Healthy Eating for a Busy Lifestyle

I made this pasta for dinner the other night. It was excellent and pretty healthy (also lactose free!).  I found this recipe on Pinterest and you can find it here.  It paired great with a tossed salad and only took about half an hour.

I’m going to start this off by saying how tough it is to eat healthy - period - let alone when you are super busy.  And I don’t think there is a single woman I know who isn't crazy busy.  Whether you have kids, a career, are a student - and the list goes on - life can get pretty hectic.  It can be hard to fit healthy eating and exercise in when you feel like you are running a million different directions, and really just want a burger.  It doesn't help that our bodies are naturally conditioned to want high calorie and high carb foods when we get stressed.  This need originates back in our “caveman” days, when stress meant something was probably trying to kill you and you needed to get away (the classic fight or flight response).  The difference is that - back when we were cave people - there was actually something that we needed to fight when we were stressed.  Now, our stress comes from less active sources like work or school; and we don’t actually need the extra carbs and calories for the quick energy to go fight off whatever is trying to catch you for dinner that day.  For me, my second year of university was super stressful.  And I ate way to much junk food thanks to that caveman reaction to stress.  So a few months before our wedding, Brett and I decided to start eating healthier together; and found out it was way harder to do than we planned.

Essentially my formula for healthy eating is don’t eat more calories than you’re burning off - sounds easy on paper doesn't it?  Problem is, I don’t have time to make intricate meal plans of all homemade ingredients and work out for 30-60 minutes every single day.  I’m lucky to get to the gym every second day.  For those of you who love the gym or running or even go on daily walks, I am so jealous.  I go to the gym because I love how good I feel after; but I am going to be totally honest, when I am at the gym, I'm not a big fan.  I wish I liked working out, because it would make the process so much easier.  And for those of you who have time to make all of your food homemade, that’s great.  I wish I had the time, but I just don’t.  I get my salad from a bag from the grocery store and I buy pre-made pizza crusts, because that’s my real life.  If my decision is between premixed bagged salad or fast food from a burger joint, I can at least have bagged salad and have a healthy lunch. 

When I post my cooking or baking tutorials (which I am really hoping to start ASAP), it’s going to be what I cook for my real life.  I am all about easy, healthy and fast options because that is what fits my lifestyle.  Are there any easy healthy living tips and tricks that you do for your busy lifestyle?  I’d love to hear about them!