Meals-To-Go: The Busy Life Diet

Key Points

- You can maintain a healthy diet and a busy lifestyle at the same time.

- It takes planning to maintain a healthy diet when you’re busy.

- Substitute high-protein foods for foods high in fat.

If there's one thing that many people often find hinders them as they try to stick with their diet plan, it's time. You don't have the time to plan your meals, you don't have the time to cook the meals, you may feel as though you don't have time to eat healthy meals.

Like it or not, maintaining a healthy diet does take some planning, but if you eat a few quick, easy meals, you won't let a lack of time prevent you from reaching your goals.

Instead, work with what you've got to make sure that you're prepared at the start of each busy week. Always remember to take advantage of weekends if you're less busy by pre-chopping vegetables and cooking meats and storing them in the freezer for easy use. Both of these simple tips save on prep time during weeknights.

Let's take a quick look at some of the best meals-to-go to simplify your eating routine.

Protein Packed Baked Potato

As far as carb sources go, baked potatoes are one of the fastest and easiest options. It takes 3-6 minutes to microwave a potato.

For this meal-to-go option, first prepare a baked potato in the microwave as you normally would. Once it's finished, slice it open and let sit for a minute or so to cool slightly. Then top off with half a cup of cottage cheese, some salsa and any other chopped vegetables you enjoy.

The cottage cheese provides more overall protein content to this meal, making it far more well-rounded and supportive of your goals to build lean muscle mass. Also, by replacing the traditional sour cream topping with cottage cheese, you also cut back on the amount of saturated fat you consume.

If you do have higher calorie needs, consider melting some low-fat cheese over the top of the potato for even more protein and flavor.

Tuna Wrap

Another quick and simple meal-to-go, one that's loaded with protein, is a tuna wrap. Since tuna requires no preparation, this is a great option for a quick lunch to take with you to work.

Simply open a can of tuna and spoon it into a whole wheat soft tortilla shell or a whole grain pita.

Next, drizzle a small amount of olive oil-based salad dressing for healthy fats and some extra flavor. Then top with whatever sliced vegetables you prefer. Cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms or spinach all work great and provide your body with valuable nutrients.

Once that's finished, wrap it up and place it in a container in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Shrimp Spinach Salad

Since you can purchase pre-cooked shrimp, make it a quick protein salad when you’re on the go. You'll want to use this tasty option as much as you can because it’s low in fat and calories, as well. If you're looking for maximum fat loss, it's a perfect protein source.

Simply take two cups of fresh spinach leaves and mix in a variety of different vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, red onions, celery, cucumbers or mini corn cobs and toss with 10-20 pre-cooked shrimp.

Add two tablespoons of Italian salad dressing and serve alongside a whole grain bagel when you're in muscle building mode and require more calories. If you're shooting for fat loss, skip the bagel for a great low-carb, low-calorie quick and easy meal.

Protein Parfait

If you're rushed in the morning and don't have much time to prepare breakfast, try a protein parfait. With a few simple tweaks to the classic recipe, you boost the overall protein content consumed while adding some healthy fats, as well.

Combine half a cup of cottage cheese with half a cup of your favorite fruit flavored yogurt. Next spoon a quarter of this mixture into a tall glass and top with some sliced berries or a sliced banana. On top toss some ground up flaxseeds mixed with a small amount of granola for extra carbs. Then, repeat the layers until all the yogurt mixture has been used up.

Egg and Meat Omelette

When you come home from work and need something quick before heading out again, mix up an egg and meat omelette. Freshly prepared ham is the most common meat option for this meal, but substitute ham with some low-fat, low sodium sandwich meat like sliced turkey.

Your meal still provides a good amount of protein, which helps you reach your daily protein total.

Whisk two whole eggs together and pour into a pan, adding some finely chopped vegetables. Flip at half time. On the second side, add the sandwich meat so it'll cook right into the eggs and boost the overall taste of this quick dinner on the run.

Plan ahead and keep these ideas in mind as part of healthy diet while keeping up with a busy lifestyle. By having these classics to turn to when something comes up suddenly, you’ll reduce the chances of stopping off for a fast food, high calorie meal.

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