Quick and Easy Healthy Eating for Mums

By  Laura  Agar Wilson

 

Having the time to prepare healthy food can be a challenge at the best of times, never mind when you have a baby or young child to look after!

 

I have a one year old son and I remember the days following his birth and the months after (and to be honest, even now) when the thought of trying to cook a healthy meal from scratch just felt like too much. The truth is, eating healthy food helps us to handle the challenges of life with a newborn so much better. Sleep deprivation and lack of energy, recovery from birth and even to some extent postnatal depression can all be helped with a healthy diet.

 

It’s not about being perfect, and what I had to realise was that sometimes making the healthiest choice I could in that moment had to be good enough. What I found, was through a little bit of forethought and preparation, healthy eating didn’t have to be a chore and could be fitted in around all those breastfeeds and nappy changes!

 

1.Keep some staple healthy ingredients in the fridge and pantry

 

I used to make sure I always had sweet potatoes, spinach, eggs and cartons of beans and lentils in my kitchen so I could always bake a potato and have it with some spinach and a topping of beans or fried eggs. Think about what your healthy kitchen staples might be.

2. Online grocery shopping / organic veg box delivery

 

This was such a lifesaver for me, having your groceries delivered straight to your door helps you be that bit more organised and avoids the empty fridge so let’s get a takeaway excuse! Adding your healthy kitchen staples to your favourites in your online shopping account makes sure you don’t run out of them.

3. Ask for help

 

I’m really not the best at this, but looking back I can see where I went wrong! Asking for help from your partner, family and friends, either to help you cook something healthy, or to watch the baby for half an hour so you can do a quick bit of prep, will really help make things easier.

4. Get a slow cooker

 

These things are genius! Use that 30 minutes of support with the baby to throw some healthy ingredients into the slow cooker, just make sure you make a really big batch then you’ll have enough for a few meals.

5. Have healthy snacks available

 

Nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, dried fruit, veggie sticks and hummus all make healthy snacks to keep your energy up and your hand out of the biscuit barrell!

6. Keep emergency options on hand

 

As much as I’d love to eat a cooked from scratch meal every night, it can be a struggle. Instead of deciding to call the takeaway I keep some healthier convenience options to hand such as vegetable soups from the fresh section of the supermarket, Kirsty’s meals (they are gluten and dairy free), BOL veg or chicken pots and Illumi meals. They might not be ideal, but as I said, sometimes it’s about making the healthiest choice available.

 

Here are some great healthy and easy recipes and meal ideas that are simple to make:

Baked Berry Oatmeal - this delicious and easy recipe makes a massive 8 portions and can be frozen so perfect for a quick and lazy breakfast

Harissa Chicken and Lentil Soup - a tasty and filling slow cooker soup recipe

Anti Inflammatory Curried Lentil Soup - a richly flavoured and nourishing soup which can also be frozen in batches

Chicken, Quinoa and White Bean Chilli - another slow cooker favourite packed with protein to keep you full, and only a handful of ingredients

Thai Green Chickpea, Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry - this is a lovely recipe and again one that could be made in a slow cooker if needed. It’s a great one to have if you’re craving a less healthy curry.

 

Some of the best meal ideas are those without recipes because they’re so easy. I love a baked sweet potato on a bed of spinach with a topping of fried eggs, crumbled feta, beans, lentils or chilli.

 

In addition any kind of smoothie would be a great option with green smoothies like this Pear and Ginger Green Smoothie recipe being especially helpful as they contain that added dose of green goodness.

 

I hope those tips are really helpful for you!

 

If you'd like any more tips then just pop over to Jo's forum and post me a question. I'm guest forum expert all week.

 

Laura Agar Wilson x

 

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