Make health a priority
It’s so incredibly easy to get side tracked when you lead a busy life and the kids are headed back to school. The person you really are gets put on hold, and everything else comes first. But here’s the thing. Unless you start putting yourself first, you won’t have anything left to give to anybody. You will be so worn out, you just won’t be able to give any more at all. Schedule it in your day planner if you need to, but make sure that that one hour is just as important as getting to that meeting you just can’t miss. For me personally my work outs in the am is part of my "me time".
Buy a crock pot!!
If you’ve never used one, I’m here to tell you that these little contraptions can save your life. Who wants to spend an hour in the kitchen after a long work day cooking a healthy meal? Ten to twenty minutes of prep time in the morning, and you’ll have a full pot of dinner (and maybe even some leftovers for lunch the next day) when you get home. This is a no brainer!! Here are a few of my favorites
Crock Pot Roast Beef
Crock Pot Cashew Chicken
Mexican Chicken
Use Sunday night to make the week run smoother
Peel and slice carrots, cucumbers and other veggies. Make lasagna but don’t cook it. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days so you can just pop it in the oven on a busy weekday night. Cook several different grains and store in the fridge so you have a healthy, whole grain side dish for any dinner you want to make. Marinate chicken breasts for up to 3 days in ziploc bags. Keep them in the fridge and bake them in the oven the day you need them, or toss them in the freezer after they have marinated for one day. I will go as far as to peel the corn on the cob and have it waiting in the pan of water so I can pull it out and cook it.
Get everyone into the kitchen ask for HELP (moms you can do this it does not mean your not a good mom)
Weekends are tough because you want to spend that time with family. Doing things with the kids or with friends puts everything else on the back burner. But food should be a family event! There is absolutely NO reason that you should be the only one in the kitchen if you have a husband or kids (or both) in the other room. Memories made in the kitchen last a lifetime, and you can’t give your kids a greater gift than teaching them how to feed themselves properly. Plus, picky eaters are far more likely to eat when they’ve been involved in the process. So drag them into the kitchen with you! You may have to oversee things a bit at first, but after a while, you’ll find that it was worth asking for help.
Cook during naps
If your kids are younger and still take naps, great! You have a free hour in the day (if you stay at home) to cook! Now I’ll be the first to admit that when my kids are napping, all I normally work, since I work from home. Just remind yourself that getting some cooking done now, will save you at the end of the day when you are REALLY tired and just want to land on a soft pillow.
Cook large quantities
This is truly important for those of you who work outside of the home. Get used to cooking for the neighbor! Invest in single serving Tupperware or Ziploc containers and keep extra food on hand at all times. If you always have healthy leftovers, you’ll always have a healthy meal on hand. Everyone has lunch the next day, and there might even be a little left over to put in the freezer to pull out when your caught off guard.
Freeze, freeze, freeze.
If you can afford it, invest in a deep freezer. It will be your saving grace. If you can’t afford it, clean out your freezer and get organized! The more you can pack that freezer with single serving meals, the happier and more stress free you will be during the week.
Keep backup lists on the fridge
You need two lists on the front of your fridge at all times. One will be a list of foods you have on hand in the fridge and freezer so you know what you can just grab when you need it, and one will be a list of quick and easy, healthy recipes that you can throw together at the last-minute if you need to. That second list may seem a bit useless, but when you are very busy and cooking is the last thing on your mind, it’s easy to forget what everyone likes to eat. It’s easy to fall into that, “I don’t know what to cook” rut. So keep both lists on hand and you’ll never be at a loss for what to make for dinner.
What is the hardest part about creating a healthy lifestyle?
Motivation
Time
Support
Knowledge
Fear
I run online support groups monthly for moms just like yourself that would like to invest time into yourself. to learn more information fill out this form. Hope to talk to you soon
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