- "Revenge Body" trainer Autumn Calabrese told Insider she thinks it's bogus when people say they're too busy to eat healthy.
- "Meal prep doesn't have to be intense. It's as simple as buying fruit, veggies, and two different lean proteins," Calabrese told Insider.
- Calabrese also said on-the-go snacks don't need to be packaged products and can be as basic as a whole bell pepper, which is one of her go-to snacks.
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When life is packed with work, school, or taking care of kids or parents, exercising and eating healthy on a regular basis may become an afterthought.
Even the idea of meal prep, or preparing a week's worth of nutritious meals ahead of time, can feel like a daunting experience when you're stressed. But according to "Revenge Body" trainer Autumn Calabrese, it doesn't have to be that way.
In fact, she thinks it's bogus when people make excuses for putting their nutrition on the backburner. "I'm just as busy as the next person," Calabrese told Insider. "At one point I was working 14 hours a day while taking care of a 3-year-old. I made the time."
We asked Calabrese to share her best tricks for eating healthy no matter what life throws at you, and according to the personal trainer, it all boils down to keeping things simple.
Only buy whole foods, but don't stress about specific recipes
According to Calabrese, the concept of meal prep intimidates people because they think it has to be a huge production where they spend hours in the kitchen whipping up multiple meals.
Although meal prep can look that way if you're in the mood to be ambitious, it doesn't have to be. "Meal prep doesn't have to be intense. It's as simple as buying fruit, veggies, and two different lean proteins," Calabrese told Insider.
Read more: 10 scary things that happen to your body when you eat too much sugar
For example, stocking up on some fresh spinach leaves, green beans, carrots, salmon, and chicken would leave you with multiple options for dinner for the week. Calabrese suggested cooking each item separately, storing them in separate containers, and mixing and matching as you please. One night you could have chicken and roasted carrots, and the next you could have a spinach salad topped with salmon. You'll also have your fresh fruit for snacks or as an additional meal ingredient.
Go back to basics when it comes to snacks
Every grocery store has an aisle with processed snacks calling your name, but Calabrese said it's also easy to make healthier unprocessed options just as easy to grab and go.
"People make fun of me because I'll eat bell peppers whole like apples, but it tastes just the same as slicing it and saves so much time," Calabrese said. (The seeds are in fact edible, albeit a little bitter.)
In addition to the trainer's inventive-yet-simple pepper idea, she suggested canned tuna or nitrate-free lunch meats like turkey as protein-packed snacks that will keep you satisfied on the go.
