Moms are constantly on the go. Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mother, it is hard to find the time to sit and eat a meal, let alone a healthy one. Here are a few tips to sneak that healthy eating into the busiest of schedules.
Exercise is important but eating is the best way to get the nutrition that you need to keep the body healthy. If your eating habits are poor, then the benefits of exercise are decreased. In essence, you are working against yourself.
The world of work has necessitated the need for instant everything, including food. If you don’t have time for breakfast, you grab a pre-packaged granola bar. For lunch, you eat a frozen microwaveable meal and grab a soda from the vending machine. Dinner comes from a fast food restaurant or other takeout place.
For a busy mom, this type of processed eating is not going to yield the energy she needs to make it through the day successfully. These foods may be okay in a pinch, but they definitely should not be the rule of thumb. Healthy eating habits for mom also translate into healthy eating habits for the rest of the family as well.
Let’s start with what mom needs to eat. No more than twelve ounces of protein are needed per day. People don’t realize that getting that much protein is not hard. Usually we are getting too much protein which gets stored in the body as fat. One or two servings of fruit and five to seven servings of vegetables are recommended each day. Fats should be kept to a minimum with most being unsaturated oils. Carbohydrates should come in the form of whole grains, beans, and legumes. Very little processed sugar should be consumed.
The best way to achieve this is pre-planning. The evening before, plan what you will eat the next day. Package your snacks into portion sizes and put together your meals.
Weekends are a good time to cook several meals for the week ahead. This way, the meals can be separated into containers and frozen to be warmed up later. Because you have prepared the food, you know what types of ingredients are in it.
If you plan to be out during lunch, fix a salad or other meal that does not need refrigeration. If it does, carry an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack. This way, you are never without something healthy to eat.
Best Tips:
- Know your cooking style and time limitations
- Create your plan of attack
- Include more vegetables and fruits into your meals
- Subscribe to a meal planning service
- Consider delivery services for your groceries to save time
- Make snack time a little healthier and fun
- Buy in bulk
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Enlist help from your partner and older children
A busy mother can still be a healthy mother. Use weekends to prepare future meals. Get the family involved to lessen the work and increase the variety of the meals.
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