Busy Days, Missed Meals, Messy Evenings

As a chef, I’m surrounded by food. Yet finding time to eat a proper meal hasn’t always been easy.

For years, I would get caught up in the rush of the kitchen, running on adrenaline and barely noticing I was hungry. Coffee and something sweet would keep me going. By the end of service, I was exhausted and reached for whatever was easiest.

When I began my sober journey, I started paying much more attention to routine and food habits.

I found that eating more regularly helped me manage my energy, handle stressful days and feel less driven by food cravings.

These days, I always have breakfast, either at home or packed to take to work. I pay attention to hydration, make space for another meal and keep a snack available for shifts that don’t go to plan.

Even now, eating properly during a busy service can be difficult. Being a chef doesn’t make me immune to that.

Your day might look very different from mine. You might work at a desk, spend hours on the road, care for someone or juggle work and family. But perhaps you recognise that feeling of being so busy that your own meals slip down the list.

That experience shapes how I approach nutrition and health coaching. Before judging our evening food choices, it can help to look at what happened earlier in the day.

Did we eat enough? Did we get a break? Or did we keep pushing through?

For me, a little preparation has made eating feel easier, especially when I’m tired. Breakfast before work, food available during the day and a simple meal planned for afterwards give me something to fall back on.

These habits became one part of how I supported myself in sobriety. I’m still learning how to make them work around real life.

What helps you make time to eat on a busy working day?