during your busy morning; you need it. You can easily grab a hard-boiled egg and some orange juice or a sandwich fixed and kept in the fridge or milk from cartons on your way out the door, right?
7) Opt For Green Tea:
If you’re a coffee junkie, you may not realize the ill-effects caffeine has on your system. A relatively easy and healthy way to wean yourself is to replace coffee with decaffeinated green tea, which has a soothing taste and the added benefit of loads of antioxidants.
Carry a Snack:
Having some protein-rich, healthful snacks in your car, office, or purse can help you avoid blood sugar level dips and accompanying mood swings and fatigue. Carry whole-wheat biscuits, peanut and energy bars all of which contain good nutrition. Also carry a bottle of water so vital to health and proper physical functioning.
9)Healthy Munches:
If you find that you absently munch when you’re stressed, or have a pattern of snacking at certain times in the day or week, you can replace chips, cheese puffs and other less-healthy munchies with carrot sticks, cucumber, seasonal fruits, chick pea, popcorn (without the butter and salt!)Dried raisins (kishmish), nuts, dried amla, wholewheat soup sticks are excellent choices for munching.Carry your lunch or order from a dabbawala. Even if you do this only a few days a week, it would be an improvement over eating every lunch out.
10) Lastly, Banish the Bad Stuff from Your Kitchen Closet
It’s easier to avoid sugary, fatty, and otherwise unhealthy foods if they’re not in your home, practically begging to be eaten! Go through your kitchen and throw out anything your body can’t use in a healthy way. That way you’ll be forced to snack on healthy food when you’re stressed or bored or busy.
Following these 10 handy tips will keep you ticking even when you are oh-so-busy!
Written by suhasini