Remote and Healthy: How to Build Nutrition Dense Meals at Home

In all honesty, being an adult is hard. There are so many responsibilities, and one of the most important adult tasks is to maintain a healthy diet and take care of your body. When you work remotely, healthy eating and nutrition can easily fall by the wayside.

Sitting on the couch all day and eating your favorite snacks while working can be tempting. However, it’s not ideal for your health, your energy levels or your focus. Instant, frozen meals, processed, packaged foods, and a ton of coffee won’t leave you ready to take on the day’s tasks. It might seem time-consuming, but eating healthily and intentionally, while working from home is possible.

Here’s how to eat healthy while working remote and build nutrition-dense meals at home.

Start With Whole Foods

Eating whole foods is key to your overall nutrition. When you hear “whole foods,” think full, as the fiber and nutrients in whole foods keep you full throughout the day. Unlike highly processed snacks, whole foods help control your diet and prevent overeating. Processed foods, although convenient, are full of sugars, salt, unhealthy fats, artificial flavors and preservatives in order to enhance them and make them last longer.

Eating whole foods provides antioxidants that reduce the risk of chronic illness. Their natural fiber content boosts your digestion and heart health . They also help support a healthy gut microbiome and aid your gut’s good bacteria, which you need to maintain your immune system. This also boosts your mental health.

How to Add More Whole Foods to Your Diet

Cutting all those added sugars, starches, artificial flavorings and other manufactured ingredients requires intention. Ariel Belgrave Harris , an award-winning health and fitness expert, suggested creating a rhythm that simplifies your daily routine while prioritizing more whole foods. It’s crucial to pack more nutrients into your diet.

Harris recommended when building a meal for an at-home work day to incorporate a quarter plate of protein, half a plate of fruits and vegetables, a quarter of grains and a dollop of fat. With this rule-of-thumb, you’ll be able to create meals at home that boost your energy.

Midday crashes and the need for the 2 p.m. coffee will disappear when following these rules. By prioritizing whole foods, you’ll reach your wellness goals, and stay nourished and satiated throughout the day.

Whole Food Recipe Ideas

When you are grocery shopping, fill up your cart with the following: fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans, dairy products, meat, poultry and seafood. If something is minimally processed, it probably fits the bill for what you need. In addition to prioritizing whole foods, meal prep should be your focus if you are trying to eat healthier. Research shows that meal prepping increases the likelihood of eating home-cooked meals and healthier meals.

Some recipe ideas for a day working remotely are:

• Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
• Berries and Chia Seed Yogurt Bowl
• Oven-Baked Herbed Salmon; spring mix salad greens with olive oil
• Avocado Chicken Salad served over greens with walnuts
• Shrimp and roasted vegetables skewers over rice

The post Remote and Healthy: How to Build Nutrition Dense Meals at Home appeared first on 21Ninety .