Blog post by Mamta, Pur Weight Loss Dietitian.
Adulting, parenting, and healthy eating for lasting weight loss can be hard. Keeping up with work, home and social life can take up so much time.. and there are only 24 hours in a day!!
For some of us, it also means doing all these while raising young humans and performing a plethora of duties that come along. As a working mom with two little ones, I definitely know!
The one thing that each one of us needs while we are going about our inordinately busy lives, is the energy to fuel our bodies and minds.. through healthy eating!!
A variety of nourishing whole foods can supply us with the energy to keep being our best at all the things we do.. unfortunately that is also one of the things that can get a little sidelined. While many of us end up reaching for ready to eat meals from stores or restaurants, most are also looking for ways to make easy meals that provide the most nutrient bang for their buck – so that we can feel more in control (and secretly proud) of feeding ourselves and our families (and kids) the healthy stuff that still tastes great!
I totally understand and can relate to all the busy professionals with young children who are trying hard to keep up with life and enjoy it at the same time. It can seem hard to eat healthy and lose weight, especially when each family member has their own unique needs and concerns. Proper nutrition is key, for everyone!
Here, I share 3 practical tips to make your life a little easier and feel great about making healthy food choices:
2. Stock up on essentials – to make prepping meals a breeze.
Here are some things to always have on hand:
Freezer:
-Whole grain bread and tortilla, corn
-Vegetables – get the individual veggies, like frozen spinach, or mixed bags – your choice. I love the stir fry blend from Costco
-Fruit – great to add to your yogurt or cottage cheese for a delicious snack or to blend in your morning smoothie (such as the frozen berries)
-Edamame, nuts/seeds
Fridge:
-Milk or plant-based beverages
-Eggs
-Yogurt/cottage cheese
-Fresh vegetables and fruits; I love the baby carrots, broccoli florets, and coloured mini bell peppers. The pre-cut veggies can come in handy.
Pantry:
-Whole grain crackers (such as Triscuit, Ryvita, Finn Crisps etc.)
-Nut/seed butters (or nut butter powder)
-Canned fish/chicken
-Soup/broth
Be aware that with warmer weather and increased physical activity (like hiking, biking, jogging, and even walking), this can cause you to sweat more and sweating also keeps your body cool. Be aware like how I mentioned, that your body might mistaken hunger for thirst and cause you to gravitate towards food. Before you do that, try having a few sips of water to see how you feel after a few minutes.
3. Keep it simple! You might ask “How can I possibly PREPARE HEALTHY meals when I have long work days or when I am busy picking and dropping kids to different games/dance venues.”
I assure you that IT IS possible to have meals that are healthy, even on the busy days when work hours get stretched a bit.. or when you have to ferry kids to and back from activity classes. The key is to keep it simple and go for QUICK to assemble meals.
An important thing to keep in mind when preparing quick meals is to balance the meals by adding a few components:
-starch – corn, bread, quinoa, oats or rice for example
-protein – fish, chicken, tofu or Greek yogurt are some options
-crunch – from fresh veggies or fruit
Just like there are meatless Mondays and taco Tuesdays… I propose (drumroll please…) wrap-up Wednesdays.
Create a delicious wrap in a few easy steps:
-Take a tortilla (your choice of corn or whole wheat)
-Add some protein like roasted chicken, canned fish or smashed beans
-Layer veggies in it.. my favourites are baby spinach, colored peppers, cucumber and onions…
-Drizzle your favorite dressing (my favorite is a homemade yogurt cilantro dressing),
-Wrap it up, and enjoy your 5 minute meal!!
Kids can choose their own fillings or even create their own wrap.
A few other examples of quick to assemble meals:
-Vegetable omelet with whole grain toast or wrap
-Stir fry with leftover rice – use frozen veggies to make it super quick.. and don’t forget the protein – any leftover meat/chicken or canned fish or frozen edamame or tofu will work great.
-Canned chickpea and pasta salad with colorful veggies and a vinaigrette dressing
-Tuna or salmon sandwich
These are tried and tested strategies (by yours truly) that will most definitely help you prepare and eat healthy meals while managing your demanding lives!
Eat well and stay well.
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