The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Eating Better
I never realised the amount of brain space that food would take up as an adult. Deciding what to eat three times a day, every day, can feel like a never-ending chore. If you want to eat better but often find yourself skipping breakfast, buying your lunch everyday, and ordering UberEats too frequently, then this is for you.
When I moved out of my parent’s house for university, going on grocery shopping trips and constantly cooking meals for myself quickly became the bane of my existence. Up until then, my cooking knowledge boiled down to the simple pasta dish I would make for my family one night a week. As you can imagine, the quality of food I ate during that uni struggle period was low. Figuring out how to eat well everyday and enjoy making food for myself, while being a busy person, has taken me years of trial and error to figure out.
So how do you take the stress out of eating when you’re flat out with life? Here is what works for me:
Make breakfast boring (in a good way).
Most of us don’t have the time, or brain power, to make a new breakfast decision every morning. For a lot of people, skipping breakfast feels easier than figuring out what to eat. Starting your day with a good breakfast might sound a bit corny, but I’ve found that it truly makes a difference.
The trick? Eat the same thing everyday.
Eating a filling and healthy meal while your brain is on autopilot in the morning is the easiest way to feel nourished, clear-headed, and like you’ve got your life together by 8am. I’ve found that making breakfast part of my non-negotiable morning routine (right alongside brushing my teeth and doing my skincare) means I don’t overthink it anymore, I just do it.
Sticking to breakfast foods that you personally enjoy is key. Smoothies are fast and easy. Eggs are always a classic. Right now, I’m eating a yoghurt bowl every morning, usually topped with granola, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, banana and berries. Eating seasonally makes a lot of sense too. I’ll have fresh berries in the summer, and then switch to frozen berries in the winter. When it gets colder, I have porridge topped with similar ingredients.
Quick tips:
Keep your breakfast ingredients grouped together in the pantry or fridge. Not only does this make the process quicker, but it also helps you keep track of what needs restocking.
Make taking vitamins part of your breakfast routine so that you’ll actually remember to take them. By tying habits like this to your breakfast, you’re setting a positive tone for the rest of your day.
Snack boxes aren’t just for kids.
I really dislike having to buy my lunch while I’m at work. If I’m spending money eating out then I’d rather it be for a weekend brunch or a nice dinner with a friend, and not on disappointing sushi or a sad sandwich on my lunch break. It is easy to feel stuck on what to eat for lunch when you’re at home too. I don’t want the same thing as breakfast, and I don’t want to put in the same amount of effort as I would for dinner.
Enter: the snack plate (or snack box, if you’re at work). It’s the secret to an easy, ever-changing lunch that doesn’t require too much thought. It’s basically a grown-up lunchbox: a mix of fresh stuff, protein, something crunchy, something sweet, and whatever else you can find in the fridge. It’s not a traditional meal, but a satisfying mix of yummy foods that’ll actually fill you up.
Here’s some ideas for your next snack plate/ box:
Protein: Boiled eggs, sliced cheeses, cured meats, tinned fish.
Fresh stuff: Carrot sticks, cucumber slices, cherry tomato halves, sliced radishes, capsicum sticks, sliced avocado.
Extra tasty stuff: Gherkins, olives, nuts, crackers, potato chips, crostini.
Dips (for the chips, crackers and veges): Hummus, creamy dips, salsa.
Sweet stuff: Grapes, fresh berries, cherries, apple slices, mandarin segments, chocolate pieces.
Quick Tips:
If you’re taking it to work, find a lunchbox that has small compartments, or pack everything into smaller containers. My lunch bag comes in handy for transporting lots of smaller food to work. And don’t forget your travel cutlery!
Use up what’s in your fridge from other meals. If you’ve got leftover celery from making spaghetti bolognese then toss in some celery sticks. Extra cheese and dips leftover from a party? Perfect for your snack plate.
Create a dinner toolkit.
Walking into the kitchen at the end of the day and opening my fridge, knowing damn well I have nothing planned for dinner, is the worst. At least when I’ve eaten a nutrient-dense breakfast and lunch, I feel more balanced and less concerned about what I’m going to eat health-wise. When that pressure is gone, I feel free to just cook what I enjoy.
To actually enjoy cooking dinner most nights, you need to figure out what kind of dishes you really love to eat, and then stock up on their essential ingredients for your pantry and fridge. Getting into a flow with the ingredients that you own makes it easier to decide what to make. Searching up random recipes on the internet and then having to run to the supermarket to buy obscure things is a tiring process. Nobody likes a fridge full of condiment jars that will never get used again, fresh herbs and vegetables in various states of decay, and unidentifiable things in unlabelled containers.
Here are my kitchen essentials for a variety of dinners that I can make by throwing things together in a pan, pot, or on a baking tray. Of course, I’ll still pick up other things from time to time, like seasonal fresh produce, but these are the staples. If I’ve got these on hand then dinner is one less thing to worry about.
Pantry: Canned tomatoes, canned cannellini beans, chickpeas, paprika, dried basil, chilli flakes/ powder, salt, pepper, risotto rice, dried pastas, beef/ chicken/ vegetable stock, onions, garlic, potatoes.
Kitchen Counter: Olive oil, vinegars, fresh basil, eggs, fresh tomatoes.
Fridge: Capers, anchovies, parmesan cheese, carrots, mustard, lemons, bacon.
Freezer: Chicken thighs, beef/ pork sausages. Beef mince.
Eating well doesn’t have to take a lot of effort. It’s not about perfection. It’s about setting yourself up to succeed with less stress and more flavour. A routine breakfast, snacky lunch, and strategically stocked kitchen can improve your diet, make food decisions easier, and simplify and enhance your life overall.