Last updated: May 2026
Eating healthy is something that is incredibly easy to do, but also incredibly easy not to do. It does not have to be hard to eat healthy, but in today’s time poor society we have so many other things to worry about. It is easy to put your own health and fitness further down the priority list than it should be.
In the previous blog we discussed common excuses and reasons for not eating healthy food. Today we will talk about some simple tips to making nutrition easy, the benefit of food prep and how social media has impacted the perception of food preparation. We will also go into detail about why it is not too hard to eat healthy, if you know what you are doing.
Please keep in mind that we are not doctors or nutritionists. We are simply reflecting on our 45+ years in the health and fitness industry and the learnings that we have developed over that period.
Simple Tips To Make Nutrition Easy
Nutrition is crucial to success. More often than not, regardless of the goal, what you eat will make up 70% of the result.
If you do not have a really solid understanding of what you need to eat and why, you will always be fighting an uphill battle with your results.
There is one thing that we always stress in the studio:
“Whilst nutrition is 70% of the result, it definitely should not take up 70% of your time.”
So how can we go about making something that is so important, much easier and more efficient?
Frequency
Eat regular meals.
We want to get the metabolism working at a really fast speed. The faster that the metabolism is working, the more energy you can burn. This in-turn leads to your body being more efficient at utilising stored energy.
Ideally we should be looking to have 4-5 meals throughout the day, of relatively the same size.
This allows the metabolism to constantly be burning at an efficient rate without overloading the system. Overloading the system can cause it to slow down because there is too much food to break down.
Combine regular meals with a consistent training program and your body will respond by burning stored energy at a much more efficient rate.
Building this type of consistency is one of the major reasons people stop struggling with exercise consistency and begin creating sustainable long-term results.
Simple Meals
Keep it simple.
Quite often the best meals are the easiest meals to prepare. Sure, it is nice to have an amazing recipe that takes a few hours to cook, and if you have the time go for it.
If you are short on time however, you need to have some quick and easy options ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Overly complicated healthy meals often lead to a lack of motivation to make them day in and day out. This in turn can lead to takeaway becoming the “easier” option.
For example:
Smoked salmon with cottage cheese on corn thins with fresh cracked pepper.
Four ingredients only and if you have them in the fridge at work or home, you can put it together in less than a minute. It is incredibly tasty, nutritious and full of good vitamins and minerals.
Remember, you don’t need to cook for hours to have a delicious, healthy and nutritious meal.
Tasty!
If you want to make healthy eating a long-lasting lifestyle change, you have to enjoy what you are eating.
It is that simple.
If you start this journey thinking that you have to eat the same meal each day, you are wrong.
If you think you need to be eating food that you really do not enjoy, you are wrong.
If you are only thinking about the result you are after, then eventually nutrition will become incredibly difficult.
This is when healthy eating becomes unsustainable.
With that being said, we are not saying that you should go out and eat all the things you used to because they taste good.
At the end of the day, a change must be made, but you need to learn and develop recipes and foods that you enjoy eating that will help you get results.
Tip: Think of 2-3 of your favourite meals and find a way to make them healthier. This way you still feel like you get to enjoy the foods you love, while making them far more supportive of your goals.
This is one of the biggest reasons personal training can work so well for weight loss because sustainable habits always outperform extreme short-term dieting.
Emergency Options
This is a great way to safeguard healthy eating.
Having a few “emergency options” available means that when you get stuck you still have a healthy option ready to go.
This requires some planning, but an hour or so once every few weeks is all that you need to do.
For example:
- Keep a few cans of tuna and some corn thins at home or work.
- Cook and freeze a few meals for busy nights.
- Keep simple high-protein snacks available.
This greatly reduces the temptation to order takeaway food.
Plan
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
This is a very simple concept that often gets incredibly over complicated.
Planning is crucial to success and often people get overwhelmed by the whole idea of “planning food”.
When we talk about planning, all we mean is ensuring that you have a good idea of what the upcoming week is going to look like and how it is going to be managed.
Sit down on a Saturday or Sunday before your food shop and look at your week ahead.
- Do you have meetings at lunch?
- Are you out for dinner?
- Which days are busiest?
Once you understand how the week is shaping up, it becomes much easier to make good decisions around food shopping and preparation.
Planning your food does not mean you need to prepare every single meal for the next 7 days.
Understanding how often you should train to see results also helps here, because sustainable health routines should fit around your lifestyle rather than completely taking it over.
Food Preparation And Social Media
Social media is fantastic. It is a brilliant way to stay in touch with people, send a message to a community and build a following.
There is a downside to it though.
More often than not, the most influential people online are also the top 1% of physically gifted and athletic people in society.
Do they work incredibly hard? Absolutely.
But they are not always reflective of the average person trying to improve their health while balancing work, family and life commitments.
When we talk to members about food preparation, the first thing we hear is:
“There is no way I am preparing every single meal for the entire week.”
Yes, that can work incredibly well.
But is it the only way?
Absolutely not.
A Little Effort Goes A Long Way
Food preparation is all about making nutrition work best for YOU.
It really is that simple.
Some simple ideas include:
- Make a salad base large enough to last 3-4 days.
- Bulk buy meat and freeze portions.
- Prepare quick snacks in advance.
- Make easy recipes that last several days.
A few examples include:
- Mini frittatas
- Protein balls
- Homemade hummus
- Protein muffins
Most of these recipes take less than 30 minutes to prepare and can last for days.
Make enough and you always have healthy options available.
Does that really sound like healthy eating is hard?
Finally – Pick And Stick
Decide on a breakfast option and stick with it for the week.
Make one new snack recipe and use it throughout the week.
Not every meal needs to be different.
Creating a few simple and repeatable habits removes decision fatigue and makes healthy eating far easier long-term.
These are just a few hints and tips that allow you to take control of your food preparation without feeling like you need to prepare every meal for every day.
Just because someone on social media does it a certain way, does not mean you should feel bad about doing it differently.
Healthy eating should be enjoyable, realistic and sustainable.
Remember that even the smallest positive changes in the short term can lead to huge long-term results.
Next week we will finish this topic by discussing costs vs perceived costs, along with some quick and easy healthy recipes.
It does not have to be hard to eat healthy, if you do not want it to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make healthy eating easier?
Planning ahead, keeping meals simple and having healthy emergency food options available can make nutrition far easier to manage.
Is food prep necessary for weight loss?
Not necessarily, but some level of preparation usually improves consistency and reduces poor food choices.
Do healthy meals need to be complicated?
No. Some of the best healthy meals are quick, simple and made with only a handful of ingredients.
Ready to make a change? We are here to help.
If you are struggling with nutrition, consistency or building healthier long-term habits, we can help.
At Authentic Personal Training in Crows Nest, we focus on creating realistic and sustainable lifestyle changes designed around your goals.
Start with our 3 sessions for $30 intro offer and let our experienced team help guide your health and fitness journey.
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