Having a great work-life balance while still having time to maintain good health is a tough challenge. When multiple deadlines start coming up or homework starts piling up, it’s easy to forget about healthy eating and just reach for whatever’s convenient.

However, you shouldn’t get carried away with it. It’s important to eat healthy even on your busiest days. Luckily, eating healthy in a busy lifestyle is super easy and will hardly take an hour of your day. That’s time well-spent to ensure you’re living your best, healthiest life.

Below are our top six tips to eat healthy while being a busy bee.

　　　　　

Cook Quick and Easy Meals

Ordering takeout all the time is really bad for your health. You just don’t know how your food was made—it could be loaded with preservatives or made with dirty hands in unsanitary conditions.

Additionally, it’s hard on the wallet! Considering you’re busting your butt every week to make a good living, you don’t want to spend most of your pay driving your health down the drain.

There are many quick and easy meals you can make at home—some recipes take less than 30 minutes! Alternatively, you can meal prep—make a huge batch of food during the weekends and then reheat them when you’re ready to eat. You can also sign up for meal delivery services like HelloFresh and Blue Apron.

　　　　　　　　　　　　

Fit an Exercise Routine into Your Schedule

No matter how busy your day can get, you should always try to squeeze in some form of exercise somewhere. You don’t even have to go to a gym—working out at home has never been easier with the Internet!

Doctors recommend you get at least 150 minutes of cardio exercise every week—that’s 30 minutes every weekday and is more than doable. Figure out if you want to do it right after you get up, or after you get home from work—everybody has their preferences. Just make sure you get exercise at some point in the day.

　　　　　　　　　

Go on a Walk

And speaking of exercising, if you’re really having a hard time getting into a workout routine, why not just take a walk instead? Instead of driving to the office, get out of the house early and walk there. Instead of sitting on your desk all day, stroll around to give your legs something to do. Instead of having lunch delivered, walk to your preferred restaurant!

If walking isn’t an option, you could also ride a bike. It’s a lot quicker and will still get you that physical activity you need.

　　　　　　　　　　　　

Eat Healthy Snacks

We get it—life can be pretty stressful, and you just want to destress by eating chips, candy, baked goods, and other guilty pleasures. And while you’ll certainly feel better about it afterward, it’s going to take a toll on your physical health in the long run. You should aim to replace unhealthy snacks with healthier snacks when you can.

Fruits and veggies are nature’s perfect snack. Have some apple slices or celery sticks to munch on instead of sugary candies.

Want a good crunch? Switch out unhealthy potato chips for something healthier, like chickpea puffs or banana chips.

Lastly, you don’t have to give up baked goods altogether. Instead of having chocolate or caramel treats, have fruit-based baked goodies like banana bread, apple crumble, and key lime pie. Not too much, though, it’s still loaded with sugar!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Check the Label

You might be tempted to just eat whatever you can get your hands on, but that’s a slippery slope you really don’t want to be on! If you’re not careful, you can end up eating more sugar, salt, and fat than is recommended and miss out on vitamins and minerals your body needs. This can have long-term effects on you like illnesses and disorders.

When you’re out shopping, always make sure to read the nutrition facts. Have a good mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats in your cart. Add fresh fruits and vegetables to get vitamins and minerals.

　　　　　　　　　

Know When to Relax

After a long and probably stressful day of working, you really need to let your body rest and recharge. As much as possible, try and set a “bedtime” for work-related matters so you can instead focus on yourself. This will help you remember to relax and not get distracted by work again. For example, many people turn off their work phones and work e-mail the minute they get home and don’t check it again until they’re back at work.

If your job has strange hours, then set aside an hour or two for alone time instead. This will allow you your personal space while being flexible.

Use those special moments to treat yourself, spend time with loved ones, catch up on personal interests, and sleep! Many forget that sleep is just as important as a well-balanced diet and exercise for your health.