How many times have you simply skipped a meal when you’re extremely busy with work? Or resorted to quick and easy processed foods to fuel your busy day? These bad habits are all too common amongst career-driven professionals. If you consider yourself health-conscious, then you understand the connection between our food choices and physical and mental health.
Navigating Aisles of Health Jargon
I’ve always highly recommended fresh, whole foods, from organic sources whenever possible to boost your immune system, feel good, and live longer. You may not be a fast-food junkie, especially since the pandemic shut down most drive-thrus, but it is all-too-easy to purchase quick fixes at the grocery store while trying to survive hectic work-from-home days or long hauls at the office. Food that is marketed as healthy but is often highly processed and full of unwholesome ingredients. Many of the “bars” from granola to protein, are simply candy bars in disguise.
As noted in the Public Health Nutrition Journal and well-documented by many sources “They are not “real food” but formulations of food substances often modified by chemical processes and then assembled into ready-to-consume hyper-palatable food (cosmetic food)”. Does this sound wholesome to you?
While cooking fresh food for yourself at home is the healthiest choice, it is understandably difficult to prepare from-scratch meals with fresh ingredients every day. However, there is hope for modern-day professionals and parents.
Beyond the Meal Kit
The subscription meal kit trend has been highly popular, and many promise a fresher, healthier experience. Unfortunately, they tend to be far from fresh and are often full of sneaky preservatives. If you can afford one, a personal chef is an answer. But for the majority of people, this is unrealistic or even undesirable in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some personal chef startups have been offering solutions amidst the pandemic to offer people a healthy and fresh way to eat with more intention. Notably, in Salt Lake City, Chef Curtis Linton launched Curious Table to provide locally chef-prepared gourmet meals on doorsteps. It’s not just the food delivery or meal kit version of fine dining either — these guys are serious. Providing their community with meals prepared from the neighborhood seasonal market.
Vitamin Supplements Aren’t Enough
You may be familiar with the thoroughly researched and documented health benefits of cancer-fighting phytonutrients, from critical studies or your nutritionist or favorite wellness influencer. But it is important to understand that the best way to boost the benefits of phytonutrient rich food is by consuming fresh foods where they are found.
Balanced Nutrition for Busy Lives
For your longevity and to reduce increasing your risk for countless diseases and conditions, take caution to not allow a busy lifestyle to leave less time for balanced nutrition! Make sure you’re finding ways to include a rich variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Whether it’s the innovations in personal chef delivery such as Curious Table or a personal challenge to live better by eating better. Start putting extra effort into your diet so that you and your family can live happier and healthier lives.