How to Stick to a Diet Plan as a Busy Parent

Dieting as a parent can seem overwhelming. Check out our 5-step plan to successfully stay on your diet as a parent with a busy schedule.

As a working parent with an active lifestyle, your days are never dull. While fitting everything into an average week might take a little juggling, you can always find time to make it work. Whether you’re thinking about starting a new diet plan, or you simply want to eat better, you can fit it into your schedule easier than you might think. Discover how even busy parents like you can find and stick to your choice of healthy diet plans.

Focus on Easy Diet Plans

Whether you want to be healthier, lose weight, or build muscle, you need a diet plan that will help you achieve your goals without unnecessary guesswork. Use our Lifesum app to check out some of the most popular options and select the one that meets your needs.

Pick a weight loss diet plan when you want to burn excess fat, choose a clean- eating plan when you need to detox, or go for a high-protein plan if you’re seeking serious muscle gain.

Stock Up and Buy in Bulk

Once you’ve chosen the right meal plan for your goals and your lifestyle, hit your local grocery store or farmer’s market. Since you won’t have time for frequent trips to the store, do your best to buy in bulk.

Opt for fruits and veggies that you can use or freeze right away. Buy only fresh meat and fish that you’ll cook in the next day or two. Get nuts, seeds, and whole grains in bulk so you’ll always have them on hand.

Practice Meal Prep

As a busy parent, you can’t always set aside time to cook a healthy meal each night. Rather than over-scheduling yourself every day of the week, squeeze in a few hours of meal preparation before your work week starts. Make enough for the week and portion out lunches, dinners, and snacks. You’ll be able to grab and go on your way out the door or heat and eat when you all gather around the dinner table.

Get the Whole Family Involved

Even if your spouse and kids don’t follow your meal plan, that doesn’t mean you can’t all enjoy similar meals by adding or subtracting protein, fat, and carbohydrates as necessary.

Preparing meals is more fun as a family, too. Assign each person a job, whether it’s chopping veggies, monitoring the slow cooker, or portioning out meals.

Find Creative Inspiration

Following the same meal plan week after week gets tiresome, which might tempt you to cheat. When you’re committed to your health for the long run, you need a diet plan that’ll withstand the test of time. Use our app and get inspired by tasty recipes and delicious dishes that easily fit into your diet plan and keep you fueled with the macronutrient balance you need.

Making major changes to your eating patterns can be tough. You can find and stick to a healthy diet plan, even when you embrace an active life and a busy schedule. Follow these tips to make healthy changes and get the entire family on board.

All of the content and media on Lifesum is created and published for information purposes only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Users should always consult with a doctor or other health care professional for medical advice. If you have or think you are at risk of developing an eating disorder, do not use the Lifesum app and seek immediate medical help.