Editors Note:  Kat Eden has a great blog and was kind enough to guest blog for me at LJF this week.

Let me guess. Being healthy and eating good food is important to you – probably very important – but you really get sick of all the time it can take. Not just the actual meal preparation, but the shopping, the planning, and even just thinking about it. Sometimes it would be easier if you could just replace your meals with pills and be done with it. Of course that wouldn’t really be much fun, and realistically, it wouldn’t be very healthy either, would it?

As a busy Mum/personal trainer/blogger and would be writer extraordinaire, I can relate to the idea of not wanting to spend too much time worrying about food. This wasn’t always the way. I’ve been through phases where I’ve literally spent hours and hours each week on food. And truth be told I do enjoy it, but it’s not realistic every day, is it? Sometimes I think it would be easier if we were forced back to a caveman style approach. Only able to eat those foods which we came across on the daily hunt. Sometimes having to go hungry. And definitely never having the chance to anally worry about whether or not we ‘should’ be eating or eliminating certain things.

Well. You may not be ready to take things quite that far, but I think we can definitely find a way to make healthy eating work for you on even your busiest days. Let’s take a look at how to do just that with my 6 fast-healthy-food tips.

1.    Chunk. We all know about chunking tasks such as email and creativity, but have you ever thought about chunking your cooking time? This could mean going so far as to cook for an entire afternoon or day on the weekend and freezing all your meals for the upcoming week, or it could just mean cooking up a monster pot of healthy soup, stew, or a big wok full of stir-fry every 3-4 days and then freezing the rest. Last week OI went to the trouble of making chicken stock (which sounds complex but it’s really not), and as a result I have enough ‘ready to go soup’ for at least 6 meals. A worthwhile investment.

2.    Simplify. Nobody said that turning out a fancy home-cooked meal has to mean making umpteen sauces and brews from scratch. Slow-cookers are my favourite for throwing a few things in and ending up with something that any guest or family member would deem fancy. Roasts are actually ridiculously easy as well. Sometimes it’s the idea of preparing meals that exhausts us more than the reality of throwing it together. Which is why I recommend this next point.

3.    Loosely plan your meals a week out. Take a couple of minutes on the weekend (or whenever suits) to jot down your meals for the coming week. Consider meals that will fit in with your current shopping style, and if you’re not chunking a big day of cooking then plan to prepare at least 2 meals each week that will carry you through the next few days for lunches and leftovers. Having a plan is not just about preparation – it will keep you accountable to making healthy choices.

4.    Consider ordering your fresh food online. Have you ever thought about how much time you spend not just shopping but driving to and fro from the store? I’ll bet you have. And I’ll bet it’s not really your favourite part of the week. I use a fantastic delivery service in Melbourne where I live. The food is fresh, it’s organic, and it’s well-priced. Jump on Google to find something similar in your area.

5.    Make healthy eating a social or family event. Food shopping can be a chore, but not if you make it a fun outing with a friend or your kids. Talk about two birds with one stone! Farmers markets are fantastic, and usually a lot of fun as well as a great chance to get outdoors. Kids love going, and usually you can get really great fresh produce cheaper. They generally have a coffee stand and so it’s a great chance to organise a catch-up with a friend while getting your errands done.

6.    Always keep healthy snacks on hand. This is just common sense, but sometimes it pays to be told something you already know. I’d suggest keeping healthy snacks such as your own trail mix, raw or dark chocolate, some organic cottage cheese or yogurt, fresh raw vegetables to have with nut butter, and eggs to boil. Always have some at your home, at work, and even in the car if need be.

And finally – not really a tip, but definitely worth nothing – don’t stress if you do find yourself unprepared from time to time. By incorporating the above steps into your regular routine you’ll find yourself eating very well at least 80% of the time. Which makes it okay to have that occasional take-out at the end of a long day.

How about you? Do you have any tips of your own for making healthy eating a simpler and more enjoyable process? Let’s hear ‘em in the comments section!

Kat Eden is a personal trainer and blogger from Melbourne, Australia. Her blog www.bodyincredible.com offers regular tips on nutrition, lifestyle and motivation. To learn more about Healthy Food For Busy People, visit her Facebook page of the same name.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melbourne-Australia/Healthy-Food-For-Busy-People/111602388881029?__a=28

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