How to Eat Healthy More Often (Even When You're Busy)

Eating healthy isn’t always easy. Even if you know what you should be doing, executing is another story. Sound familiar? Work gets busy, family life calls. Corned beef in the clubhouse beckons you to the 19th hole. One missed meal turns into a week of shortcuts and expensive takeout.

The key is making the right choices when you have the opportunity, and letting yourself enjoy the moment in others. This means keeping it real in your kitchen. With a little preparation and a few techniques, you can stock your fridge with easy reheats to feed you and your family much better than Domino's pizza. 

You don’t need to be a chef or a meal prep influencer. You just need a few reliable strategies to keep yourself fueled without relying on DoorDash or ultra-processed foods.

Cook Once, Eat All Week: A Smart Meal Prep Strategy

Cooking at home doesn’t mean cooking every day. A better approach? Cook in bulk once or twice a week so you always have nutrient-dense meals ready to go. A lot of "make ahead" meals don't require tons of active hands on time, so you can prepare big batches of food on a Sunday afternoon and still catch the leaders when they make the turn.

Here are some examples to get you thinking in bulk.

• Roast a whole chicken and use the meat for salads, sandwiches, and wraps (and don't throw out the carcass, we'll get to that later...)
• Slow-cook a beef roast or pork shoulder for hearty, protein-rich meals with plenty of useful leftovers
• Grill steak tips or marinated chicken thighs in batches to mix and match throughout the week

Think of it as building your own healthy convenience meals that you can cook once, but eat for several meals. One of my absolute favorite twitter follows is @cookingwithchris who shares straightforward recipes for big batch, high protein and healthy meals.

Stock Your Kitchen with Healthy Cooking Staples

A consistent, nutrient-rich diet starts with a well-stocked kitchen. You don’t need an elaborate shopping list, and the goal is to avoid a grocery trip every time you need to cook.

Keep these on hand for starters, and then observe the spices you'll need for future batch cooks so you can always be ready. 

• Starches: white or brown rice, potatoes (don't sleep on sweet), sourdough bread
• Vegetables: onions, garlic, spinach, kale, broccoli, romaine lettuce
• Canned goods: crushed & diced tomatoes, beans, chickpeas, high-quality seafood tins
• Frozen proteins: chicken thighs, ground beef, shrimp, roasts & steaks, green veggies
• Homemade stock: easy to make with that roasted chicken carcass, loaded with joint-supporting collagen and packed with nutrients

With these staples, weeknight meals get faster, cheaper, and healthier.

Learn Simple Recipes That are Nutrient Rich

Don't overwhelm yourself with a lengthy recipe book or complicated time sucks. Master some go-to meals to serve weekly standards, then start to improvise on this template with new flavor profiles and combinations. 

These ideas prioritize cooking techniques that produce flavorful returns packed with protein and vitamins to fuel your body and your brain. 

• Roast a chicken and use the bones for homemade stock, a key ingredient in big batch cooking like roasts, curries, and soups
• Make a big batch of chili, stew, or curry that improves in flavor and nutrient density the longer it simmers (perfect Sunday afternoon cooking)
• Sear and oven-roast meats for better flavor and retention, and save beef bones if you have them for power-packed beef stock
• Roast vegetables in bulk to round out your plate with fiber and micronutrients
• Cook a big pot of white rice and portion into containers as a base layer for stews and rice bowls

These meals build a foundation of real, whole foods that your body can actually use.

Store Your Food Like a Pro

Meal prep is only as convenient as your storage, so ditch the plastic containers. Invest in high-quality glass to keep leftovers fresh, ready to grab, and easy to reheat when you're hungry. Glass is far superior to plastic for reheating and visibility, not to mention those microplastics. 

Having these is just another decision you won't have to make next time you're hungry.

Use Supplements the Right Way: Support, Don’t Substitute

Supplements are most effective when they complement a balanced diet. They are not magic and should not be viewed as a replacement for healthy eating. Think of them as the finishing touch to a diet built on real food.

But, it is notable that modern food production and soil depletion has made it more difficult to get all the nutrients we need, and even if we are eating well, we likely aren't getting key nutrients such as creatine and magnesium. 

With that in mind, these common nutrient gaps are tough to fill with food alone:

• Vitamin D3: especially in winter or if you work indoors
• Magnesium: often depleted by stress, sleep issues, and processed foods
• Omega-3s: hard to get enough unless you’re eating fatty fish multiple times a week
• Anti-inflammatory compounds: like turmeric or beetroot, for muscle recovery and performance
• Creatine: it's an essential compound that your body can make on its own, but not in sufficient quantities if you are regularly exercising or recovering from injury
• Electrolytes: especially after sweating or long rounds

At Swing Stacks, our products are built to close those gaps without overcomplicating your routine.

• Flex & Restore – Omega-3 Fish Oil for joint health and recovery
• Recover – Turmeric with BioPerine® for inflammation and muscle support
• Strength & Support – Enhance muscle function, optimize calcium absorption, and support bone health
• Hydrate & Recover – Electrolyte blend to bounce back fast after a round or workout
• Creatine Monohydrate - Maximize power output, improve muscle recovery, and sustain energy levels

The better you eat, the better your supplements work. The result will be better health and better performance, on and off the course. 

Build Better Habits That Actually Stick

You don’t need a perfect meal plan or a personal chef. Just a few simple systems and smart habits can help you feel your best and stay consistent.

• Cook in bulk
• Stock smart staples
• Learn a few go-to meals
• Store it all in a way that’s easy to use
• Supplement where you fall short
  

Your body and your golf game will thank you.

Want Help Choosing the Right Supplements?

Take the Swing Stacks Nutrition Quiz to get a personalized recommendation based on your lifestyle, fitness routine, and goals. Your first month is on us.