How to Eat Healthy When You Don’t Want to Cook
Eating healthy is hard enough, but when you don’t have time to cook or the thought of cooking makes you cringe, it can be even harder! Having a healthy diet doesn’t have to mean you’re spending hours in the kitchen chopping vegetables, sometimes eating nutritiously can be as simple as choosing an apple over potato chips.
Our time is divided between so many things these days. With work, kids, family, friends, and other obligations taking most of our time, is there really any time left to cook? Sometimes no, or a lot of times no depending on your lifestyle!
You may feel like your life is so over run by other tasks that eating healthy seems like just another thing on your already overflowing plate. And you may be right! But thankfully we’re going to dive into some ways on how to eat truly healthy when you simply don’t want to cook or don’t have time to cook.
Alright, let’s get to it!
1. Cut up all your veggies at once
Chopping up all of your vegetables at once can save you a lot of time when it comes to those nights when you just don’t have time to wash, prep, and cut all the things you need for a meal. Take some time to cut all of your fresh produce and then put them together in a sealed bag in the fridge.
This way, when you come home from work or need some quick veggies to add to your meals; you just open the bag and all your veggies are right there ready to go! Plus, if you find that you’ve been too generous and chopped too many vegetables; you can easily store them in a freezer safe bag and pop them in the freezer to use with another meal later on.
2. Make a snack a meal
Everyone loves snacking because it’s so easy and delicious. Although snacks don’t have to just be crackers or cookies, snacks can be small healthy foods that you just upgrade into a meal! Making a snack a meal is a great way to eat healthy without cooking because you just have to throw together foods you probably already have at home.
Think of healthy snack foods and then just give yourself a bigger portion of each to make a meal. Some nutritious snacks to throw together would be foods like: apples and peanut butter, sliced veggies and dip, fresh fruit with nuts, and sliced turkey and cheese. Having snack foods as a meal can be fun, plus it takes the stress out of meal time!
3. Embrace frozen produce
On the nights when you really feel like you need something green and healthy but don’t want to cook, bring out the frozen vegetables and meat! The fact is that there are no significant differences when it comes to the nutrition of fresh produce compare to produce that is frozen, which is great news! Because so often people try to make the case that fresh produce is better for your health when in actuality it just matters that you’re getting nutritious foods regardless.
Frozen meats and vegetables are great because they taste the same, provide the same vitamins and minerals to your body, and they save you a ton of time. Personally, when I go to the grocery I stock up on steam-in-the-bag broccoli, Brussel sprouts, carrots, and asparagus. Just like you, I want to eat healthy without having to cook, and buying frozen vegetables and meat has been a game changer when it comes to saving time and money!
4. Double it when you do cook, then freeze
An easy way to make sure you eat healthy when you really don’t have time to cook is to double the batch of whatever you’re making when you do cook and then freeze the rest. This is a great thing to do with things like stews, soups, and casseroles. I do this with my mom’s vegetable soup. I make two batches of the soup, eat a serving, put some in the fridge for tomorrow, and then freeze the rest for an easy meal in a couple weeks!
Doubling up when you do cook makes your busy nights in a week or two a lot easier, because you have a healthy, home cooked meal at the ready; creating less mess and less stress for you and the family.
5. Prepare your meals in advance
An easy way to make sure you eat healthy when you really don’t have time to cook is to double the batch of whatever you’re making when you do cook and then freeze the rest. This is a great thing to do with things like stews, soups, and casseroles. I do this with my mom’s vegetable soup. I make two batches of the soup, eat a serving, put some in the fridge for tomorrow, and then freeze the rest for an easy meal in a couple weeks!
Doubling up when you do cook makes your busy nights in a week or two a lot easier, because you have a healthy, home cooked meal at the ready; creating less mess and less stress for you and the family.
The meal prepping does take time but the time it saves you really does make up for it; plus, it makes it ten times easier for you to follow a healthy diet when you don’t want to cook. One of my favorite things to meal prep is lemon-pepper chicken with couscous and glazed Brussel sprouts. After making all the components I just throw them into some Tupperware and then the fridge and I have dinners ready for the next few days.
6. Grab some healthy freezer meals
Sometimes microwaveable meals are the way to go on those days when you’re just too busy to sit down, and that’s completely okay! Food that needs to be heated in the microwave can still be good for you, simply just look at the ingredients before you buy. Things to consider when looking at the nutrition label would be sodium count, fat, added sugars, and protein amount.
When I go to Target I love to find new and wholesome frozen meals that I can just pop in the microwave and enjoy. I can take solace in knowing that I’m still eating healthy when I’m really strapped for time. Getting a frozen cauliflower rice bowl with some frozen teriyaki chicken is sometimes just the way to go!
7. Prepare your breakfast the night before
If you’re like me, you always feel like you’re running late in the mornings. If you have kids you have to get them ready, then get yourself ready, grab your coffee, and somehow eat breakfast. That’s why making your breakfasts in advance can save you the hassle of cooking in the mornings and also encourage you to eat healthy.
Overnight oats or some homemade granola are great options for a healthy breakfast that take a little time to make the night before so you don’t have to cook in the morning, not to mention both are sweet and delicious. This method is much healthier than stopping for fast-food each morning, and you’ll feel good about what you’re putting in your body.
8. Make your pantry nutritious
Eating healthy without cooking sometimes means just having good pantry items at the ready. When you just have a snacking day, or when you don’t have any time to sit down for a meal, having healthy snacks in your pantry can be a lifesaver.
There’s so many options for nutritious snacks too. Some of my favorite things to always have on hand is baked apples, dried seaweed, almond butter, whole grain rice in a cup, and trail mix. The fact is that filling your pantry with healthy things will make eating healthy a lot easier, since you have less unhealthy foods available to tempt you.
9. Upgrade your salads
I love a good salad; but not just any salad, I want it to have lots of great toppings on it and some creamy dressing while still being healthy. Salads are great meals to continually incorporate into your diet when you want to eat healthy but also don’t want to cook. Also, they take little to no time to make, and who doesn’t love that?
Salads are also incredibly customizable, it’s just lettuce, kale, or spinach with a bunch of yummy things on top! Eating just greens and dressing is boring, so upgrade your salads by adding other toppings and textures like chopped chicken, avocado, sunflower seeds, raisins, and hard-boiled eggs. This way you get your greens but also a healthy serving of protein and healthy fats with little to no cooking!
10. Take turns in the kitchen
Yup, that’s right! Cooking shouldn’t just be all your responsibility, if you live in a house with other people, share the load of making meals with them. If they don’t know how to cook, tell them there’s plenty of healthy takeout options! Having the burden of cooking everyday can be stressful, so it’s important to let others know they should carry their weight as well.
This might be the easiest way to eat healthy without having to actually cook because someone else is cooking for you! By doing this, you can create less stress your yourself and also encourage creativity in the kitchen by giving someone else the reins.
11. Make a smoothie
A smoothie is a great way to get some essential vitamins and minerals very easily and in a delicious way. The best part is that smoothies are completely customizable and they are incredibly quick and easy to make. Throwing some veggies and fruits in a blender is great way to get those much needed healthy servings in a single cup.
Smoothies really require no cooking, which I love, and I know my body is getting some awesome things from drinking it. My favorite place to get a smoothie is
Better Blend. They have so many different flavors to choose from and each smoothie has 27-30 grams of protein with 50 vitamins and minerals; and they’re all low in calories, sugar, and fat. The
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Blend with extra peanut butter is my personal favorite, and not having to cook makes it even more delicious!
12. Takeout but make it healthy
Chinese or Thai takeout is my weakness, it’s so yummy and so convenient. Although, if you’re like me, more often than not you opt for the noodles and crab rangoons; which let’s face it is not that great for you. If you’re on a specific diet, or simply just trying to eat a more nutritious diet, take a look at the menu online before you actually order.
By doing this, you give yourself time to look at all the options on the menu and their ingredients before jumping in to order. A healthy takeout order would include a lot of veggies, a full serving or protein and whole grains, with minimal sauce. This way, you don’t have to cook but you can also stick to your wellness goals.
13. Create a plan
A great way to save time cooking is to plan your meals in advance. Not quite meal prepping but just writing down or laying out in your mind what you’ll be throwing together each night. Also make the things you’ll be eating easy, like having steam-in-a-bag broccoli on hand with microwavable rice and soy sauce.
Having your lunches or dinners planned out for the week takes the guesswork out of mealtime when you come home, and having foods in the fridge or freezer that can be prepared in seconds makes eating nutritiously without cooking a breeze.
14. Buy prepared veggies
Even though sometimes it’s a bit more expensive, some weeks it’s worth it to buy already prepared vegetables and spend the extra cash for the extra time and convenience. I really despise chopping vegetables, so often times I get them pre-cut at the grocery store so I don’t have to do it myself.
It does cost a little more in change but I’m okay with it since I know the veggies are healthy and makes my cooking time less since they are already chopped up. Especially when making soups or having vegetables and dip available, the pre-cut veggies are a lifesaver.
15. Eat more snacks
You don’t have to give me an excuse to eat more snacks! If you’re constantly on the go and really don’t have any time to cook whatsoever, but still want to eat healthy; having a bunch of snacks with you at all times is ideal.
Snacks require no cooking and depending on what you choose; they can be nutritious. Some good snack options to have are: kale chips, mixed nuts, celery and dip, baby carrots, and granola bars. There’s so many healthy snacks out there you just have to find what you like!
Now you never have to cook again right?!
Cooking is such a burden sometimes, but now it doesn’t have to be. Your healthy eating habits can now be made easy by implementing any of these tips into your life. It’s so awesome that you’re truly making an effort to have a healthier body and mind, even if cooking makes you squirm!
Keep in mind that if you’re really strapped for time,
Better Blend offers delicious and wholesome Blends and Bowls that contain all the good stuff and none of the bad. Each one is packed with premium protein, vitamins and antioxidants, and little to no sugar or fat. Even better, they require zero cooking from you!
Better Blend is an independent company and not associated with any other smoothie shop concept.