Maintaining a Day in the Life {of a Mom on the GO}
If you are anything like me or any other mom out there, your days are crazy. You are lucky if in the mix of getting the kids fed and ready you remember to eat yourself. So, I decided to put together a list of items and tips that this crazy mom does to maintain a day in the life of a mom on the go!
Prep, Prep, Prep
I cannot stress this enough. When I do not take the time to prepare for the next day, I end up grabbing crappy, not-so-healthy food on the go and end up being mad at myself.
I plan grocery lists for the week and shop smart – this also keeps our budget low. I’ve recently enjoyed meal replacement smoothies for my lunches. When you are as busy as I am at work and find it hard to spend time away from your desk, you need a quick meal that won’t make a mess.
One of my favorites that is so good but also super filling is a recipe I got from my Nutri Ninja Bullet recipe book. This Cherry Chocolate shake is amazing and promotes nutrition and weight loss (since it fills you up but in a healthy way)!
Cherry Chocolate Shake
1/2 ripe avocado
1/2 cup frozen tart cherries
1 1/2 cups rice milk
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 packet stevia
*Combine ingredients into Nutri Ninja Bullet container in the above order. Blend for 30-45 seconds or until desired smoothness.
It’s the perfect grab and go meal replacement for me (when I remember to do it the night before)! It tastes delicious, it’s healthy, and fills me up for the day!
Good Snacks
Let’s be honest. Snacking is inevitable, especially with little kids around or at a desk job. So part of my prep work is to make sure I have good snacks around when that two o’clock feeling hits and you need some sweets.
My favorites lately are Larabars and Orchard Valley Harvest snack packs.
The Larabars are extremely filling and come in a variety of flavors. Don’t let the high sugar content scare you away … it’s all natural ingredients. Between dates, nuts, fruit, and other very easy to pronounce ingredients, these basic bars taste delicious and satisfy my sweet tooth. If you are craving chocolate, check out the Mint Chip Brownie or Peanut Butter Cookie. Looking for something a little fruitier? Try the Apple Pie or Lemon Bar. They are all fantastic.
Can’t decide which one to try first? Get a variety pack here.
My other go to snack to satisfy my sweet tooth are my Orchard Valley Harvest snack packs. I’ve always been a fan of sneaking fruit in chocolate. Or maybe I’m just a fan of chocolate with anything. But either way these snack packs are the adult version of an upgrade to chocolate covered raisins.
If chocolate covered almonds are your thing, they’ve got it. Maybe you prefer the chocolate covered cherries or blueberries, like me? They’ve got that too. Maybe you can’t decide and you want both. Well guess what? There’s something for you too!
Whether you try out their chocolate cover nuts, berries, or trail mix, these snack packs are the perfect substitute for the afternoon urge to binge on candy, pastries, and other regrettable desserts.
Keep It Simple
Simplicity is now my new norm. It took me awhile to accept this and get to this place in my life. For a long time I wanted to be the mom that made fancy dinners and had Pinterest worthy meals (see previous post). But I’ve learned that there are more important things I would like to enjoy when our daily lives are so busy.
When I get home from a long day, and feel like I can finally breathe for a minute, the last thing I want to do is slave over a hot stove. Recently, I decided to get fun with some of the kids food we had at home. Instead of just placing a bunch of food in sections on their plate, I actually got a little creative. (Just a little – keeping it simple, remember?)
We were having basic pasta that night along with the kids favorite dish – blueberries. I swear it is all they eat. My daughter wanted string cheese with her dinner. Instead of just opening the package and placing it on her plate, I grabbed a few more items.
Out came the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. I sliced the tomatoes and string cheese into small spheres then drizzled some balsamic vinegar over top. I waited with anxious anticipation as I set each plate in front of both children, knowing this was not exactly what was requested. They each looked at it with curiosity, smelled it, then picked it up and ate it. The risk paid off!
Hydrate
This is something I openly admit to being terrible at until I was pregnant for the first time. I was reading through the paperwork I received from my doctor’s office when I just about gasped out loud. The recommended daily consumption of water was 64 ounces. I looked at my husband in disbelief. “So you’re telling me that not only do I have to pee every 5 minutes normally but now they want me to start drinking more water too? I might as well just live in the bathroom!”
The truth is, this started a great habit for me. I felt guilty when I didn’t drink enough water each day. I knew of a lot of women that were hospitalized during their pregnancy for dehydration and I didn’t want to be one of them. After the first few days of the excess water intake, your body adapts and you don’t find yourself running to the bathroom as frequently.
There are so many added benefits to making sure you stay hydrated. For me personally, I find my skin looks better, I feel less bloated, and I tend to eat less because I’m actually hydrated and full.
This past Christmas my husband bought my a S’well bottle. I didn’t think it was something I wanted. It was one of those gifts where you try to act nice and say thank you but really you are thinking ‘well that’s just going to sit in a cupboard somewhere’. Once again, he knows me better than I know myself. This bottle is great. It keeps cold stuff cold forever and hot stuff hot forever (okay not actually forever but you get my drift). It’s perfect for the mom on the go!
Whether you are constantly on the move or consumed with daily tasks, finding ways to make basic tasks (like feeding yourself) simple and quick are essential. Have any tips or tricks to share? Comment below!
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