You get up sleepy, barely get ready, rush to work, come back home (late at night), eat something (anything), and sleep off dead... only to get up and repeat the same routine the next day! This is exactly how your day goes when the work pressure is more, and when you are trying to meet the deadlines.

And during these times, you don't even realize if you have eaten or not (forget about eating healthy). Here are a few tips that can help you manage eating healthy even in hectic times -

- Start your day with a heavy breakfast. This ensures that you start your work on an energetic note and tend to complete things faster. It also helps you avoid eating junk through the day (as you won't get hunger pangs).
- Limit tea/ coffee intake. Caffeine or tannins present in these beverages will satisfy hunger only temporarily. And these will add un-healthy calories too.
- Keep fruits and unsalted nuts at your desk.
- Go for healthy snacks. Snacking healthy will make a lot of difference in your daily calorie intake.
- Include a portion of skimmed milk in your day's routine (either early morning or as a snack with nuts)
- Carry a compact lunch from home. You can prepare an extra portion of dal/ curry for dinner and carry it for lunch the next day.
- Try to overlap certain foods for 2 meals. This saves you time, but gets you home cooked meals.
- If you have cooked lunch before going to office, have the same foods for breakfast too.
- Mix 2 to 3 ingredients and prepare one-dish meals (like a parantha with added vegetables and previous night's dal OR a red rice pulao with added vegetables and sprouts OR a whole wheat pasta with added vegetables and roasted chicken or boiled egg OR roti with dal palak/ dal methi). These kinds of meals are balanced with most of the nutrients and are easy to manage on hectic days.
- Hydrate yourself well. De-hydration can make you feel lethargic and increases irritability.
- Use the weekends to shop for grocery, vegetables and fruits (get only what you would need through the coming week). Plan your meals (rough planning) for the next 2 to 3 days.
- Avoid buying unhealthy/ processed foods, so you automatically tend to minimize junk food intake.
- If you are eating out, make sure that you choose healthier recipes. Avoid fried and sugary foods.

Feeding yourself properly will not only help you stay healthy physically, but will also ensure a sound mind and a balanced attitude towards life (even during hectic schedules).

A healthy body and a healthy mind is what one desires after working so hard day-in and day-out!