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When You're Too Busy To Eat

Do you eat Poke in your car…. or while sprinting down the street? If this sounds like you, eating well while you are juggling work, home, school, kids, or all of the above can feel nearly impossible. We sat down with Registered Dietitian Katie Goldberg to get her tips on finding some balance in our lives.

GOODBYE LUNCH!
When’s the last time you had a power lunch? You say never? We’re not surprised. The average office worker is more productive today than at any time in history. American super workers are masters of multi-tasking, forget to take lunch breaks, and over half of them forgo paid vacation. Most people now receive at least 100 emails per day and check their phones a jaw-dropping eighty times per day. Between work and social media, it’s no wonder that so many of us feel obligated to be “always on,” no matter where we are.

How does this time crunch affect how we eat? A 2015 study went viral because 40 percent of Millennials said cleaning their cereal bowls took too long. Other studies have shown that full time work can increase the likelihood that you choose unhealthy foods and feel too rushed to eat well. And this isn’t just an American phenomenon – workers all over the world are changing the way they eat. Consider this: we know that it takes twenty minutes for the body to let us know that we’re full. That means gulping down hamburgers in front of our desks while preparing for the next meeting isn’t giving us the time we deserve. So how can you give yourself a break?

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“When your time is limited, you are going to look for the most convenient solutions. For some people, that means they reach for the food they prepped earlier in the week. For others, it means getting takeout. For others, it means hitting up a vending machine.”

– Katie Goldberg, MCN, RDN, LDN , Dietitian

Photo Credit: Katie Goldberg

GETTING STRATEGIC
First of all, take a deep breath. It’s normal to be overwhelmed. For the majority of people today, it’s absolutely unrealistic to think that every meal you eat will be cooked at home, especially if you feel like work has you in a hamster wheel, or you are playing chauffeur for family members. It’s great to have a strategy, but make sure that you don’t set up too many unrealistic expectations for yourself.

If you’re traveling or on the road all the time, then eating out is not an exception for you, it’s the norm. That means that you can’t use eating out as an excuse to eat things that you wouldn’t normally serve at home. Instead, look for healthy, everyday foods. Stay focused on two key nutrients: heart healthy proteins (lean meats, seafood, eggs, or plant-based alternatives), and fiber (fruits, veggies, whole grains and beans).

“Making good choices when you’re not at home is the key to a life of making good choices. Try to choose foods that make you feel good the next day, not just while you’re eating them. Don’t focus on guilt. Zero in on your energy levels, your digestion and your sleep.”

– Katie Goldberg, MCN, RDN, LDN , Dietitian

YOU, SUPER PLANNER
So you love a challenge and want to plan it all out? Start small and try planning breakfast for the next week instead of all 21 meals. Be flexible, involve everyone in the household, and invite your family or roommates to go grocery shopping with you.

Some people love planning so much that they become regular “meal preppers,” making double or triple batches of recipes that they like and storing them so that they are easy to reheat and serve. Sound boring to you? Preppers love knowing that a healthy homemade meal is always on hand!

For kids, cooking meals as a team can be a true learning experience. Preparing foods together introduces variety, allows your kids to choose between different healthy options, and most importantly, helps them learn by watching you.

WHAT ABOUT POKE? HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M EATING TOO MUCH SEAFOOD?
According to the NOAA, Americans eat only an average of 16 pounds of seafood per year, while the US Food & Drug Administration recommends 8 oz per week, or around 26 pounds per year. In Iceland, Japan, Norway or South Korea people eat on average over 100 pounds per year. So you probably will be fine if you indulge in more fish!

Seafood packs a lot of nutritional benefits in every lean bite. It’s high protein, supplies omega 3 fats, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, is low in saturated fat, and contains vitamin E, an important antioxidant. Here’s some more reasons to eat seafood:

  • The Heart: Seafood reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, protects against heart attacks and sudden death, decreases the risk of heart arrhythmias and strokes, decreases blood triglyceride levels, increases HDL (good) cholesterol, and improves circulation.
  • The Brain: Research shows that seafood contributes to neurological development in infants.
  • The Eyes: Seafood contributes to vision development and nerve growth in the retina
  • Muscles: Seafood helps build muscles and tissues.

 

“The benefits of eating seafood are incredible! Research shows that regular fish consumption reduces the risk of heart attack by as much as 40 percent. Eating seafood can lower blood pressure, benefits people with diabetes, and may even help ward off depression.”

– Katie Goldberg, MCN, RDN, LDN , Dietitian

So there you have it. No matter what lifestyle you have, it’s possible to eat well even when you don’t have much time. Whether you’re a super meal prepper, or on the road all the time, it’s all about making healthy eating more convenient. For some, this might mean using tools like white boards, apps, or notebooks. And if you’re out in our neighborhood, you know that you can always count on Aloha Poke Co. to give you a delicious, guilt free meal that your body will love.

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