You don’t have time to eat? But we’ve all got to eat! So here’s what to eat when you don’t have time to eat…
I’ve never understood how people will say things like, “Oh, I forgot to eat lunch!” What?? You forgot to eat lunch? How did your body let you forget? My body never lets me forget. Long before lunchtime, my body is like, “Yo. I would very much like a double cheeseburger.”
So hunger isn’t an issue for me, nor is the desire to eat every meal of the day, plus snacks. I’m kind of a six-small-meals-a-day kind of a gal.
But what has become an issue for me now is finding the ability to eat every time I’m hungry. Now that we’ve got the little ones again, I’ve found that keeping up with their needs – plus the needs of my older kids and husband while trying to meet my own needs – has become more difficult. (Rest assured, my husband and older sons are incredible help and support – we’re all just busier than busy!)
So sometimes, lunchtime comes and goes and I find that while I didn’t forget to eat, I never found time to stop and eat.
Obviously, there are seasons in our lives that are busier than others, and for me, this is one of them. I mean, if Laura didn’t eat, something really important must have kept her from it (babies!), because we all know that food is a high priority for Laura. :)
What to Eat When You Don’t Have Time to Eat
But having said all of that, I know as well as you do that skipping meals and letting oneself be hungry is not a healthy pattern to begin or lifestyle to maintain. So after experiencing too many days of being hungry and not being able to eat as I needed to, I found that I HAD to get organized and be pro-active about food.
And it probably goes without saying that making sure the food I’m eating is nourishing is extra important right now. Yes, I’ll sometimes snack on chips (organic ones, because that makes them healthy, ha). But focusing on putting as many nutrients in as possible is absolutely necessary so that I can keep up with all these delightful ones God has put in our care.
So here’s a quick run-down of food I either try to buy and have on hand or food I make quickly to have on hand for grab-and-eat snacks. Yes, many of them require some prep time. But it’s easy prep, and just a few minutes of work can produce several wonderful snacks to grab and eat on the fly. It’s worth the effort to be sure we all take care of ourselves!
Fruits and Veggies – the easiest and healthiest!
- Fresh Greens (I do know it’s weird, but I just grab the container out of the fridge and eat a few handfuls. It doesn’t taste especially delicious, but I don’t mind it plain. It allows me to get some good nourishment on the fly. And that’s all that matters!)
- Berries or Grapes
- Oranges or Cuties
- Petite Baby Carrots
- Little Sweet Peppers
Any variety of these Fat Bombs:
- Stevia Sweetened Fat Bombs
- Honey Sweetened Fat Bombs
- Simple No-Bake Cookie Cups
- Healthy Peppermint Patties
Any variety of these Cookie Dough Bites:
- No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Cookie Dough Bites
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites
- No-Bake Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites
- No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
Berries and either of these Cheesecake Parfait cream whips:
I whip up the parfait in my Blendtec super quickly, then keep it in a bowl in the fridge to eat with berries.
A Flourless Brownie:
- Flourless Brownie Muffins (my very favorite!)
- Super Moist Flourless Peanut Butter Brownies
- Super Moist Flourless Brownies
Mini Crustless Cheesecake:
Dollar Club Drinks:
It is worth noting that I keep a supply of Dollar Coffee Club (formerly known as Javita) drink sticks on hand at all times. I drink several each day, simply because I know they benefit my health and give me what I need for immune system support, digestive support, detoxing, and ease of inflammation. Plus they taste really good, so every drink is like a treat! My favorites:
- Peach Mango Fiber, for digestive support
- Burn and Control Coffee, for cleansing and detox
- Strawberry Lemonade Flex, for inflammation
- Mixed Berry Defend, for immune system support
These don’t take the place of meals for me, but in many ways, I feel like these drinks keep me going, keep me healthy, and offer my body much of what it needs during this busy season. I’m so thankful God introduced me to these two years ago. They have met many needs!
Here’s more information I’ve written about Dollar Coffee Club products. They’ve revamped their business model to be MUCH simpler for all of us, so buying the drinks and sharing them with your friends has become tremendously easier and less expensive!
Simple Recipes and Meals
All the above snack foods and drinks are fantastic to help me get through until I can eat a solid meal. I’ve learned to be more intentional about eating plenty at mealtime. AND I am incredibly thankful that God put it on my heart a few years ago to start creating Simple Recipes to share here. These recipes have been life-changing as they take so little time to prepare but still offer us all nourishment and deliciousness. SO. THANKFUL.
You can see a huge list of Simple Recipes listed here, and of course, you can join our Simple Meals menu planning subscription service at any time.
Ready, set, eat.
Too busy to eat? Make yourself some of the above simple recipes and pick up some already-prepped fruits and veggies at the store. Grab and eat as needed. Here’s to our health!
