How to Eat Healthy Without Cooking

We all know what it’s like to be rushed off your feet, and after a hectic day, cooking at home can feel like the last thing you want to do. Is there a way to eat healthy without cooking? Read on for our top tips for staying healthy without spending hours in the kitchen.

When done right, cooking at home is a surefire way to eat healthy. You can control portion sizes and what ingredients you use and subsequently keep tabs on how many calories and nutrients you’re getting. Making your own meals is also much cheaper than eating out at restaurants… but it takes time, a luxury we don’t always have!

Our top five ways to eat healthy without having to cook:

Get Creative with Convenience Foods

It’s easy to associate ‘convenience’ with fast or processed foods. We’re here to remind you that it doesn’t have to be this way.

Canned soups are a fantastic quick-and-easy way to eat healthy when you’re in a rush, while canned pulses (think lentils, chickpeas, and beans) can either be cooked in only a few minutes or (when washed) tossed into a salad with no cooking required at all. Bags of precooked rice and grains are also perfect for putting together a healthy meal in a hurry.

The frozen food section of your grocery store is also a goldmine of healthy convenience foods. Keep on walking past the hash browns and pizzas, and you’ll often find bags of chopped veg, fruit, leafy greens (frozen spinach, for example), and even herbs.

Buying convenience foods like these is also a great way to cut down on your food waste and save some money in the process.

Cook Less, Prep More

So we’re technically cheating here because meal prep still involves cooking, but making your meals in advance – when you do have time – will pay off on those evenings when you just can’t stand the thought of cooking.

Curries, stews, and chilis are all super-healthy (providing you use the right ingredients…) and can be cooked in batches ahead of time and frozen for future use. Simply reheat when you need them and you’ll be good to go in minutes.

Guide to Meal Planning

Share the Load

If you live with someone else, try splitting your cooking duties between yourselves to make life a little easier – the solution to eating healthy without cooking could be as simple as alternating when you cook, with them taking over on the evenings you’re likely to be busy, with you doing the same in return (never forget this part...). Similarly, if you’re in a house share or in university halls with flatmates, you could take it in turns to cook for one another to lighten the load.

Embrace Healthy Snacks

Got the munchies between mealtimes? It’s easy to snack your way to an unhealthy diet and undo all that good work you’ve been doing at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s easy to snack when you don’t have time to cook, so if you ever find yourself in that situation, choose fresh fruit, vegetables, and nuts where possible.

If they don’t do anything for you, there’s always the Huel Complete Nutrition Bar (180cal per bar) or a Huel Complete Protein shake – a high-protein snack containing 110 cal, 27 essential vitamins and minerals, and 20g of plant-based protein.

Guide to Healthy Snacking

Try Huel

Of course, if you’re really pushed for time, you could always try Huel Hot & Savory. Ready in only five minutes, Hot & Savory is essentially fast food that’s good for you – simply add boiling water to a vegan whole food blend containing vegetables, grains, rice, herbs, spices, and even real pasta, and you’ve got an instant meal ready to go in no time at all.

As with all Huel products, each portion of Hot & Savory is a nutritionally complete meal, containing all the good stuff your body needs to thrive, as well as slow-release carbs to help keep hunger at bay for longer.

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Recommended reading

• Five Easy Ways to Save Money on Food
• How to Lose Weight on a Budget
• Guide to Healthy Snacking
• How to Make Healthy Habits
• How to Eat More Plant-based Foods