Healthy Eating for Busy Lives

By Michele Blandino

With childhood obesity - and indeed, the weight of many Americans - spiraling out of control, many parents are taking extra steps to encourage healthy eating habits.

Given the hectic lifestyle many families maintain, this is not an easy task, particularly when practices, games, and other activities makes preparing and sitting down to a home-cooked meal nearly impossible. As a result, families find themselves relying on fast-food and takeout for the majority of their meals.

The good news is that sitting down to a home cooked meal even on the busiest of days, is not impossible. With a little pre-planning and preparation, you and your family can maintain a healthy diet while keeping your active schedule.

• Plan Ahead - At the start of each week, take a look at your schedule so that you can get an idea of how many nights you may be able to cook dinner and how many may require a different solution. When you cook your meals, be sure to prepare enough so that you have leftovers that can be served on the nights you won't be able to cook. Similarly, you may want to make an entire meal ahead of time and freeze it for later use. If your family members keep vastly different schedules, you can freeze individual portions that can be quickly heated in the microwave.
• Snack Healthy - Another way to avoid the fast-food trap is to have a healthy after-school snack. Giving your children filling foods such as fruit, vegetables, lightly buttered popcorn and low-fat yogurt will help stave off hunger longer and in turn, provide you the time needed to prepare a healthy meal. You should suggest that they drink water with their snack rather than juice; in addition to keeping their sugar consumption to a minimum, water will help keep them feeling full longer.
• Fast-Food Alternatives - Despite all of your efforts, you may still occasionally find it necessary to eat out. That's fine, provided you choose wisely. In many areas, quick-serve healthy alternatives to fast-food are becoming more widely available. These restaurants offer fare such as salads, soups and sandwiches made from "good" meats such as chicken and turkey rather than cold cuts which are typically high in fat and sodium. If you find you must visit a fast-food restaurant, choose a salad or grilled item and by all means, skip the fries!
• Multi-Task - If your busy schedule doesn't provide enough time for you to chop vegetables and make the other preparations that might be needed for a healthy meal, there are alternatives. Chop vegetables or gather the ingredients you will need to prepare the meal while you are talking on the phone. If time is really an issue, you can purchase pre-cut vegetables in most grocery stores.

The key to maintaining a healthy diet is maintaining an awareness of what you are eating. The next time you contemplate pulling into a fast-food restaurant, ask yourself if there is a healthier alternative that won't compromise your schedule. Chances are, there is.