Delicious diet tips for busy women

Busy women rarely put themselves first, and their diet often suffers as a result. Learn how the right foods — at the right time — can help keep your energy level up throughout the day. With a little preparation, you’ll never make an emergency trip to the vending machine again.

Making sure lunches are packed, homework is done and the dog is fed is no small feat for women on the go trying to juggle their careers and kids. The result is that too often, women start their day hungry because they don’t make time for breakfast.

Not eating within an hour of getting out of bed will trigger your metabolism to slow down as it goes into conservation mode, says Theresa Albert, a Toronto nutritionist and author. Then it can get ugly as your blood sugar level dips. Ever feel hangry (hungry and angry) as you race to get something — anything! — down your throat before passing out?

Luckily Albert has the perfect solution. Enter her magic muesli.

Full of the protein, fibre and nutrients needed to kick-start your body’s energy, the easy-to-make breakfast dish (see recipe below) features delicious berries, low-fat yogurt, seeds and nuts.

“The trick for busy women is to make a huge batch on Sunday and it will last the whole week,” says Albert. “Get breakfast done and you’re fueling your body for the full day.”

Quick tips for eating on the go

1. Plan your meals ahead. Now that you have breakfast covered Monday to Friday, take 20 minutes to plan out the rest of your meals before you go to the grocery store. Too busy to shop? See if you can find a service that will deliver them, like Grocery Gateway.
2. Cook more than one meal at once. If you’re cooking chicken, prepare five chicken breasts and keep the rest in the fridge for an easy meal on the fly another day. Stock up on frozen veggies like asparagus, corn and peas so that you have quick and healthy side dishes on hand to balance out the meal.
3. Have healthy snacks at the ready. A handful of roasted almonds, a Canadian cheddar cheese string or some carrots with hummus are all good options that will curb your hunger and leave you feeling satisfied until your next meal.

Magic muesli recipe

Prep time: 6 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
• 1 apple, grated (or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)
• 1 tablespoon uncooked oatmeal
• 1 tablespoon slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon white chia seeds
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients together. Serve immediately or keep in fridge up to three days.

Related links

Foods that detox your body
How to dine out on a diet
Ways to avoid binge eating