If you’re too tired to cook, you’ve got company. The percentage of meals that get cooked at home is down significantly from a few decades ago.
When people do cook at home, they’re more likely to eat foods that aren’t time-consuming to make. If you don’t know what to eat, you’re more likely to go with something simple that’s not necessarily healthy. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that you can figure out how to eat healthy without cooking. Read on for five key tips.
1. Get a Crockpot
The crockpot is cool again. People of all ages are discovering how easy it is to dump a few ingredients into a pot and wait a few hours.
It’s cooking that doesn’t feel like cooking. When you use a stove or oven, you have to pay a lot more attention to what you’re doing.
But anyone can gather a few ingredients for a solid crockpot meal. And when we say “a few,” we’re talking four or five, not ten or twelve.
2. Make a Salad
Eating healthy without cooking means learning to embrace the salad. You can find almost everything you need in your local grocery store’s produce section.
First, you’ll need some bagged lettuce. That’s cheap and easy.
Add some tomatoes, cucumber, and onions. Then buy some cheese and croutons. After that, select a dressing that gets your taste buds singing.
You can add protein if you want, but you don’t have to. The above ingredients are healthy and easy to throw together.
3. Order Prepared Meals
Your doctor has told you to avoid processed foods. But that doesn’t mean you must cook every single meal, or even most meals.
Ordering prepared meals can be healthy if you do it right. Focus on quality foods that are lower in sodium and higher in nutrients.
Want to know how to eat healthy when you hate cooking? Get someone else to cook and deliver your food for you. Then heat and enjoy your healthy food without cooking.
4. Find Better Restaurants
When you were a kid, you loved nothing more than convincing your mom to get you a Happy Meal on the way home from school. But fast food works better as an occasional treat, not an everyday thing.
Look for local cafes with fresh soup and hearty sandwiches. Check out a vegetarian bistro instead of a fried chicken chain restaurant.
Want to order pizza? Stick with grilled chicken instead of pepperoni. And choose a side salad over breadsticks.
5. Snack Better
Eating better isn’t just about three square meals a day. Yes, we’re talking about snacking. Look for foods that are low in sugar and high in protein, such as almonds or jerky.
If you want something sweet, try reaching for fruit instead of a candy bar. If you need chocolate, make it a weekend treat rather than an everyday thing.
Also, try drinking water instead of soda. Even diet soda can make you crave sugar.
Now You Know How to Eat Healthy Without Cooking
Learning how to eat healthy without cooking doesn’t come natural to most people. Most of us have absorbed the idea that healthy people are the ones who spend hours a day cooking.
Eating better is a process. If you’re interested in that process, bookmark our site. We’ve got more articles that will help you lead a healthful, wholesome life.