Our modern lifestyle has both good and bad sides. One of the bad sides is that it has caused disorder in our eating and sleeping patterns, as well as a decrease in physical activity.

We are often stationary for extended periods of time now – whether we are commuting, sitting at a desk, or relaxing on a couch. If we don’t have time to exercise, we’re more likely to gain weight and have an unhealthy lifestyle. After a long day of work and dealing with rush hour traffic, you don’t want to worry about making a healthy meal. We can all relate to ordering our favorite food at the end of a long day and then relaxing in front of the TV.

Healthy living requires avoiding unhealthy foods and habits. It does seem daunting, but it is doable. How we prepare food and the choices we make affects the way we think.

Even if you have a lot on your plate, you can still eat healthy. Here’s how to do it. We also provide you with a few tips for healthy eating for your children.

Healthy Eating Rules for Busy People

1. Blend Everything

You can create a healthy and nutritious meal in a few minutes. Wondering how? The answer is – blending. This meal can be used as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner replacement, or as a refreshing snack. You can puree foods using a blender to make smoothies, soups, or whipped dips.

What can be blended? Absolutely everything – fruits, vegetables and even meat. There are plenty of recipes on the Internet to give you ideas, and you can express your creativity by combining the food you love or experimenting with interesting food mixtures.

Adding low-fat yogurt or ice cream to your smoothie can help to curb your sugar cravings.

2. Have a Healthy Delivery

Many workers spend their lunch break working instead of taking a break to enjoy a meal. In these moments, we crave unhealthy comfort foods. For example, I have the phone numbers of pizza places and fast food restaurants memorized and order unhealthy food without thinking. That has to change!

Look online for restaurants that serve healthy food, and call them the next time you’re looking to order. You will have a lot of delicious and healthy meal options to choose from! Some of the dishes that can be ordered off the grill are salads with chicken or seafood, various types of grilled fish, grilled calamari, or pasta with goat cheese, lemon, and asparagus. You’ve already gotten hungry, haven’t you?

3. Protein Powder and Bars

Since protein-rich food is expensive and time-consuming to prepare, protein supplements have become a necessity for people with busy lifestyles. If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to make a meal, protein shakes and bars are a convenient way to get the protein you need.

In other words, you may want to eat only foods that you find delicious. Although supplements including protein powders, snacks, and drinks may be a convenient way to help you feel full, it doesn’t mean that they can replace a proper meal. You should eat them often, but only as part of a good diet.

4. Carry Your Health in Bottles

What would you say is the healthiest drink? If you are thinking of water, you are correct. What the body needs – water provides. Water is essential for our bodies because it helps to re-hydrate our system. We lose fluids through activities such as breathing, sweating, and metabolism, and water helps to replenish these lost fluids. Water is also calorie and sugar-free.

You should always have a small bottle of water with you in your purse, car, and at your office desk. This way you will remind yourself to hydrate. If you want to save money, fill bottles of water at home rather than buying them at the store. When you’re leaving the house, pour filtered water from a water filter pitcher into the bottle you’ll be carrying. Water filters help to remove lead, zinc, copper, cadmium, mercury, chromium, DDT and chlorine from water, making it taste better. If you’re looking to flavor your water, you can add crushed berries, mint, cucumber, or citrus fruit.

5. Prepare for the Workweek Accordingly

Preparing food in advance is critical for maintaining healthy eating habits as well as for losing or maintaining weight. Making sure you have healthy food options available will help you make better food choices throughout the day.

Additionally, this approach eliminates stress and anxiety around meal planning on a daily basis. The key to success is in preparation. Making ahead recipes is a great way to have food ready to eat throughout the week. This means that you can complete the task in one day and not have to worry about it for the rest of the work week.

Healthy eating for children

The foods and beverages that children consume during their early years can have a profound impact on their health for years to come. The eating habits that children develop early on in life are important in shaping their overall diet. It is essential to encourage children to eat nutritious foods to establish healthy eating behaviours.

A healthy balanced diet for children

Children need a healthy diet containing a balance of foods from each food group in order to get a wide range of nutrients that will help them stay healthy.

The amount of food a child needs varies depending on age, growth spurts, and how much activity they have done.

If a child wants more than what is offered, then offer it to them.

Starchy foods

Starchy foods are a good source of energy and are particularly important for children who are very active.

Fruit and vegetables contain important nutrients like fiber and vitamins that are necessary for growth and development.

Children should eat a variety of foods from this food group at each meal time.

When offering children these foods, remember:

• try to offer a wide variety of bread such as high fibre white version of bread, wholemeal, granary, tortilla, pitta and potato bread
• wholegrain breakfast cereals and whole oats are a great way to start the day as they are a good source of energy, vitamins, minerals,  and fibre – choose ones low in salt and avoid sugar-coated cereals as these can cause tooth decay and encourage children to develop a sweet tooth
• Pasta, noodles and rice can be served at mealtimes, but avoid snack noodles as these are usually high in fat and salt – try using brown rice and wholewheat pasta
• boil, mash or bake potatoes – choose oven chips instead of fried, or try homemade wedges

Fruit and vegetables

You should encourage your child to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day.

It is important for people to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in their diets to ensure that they get all the essential vitamins and minerals.

A child’s portion size is generally half of an adult portion, or an amount that would fit comfortably in their palm.

As children grow, they should be encouraged to eat larger portions sizes until they reach the amount recommended for adults.

Protein providers

Children need protein and iron to grow and develop. Give your child one to two portions of food from this group daily.

If you’re looking for a meat alternative that is low in fat and high in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, beans, pulses, and lentils are a great option.

Herbs can add color, flavor, and texture to casseroles, chili, and pasta sauces.

Whole nuts, including peanuts, shouldn’t be given to children under five years of age in case they choke, even though they contain protein.

The NHS recommends that children eat two portions of fish a week, with one of those being an oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel or trout.

Boys should not have more than four portions of oily fish per week, and girls no more than two portions per week. This is because oily fish can contain low levels of pollutants that can accumulate in the body.

There are more health benefits to eating oily fish than there are risks, so try to encourage children to eat fish regularly.

Eggs make a good substitute for meat, and can be used in lots of different ways. They can be prepared in many ways, including scrambled, boiled, poached, or made into an omelette.

Meat is rich in protein, vitamin B12 and iron. A diet that includes a lot of iron will help keep you from having iron deficiency anaemia.

Processed meats and chicken products are often very popular with children. Limit your intake of these foods as they are high in fat and salt.

Dairy and alternatives

Dairy products and alternatives are an important part of a child’s diet, as they provide nutrients such as calcium, vitamin A and D, protein and fat.

Calcium is required to enable children to develop solid bones and for maintaining proper nerve and muscle function.

Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium, which is important for strong bones.

The importance of iron

Iron is essential for your child’s health and can be found in animal sources such as meat and fish, as well as in plant sources like wholegrain cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, pulses, and dried fruits.

Iron from meat and fish is easier for our bodies to absorb than from vegetables. If your child does not eat meat or fish, they can still get enough iron by eating fortified breakfast cereals, pulses, and dark green leafy vegetables.

You should consume foods or drinks that are high in vitamin C while eating iron-rich vegetables, as this will aid in the absorption of iron.

If young children drink a lot of milk, they may eat less food because they will feel full. If they have difficulty getting calories and nutrients from a balanced diet, this could make it hard for them to stay healthy.

This could lead to iron deficiency anemia, which can cause physical and mental delays in development.

Salt

You don’t need to put salt in your kid’s food.

The amount of salt your child should have should not exceed a certain amount depending on their age.

As a guide:

• one to three years old: 2g of salt a day
• four to six years old: 3g of salt a day
• seven to 10 years old: 5g of salt a day
• 11 years old and over: 6g of salt a day

When purchasing processed foods, be sure to look at the label information to select items with less salt.

Instead of using salt to flavor your food, try using pepper, herbs, and spices.

Sugar

If you give your child too much sugar, they may gain weight and suffer from tooth decay.

The maximum recommended sugar intake for children is:

• four to six years old: no more than 19g per day
• seven to 10 years old: no more than 24g per day
• from 11 years old: no more than 30g per day

There is no recommended limit on sugar intake for children under four years of age, but it is advised to avoid sugary drinks and food with added sugar.

Go Healthy!

A commitment to healthy living is a long-term undertaking which necessitates initial effort. Making plans is key to success when it comes to knowing what and when you’re going to eat. When given the chance, cook your own meals and mix your own drinks at home to help yourself avoid falling back into old, unhealthy habits.

Put produce and snacks in places where you spend most of your time. Look for healthy recipes online, and if you’re feeling tempted to give up, remind yourself of all the benefits that your new lifestyle will bring.