Is food stressful?

For you, the answer is yes.  But, maybe I’ve asked the wrong question.  Food itself isn’t what causes you stress – knowing what you are going to eat when you get hungry is stressful.  This adds stress to an already busy day and is when you’re most likely to stray from you eating plan.  You’ll grab the first and/or quickest thing.  You don’t think straight and don’t order healthy options.  Or, if you know you’re going out to dinner to a new restaurant but don’t take a few minutes ahead of time to get an idea of what you may order, looking at the menu and trying to decide what to order can be stressful.

Here are a few things that can help avoid this eating-related stress:

Plan daily eating.  It doesn’t have to be a full-blown week meal plan.  At night, think about tomorrow and plan what and when you’ll eat.  Writing it down can be a huge help so you don’t forget.  If you pack food, this can help you be ready with a plan in the morning of what needs to be packed.  Or you can start packing the night before depending on your schedule.  When I plan my eating for one or a couple of days, my eating-related stress goes to 0 (as long as I get everything packed).

Keep nutrition information handy.  Most chain restaurants have nutrition information available on their websites.  I’ve printed the nutrition information for the chain and fast-food restaurants I tend to go to when pressed for time and keep them in a folder in my car.  That way, while I’m waiting in line at the drive thru I can look at the nutrition information and make an informed decision. “Do I really want to put that in my body?”  “Is that helping me reach my goal?”

Plan trips to new restaurants.  Most restaurants have websites with a version of the menu posted.  Using this information, you can see what they offer, how they cook it, etc.  This allows me to plan what I’ll have (and what modifications to ask for) before I’m there.  If I’m working towards a goal with my weight management I’m more likely to eat to plan if I’ve thought about what I’ll order before I’m there.  Even if I’m not working on a goal, I like to have an idea what the restaurant offers ahead of time.

Outsource.  If you don’t have time the time and/or skills to cook and find you are eating out all the time, look at outsourcing your meal options.  This may seem expensive at first, but think about how much you spend eating out then compare it to per-meal cost of the service. To find some in your area try searching the following words: healthy meal delivery and your city.

Cook in bulk.  Pick a day to cook meals for the next few days or cook a few things, break them into individual portions and put them in the freezer.  You can even gather a friend or two and do it together so you both have food.

 I hope these ideas do help any eating-related stress down a few notches… wanna know more get to the dirt from Your Diet Diva’s e-book! Go head just clicka!