Long days, exhausting work. Working a manual job is tough, and when you add the challenge of quitting smoking, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. If you feel like you’re lacking get up and go and motivation to quit, take a look at the foods you’re eating and in what quantities. Here are some tips on how you can eat well and stay on track with your healthy goals.
Become a pro at meal prepping and batch cooking
It can feel like the last thing you want to do in your precious time off, but planning for a busy week ahead is a positive step to make sure you feel on top form. By creating several healthy, nutritious meals at once you can rest easy knowing you’ll have the key to sustained periods of energy over the working week. Also means when cravings strike or you want to reach for something to put in your mouth, you’ll be prepared with foods that are going to improve your health.
Meal deals from the supermarket are convenient, sure, but you can’t beat cooking from scratch when it comes to filling up on nutrients and knowing exactly what you’re putting into your body to make it go.
Try these ideas to prepare for your working week:
· Make an omelette or frittata (or two) and fill with your fave veg (think mushrooms, peppers or onion). Once cold, slice and use throughout the week for sandwiches or a lunchbox filler.
· Batch cook some dishes like curry, bolognese and chilli so you’ve got meals in moments when you get in the door, ravenous and tired.
· Roast some chicken breasts and prep some simple salad veg, grating carrot and slicing cucumber so you can whip up a salad wrap in minutes before you head out the door.
· Make a big pot of soup and save some for a thermos for work lunches, and some for a quick, simple supper served with crusty bread. Yum.
What about snacks?
We all need snacks now and then to top up our energy levels and keep us powering through our shift. You might feel you want snacks more when you’re quitting, enjoying the return of your tastebuds. Our favourites are:
· Peanut butter on apple slices
· Hummus with carrot sticks
· Oat or rice cakes
· Yoghurt and berries
· Protein balls
Don’t forget drinks!
Proper hydration is important to a healthy lifestyle, and especially when you’re quitting and being properly hydrated can help you control urges, but it can be tough to find the time to drink enough. We need 6-8 glasses of fluids a day. Water is great, but low fat milk and sugar free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count too.
· Buy a large water bottle, that way you won’t have to keep filling it up throughout your workday.
· Set an alarm on your phone or smartwatch to remind you to drink every hour. You’ll feel more energetic and your brain will feel sharper.
· Try to drink less caffeinated drinks as they’ll dehydrate you in the long run.
Make some changes to the way you eat now while you’re becoming smokefree and reap the rewards to your health and energy levels now and well into the future.
