As the lazy days of summer turn in to the crazy days of fall (school, training camp, pre-season tournies oh my!), sticking to healthy eating habits can be tricky. However, this is exactly the time when good nutrition becomes VERY important!
As life gets busy, don’t forget to fuel yourself for your best performance. Here are some quick and easy ways to eat well while life gets hectic.
1. Plan, plan, plan and repeat. Use this planner to plan each day’s activities and meals. Don’t be afraid to repeat! While variety in foods is important, repeating the same meals and snacks throughout the week will save on time and money.
| Meal | Example Day | Your Day |
| Breakfast #1 | Breakfast sandwich*:2 slices 100% whole grain bread, toasted 2 tbsp almond butter 1 sliced banana 1 tsp honey Wash it down with milk |
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| Breakfast #2 (after morning Skate) | Blender shake**:1 cup Greek yogurt 1 cup frozen fruit 2 tbsp rolled oats 1 tbsp chia seeds water to desired consistency |
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| Lunch | 2 whole grain wraps canned salmon mixed with: 1 tsp grainy mustard 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt1 cup sliced veggies 1 apple |
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| Snack | Homemade protein bar (check out the recipe below) | |
| Dinner | Grilled chicken*** 1 baked sweet potato**** 2 cups pre-mixed saladfrozen yogurt topped with granola and blueberries |
Timesaver alerts:
* Make it into a sandwich and eat in the car on the way.
**Put ingredients into the blender the night before to save on time.
***Cook extra to save time tomorrow.
****Microwave for 5 minutes before baking to cut down on time.
2. Cook once, eat twice. Instead of cooking chicken every night, cook a batch of chicken and use it for the next few days. The same thing goes for vegetables. Just be sure to use all left-overs within 2-3 days and store them safely. Unsure of how long to keep things? Check out Health Canada’s guidelines.
3. Buy ‘convenience’ forms of fresh food. While pre-cut vegetables and fruit and assembled salads may cost a bit more than buying them and preparing them yourself, you’ll be more likely to use these items, especially if time is an issue. In the end, you’ll throw out less.
4. Share the responsibility. Team up with a family member or teammate to share food prep. For example, you can bring lunch and snacks on Monday and Wednesday and your partner can bring then on Tuesday and Thursday. Use up any left-overs on Fridays.
Enjoy this recipe for a quick protein snack!
