We live in a fast-paced world with work frequently going beyond 40 hours per week. The time demands decreased a little due to COVID, but the sense that there is no time for healthy eating hasn’t and may have even worsened.

Concerned about contracting COVID by going to grocery stores, many people have turned to fast food and home delivery for meals. But these items are full of calories, fat, sugar, salt, and preservatives for some.

Too many of these ingredients lead to problems with inflammation in our bodies and the buildup of what are called free radicals-- unstable atoms that can damage your body’s cells. To a small extent, free radicals are expected in all of our bodies. Our bodies should be able to get rid of these free radicals through foods containing antioxidants. Free radicals come from everyday events such as essential metabolic processes in the human body or from external sources such as exposure to:

• X-rays
• Ozone
• Cigarette smoking
• Air pollutants
• Industrial chemicals

Highly processed foods are deficient in anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. These compounds are found in whole food, protecting your body from stress, infections, and the development of chronic health conditions such as:

• Heart disease
• Strokes
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Cognitive impairments, such as dementias

I am guessing right about now you are saying,

“But I don’t have time to get groceries and make healthy meals, including food for lunch.”

I will not disagree with you because I don’t know your situation. I do know, however, that with a little bit of planning and using a couple of services I will talk about, you will be better able to provide healthy, stress-reducing food choices for yourself.

If you like to cook but getting the groceries for the recipes you need is where you hit the time crunch, you may want to consider a home meal delivery system. I should warn you that some of them have many ingredients needed to make the meal, which can be frustrating. I have experienced them several times.

One company that tries to keep its meal ingredients per recipe to 4 is Hungryroot. If you would rather choose your own groceries, that is possible too. They also help you make meal choices based on any special dietary needs you have, as shown by this list:

• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Pescatarian
• Dairy-Free
• Gluten-Free
• Soy-Free
• Tree Nut-Free
• Peanut-Free
• Egg-Free
• Shellfish-Free

If you are or want to have a totally plant-based diet, another option is Sprinly This company was launched in 2016 in Cleveland by a couple who believed in healthy living. They knew that making nutritious meals was difficult for most office workers and professionals due to the long hours required of employees (they had both been in investment banking.)

Sprinly delivers ready-made meals that require heating but no preparation. Meals are delivered weekly to maintain their freshness.

There is the problem of food wastage when we try to cook at home. According to the American Dairy Association, the average family wastes 1/3 of the food they buy yearly. That amounts to 250 pounds per family per year in landfills, causing greenhouse gases.

By using a meal delivery system such as Hungryroot or Sprinly, you only get what you will use, thus saving money and our climate.

There are other meal and food delivery systems available, but I chose these two since they provide you with the choice of prepared meals or the purchase of grocery items that will be, healthy, fresh, and sent with packaging to preserve their freshness.

You have enough to worry about. Worrying about your eating quality should not be on your list.