6 Simple Nutrition Hacks to Save You at Least 2 Hours a Week

As a triathlete, it often feels like there's never enough time in the day to juggle training, work, family, and social life.

It's easy to get overwhelmed and neglect other aspects of life, such as your nutrition. It’s often the first ball that gets dropped when we’re busy and stressed.

To help you, here are 6 simple nutrition hacks that can help you reclaim your time without compromising on your nutrition. Pick one and implement it RIGHT AWAY to save at least 2 hours each week.

1. Set Aside Dedicated Meal Planning Time

One of the most effective ways to save time during your busy week is by setting aside dedicated meal planning time. Make it a priority to carve out a specific time each week, put it in your calendar or diary, and treat it as a non-negotiable appointment that you must stick to.

Meal planning helps you stay organised and eliminates the need to think about what to cook on the fly.

If you're unsure where to start, you can download our free meal planning template, which provides structure and space for writing out your meals and creating a shopping list.

And if that’s still too hard or overwhelming – we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and filled out 52 of these – one for every week of the year. It’s something you get for free when you join the Triathlon Nutrition Academy program, but if you want that right now, go grab that here).

2. Batch Cook for Convenience

Opting to batch cook can be a game-changer for time-poor triathletes!

Prepare larger quantities of food in advance and store them in individual meal-sized portions in the fridge or freezer.

Choose meals that reheat easily or can be eaten cold, such as stews, casseroles, curries, and pasta sauces.

Having healthy and convenient meals readily available saves time on busy days when you don't have the energy or time to cook. Particularly important if you’re training late and still need to nail your recovery nutrition.

By planning ahead, you can avoid resorting to unbalanced meals or takeaways (we’ve all been there!).

3. Plan Quick and Simple Meals

When time is limited, it's important to focus on recipes that require minimal preparation and can be cooked in 30 minutes or less.

Strategically plan quick and simple meals for your busiest days. For example stir-fries, Mexican dishes, and grilling options are excellent choices. Don't hesitate to use pre-cut or frozen vegetables to save time on chopping and preparation.

Our Recipe Database is bursting with over 150 healthy and nutritious recipes that take 30 minutes or less to cook, ensuring you can prepare nutritious meals without spending excessive time in the kitchen.

4. Set Limits on Social Media Use

Social media can be a major time hole, often causing us to lose track of time.

Identify the windows in your day when you tend to engage in mindless scrolling and set limits for yourself.

Use apps like AppBlock, Freedom, or SelfControl to lock yourself out of social media during specific periods. And consider turning on website blockers at work to maintain focus and avoid distractions.

Turning off all notifications and being in control of when you access social media apps can significantly reduce time wasted! Leaving you with more time to focus on eating well!

5. Pack Your Bag (and Lunch) the Night Before

Pack your bag, your lunch, and your bike or whatever it is that you need for the next day, the night before.

Even if you get home from work or training late and you're absolutely exhausted and want to go to bed, spend five or 10 minutes in that organisational mode to get you prepped for the next day. It will save you so much time in the morning when you're half asleep and are more likely to forget things.

Forgetting things adds so much time to your life and is another big friction point. Have you forgotten socks? Have you forgotten undies? Have you forgotten your bike shoes or your helmet for a morning ride and had to turn around and go back home? All of those little things add up.

Look after future you and pack your stuff for the next day the night before. Trust me – it’s a game changer.

6. Batch Tasks

You'll be way more productive and time efficient if you concentrate on one thing at a time! Contrary to what you might think, multitasking is a myth. It does not work

If you’re packing lunches, concentrate on packing lunches until it's done.

If you’re cleaning your bike – do all of your bikes at once. Heck - Throw in the car while you’re at it! 

The less distracted you are, the least amount of time that task is going to take. Whereas if you're doing multiple things constantly, then it's going to double the time it takes.

What repeatable tasks do you have in your life that you can batch? Write them down now and set a reminder for yourself to actually do it.

Then if you know that it needs to happen at a certain time point – either weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually - set that on repeat so you can set and forget.

Take home message

If we could leave you with one message, it would be that nothing changes, if nothing changes.

You’re reading this post for ideas and inspiration and of course practical tips to be a better triathlete.

But improving your health and performance is going to take a little effort on your behalf.

We would love to do it all for you, but unfortunately, we can’t! But we’re here to make your life easier,

If any of these hacks and tips are things you aren’t already doing – actually make a plan to implement one thing this week. Make a commitment to yourself to do something differently from today on.

And hopefully, that helps you free up at least 2 hours each week to focus on your nutrition!

To dive deeper, listen to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy Podcast, EP 97 - 6 Simple Nutrition Hacks to Save You at Least 2 Hours a Week  

If you are interested in learning more about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy Program and what it can do for you, head HERE to join the waitlist for our next opening.