This post contains affiliate links. I may make a small commission at no extra charge to you when you buy with my link. I appreciate the support!
I was always pretty good about eating well before I had kids, but I learned quickly that how to eat healthy as a busy mom is a different game
My kids keep me busy
As a twin mom, I am constantly doing things and still struggle to get everything done
I realized that I had to make a change when my energy plummeted
I was in such a hurry every day that I would eat Lays and queso for lunch
It was quick, easy, not cooked, and no cleanup
But it was not giving me the nutrients I needed to keep up with my day
Why Taking Time To Eat Well is Not Selfish
I know the feeling too well
There is so much to do and forgetting to eat happens so easily
If I remembered to eat, I often ate leftovers from my kids so I did not have to cook again
And it lowered the wasted food in the house!
The problem with this is that our nutrition is a huge part of our health
The two bites of chicken I ate from my kids’ plate were not enough to get me through lunch
So what happened?
I snacked
I realized that I was eating leftover kids’ food and Lays chips for lunch
It was a terrible habit, but taking time to make something for me felt selfish
I had other things I needed to be doing!
If I cook, then I will have to take time to eat
Oh and don’t forget the extra dishes
Eating breakfast was even harder
Once my day started, It went full speed
Dinner wasn’t hard for me since I made food for my kids and husband
But I found myself not eating enough (or anything) for breakfast and lunch
Then I would get hungry and want something fast
Which was usually something super unhealthy (like Lays)
I would end up hungry again in an hour or two…
And feeling super drained
Food is fuel
Without taking the time to eat well, you will slowly struggle through your day more and more
Eating Healthy is a Lifestyle
I am going to start by saying that I do NOT agree with diet culture
I disagree that eating healthy means depriving yourself of everything you love while only eating lettuce
Eating healthy is a lifestyle, and it can be great!
Everyone’s journey is a little different, but it is mainly learning a balance that works for you
Learning to eat healthily is hard enough before kids, and can feel impossible once you are a mom!
I am thankful that my grandma taught me to cook and that was a normal part of my life before kids
Whether you are starting from a place like I did, or just starting to learn cooking…
Most of my tips will help you
These are not all the options that can help, but they are the things that help me
13 Tips to Eat Healthy as a Busy Mom
There is no manuel to life or motherhood
So what works for me might not work for you
But it can give you a starting point!
Test things out for a week or two
Do they help?
Test and evaluate and you’ll find a system that works for you
- Make a weekly menu and grocery list
One of the major problems I run into when trying to eat healthy as a busy mom is just how inconvenient it is
The more effort I have to put into a new habit, the less likely I am to succeed
I can tell the difference if I remember to make a menu for the week or not
When I plan the meals for the week, going shopping gets easier and we all eat better
One of the big things I recommend is making a menu based on where you are in life
I have twin 3-year-old boys with a speech delay…
There are nights when I am exhausted and there is NO way I can to do a super nice dinner
I also know that we eat outside a lot at lunchtime, so I have to plan meals where that is easy
When I made my weekly menu, I always have 2-3 super quick dinner plans and the rest are nicer but still easy
This makes cooking SO much easier
I don’t have to think about dinner every day
I know what we are eating ahead of time so shopping is quicker
And since I have so many super quick meals, I am able to get dinner done even on nights when I am exhausted
To take a look at your life and see what is possible
You want to set yourself up for success
If that means buying a frozen pizza for one of your dinners, that is better than other options!
- Meal prep for the week
When I was working three jobs and going to school (before I was a mom), I was extremely busy
I love my husband, but he is not a great cook
Great at barbequing, but not anything inside the kitchen
Meal prepping got me through that time
I would spend three hours every Sunday prepping for the week
Most meals were cooked and pre-sectioned into containers
Then all we would need to do is reheat a container for dinner everynight
It made my lunches easier too
I don’t do it anymore for two reasons
- I don’t really need to anymore
- We don’t have enough refrigerator room right now
But it is a very real option for many moms!
Instead of taking an hour a day to cook (7 hours a week)
You can spend three hours once a week on cooking (less nightly dishes too!)
- Bulk prep snacks
It can be exhausting to make a snack every day
Kids keeping you busy and just grabbing something fast is tempting
A way to avoid that is by preparing many grab-and-go healthy snacks at once
Put them in a little bag or container so eating healthy snacks is quick and convenient
- Cook extra every night
Another thing I did a lot when I was working that I still do today is making extra dinner
I make one or two extra servings of dinner and put them in containers for the next day
This gives me a super fast but still healthy lunch for the next day
This has been a lifesaver more times than I can recall!
- Make healthy food and snacks convenient
This is similar to #3
It is way easier to eat healthy when the healthy food is good and convenient
I will talk about good, healthy food more on #10
It is easier to make decisions that you are proud of when you set yourself up for success
Convenience is a huge reason I want quick snacks and fast food
So when I made healthy food convenient, I was able to eat healthier and feel the difference
- Sign up for meal delivery
If you have the room in your budget, meal delivery can be a real option!
You can get food premade and delivered,
Or you can get everything you need to cook a meal delivered
I did HelloFresh before and I really enjoyed it
The directions were not simple so if you are a new cook I wouldn’t recommend it
But it was nice to have all the planning and shopping done for you
- Start small
Life is overwhelming
If you are like me, you try to do too much when making a life change
“I want to eat healthier! “
Proceeds to buy only healthy food and try to change my entire diet in one week….
It’s not a good idea
Every time I do giant steps, I fail
So start small!
Start with eating one premade, healthy snack a day
Once that gets easier, add one more small change
Changing your diet will go slower, but lasts longer
- Plan for meals when you don’t want to cook
This is a huge part of my plan
I am a business owner and I run four blogs
I am also a twin toddler mom and a wife
We have animals too
The question isn’t if I will have days where I don’t want to cook
The question is when those days will occur
To help me keep up, I either premake extra meals and freeze them
Or I buy something super quick and easy to make
The goal is to have dinner done in 20 minutes or less with little active cooking
This could be a stew, grilled cheese sandwich, Quesadillas, or something similar
They may not be the healthiest options (my stews are but they are rarely the easy meal of choice), but it is better than getting fast food
Remember that eating out is ok!
If your easy meal is eating out, then just plan for how many days you’ll allow it every week
If you have a 2-night limit every week, you’ll choose those nights more carefully
- Encourage your kids to get involved
Kids like to be up in their parent’s business.
All. The. Time
So take advantage of that!
Have your kids help you prepare the snacks or meals for the week
The more you get them involved, the more tasks you will be able to trust them with
Then eating healthy is a family event and your kids will grow up with an important skill!
- Plan for your cravings
Cravings are not bad.
Cravings are telling you that you need something
If you are craving chips, eat some chips!
But plan for that
Instead of getting the craving, avoid it by eating carrots, and then binge eating chips in the end…
Pour a bowl of chips
Eat them slowly
Enjoy them!
In the end, you’ll eat a lot less and feel less deprived
In addition, our brains naturally want what we can’t have
So the more you idolize the chips, the worse the cravings will get, and the more you’ll eat when it becomes too much
- Use supplements
Another thing to consider is adding supplements to your diet
But please be mindful when doing this!
Personally, I make my supplements and the only goal is to add more nutrition
I mix and capsule a green powder blend to add more greens to my diet and I have a digestion mix to aid in my gut health
I can feel the difference between the days that I take my supplements and when I don’t
They give me more energy, help my mental health, I get fewer cravings, and probably more that I don’t notice when I’m busy
Do research before taking any supplements
You want it to be as natural and nutrient-based as possible
Also, remember to consult your doctor before adding supplements so you don’t take too much
There are many vitamins and minerals that are harmful when overdone
- Drink water before every meal
Eating healthy isn’t just about food!
Water is a huge part of learning how to eat healthy as a busy mom
Living on coffee is not enough (sadly)
Our brains have a hard time telling the difference between hunger and thirst
So drinking water could be huge!
Try to drink a glass:
- When you wake up
- Before every meal
- Before bed
- When you remember throughout the day
Not everyone needs the same water intake
I try to drink a half oz of water per pound I weigh
But do your research or maybe ask your doctor
- Set reminders on your phone
I am terrible about remembering to eat
I will get so busy that I forget to eat until I am starving
It is hard to eat healthy when you are starving
What I’ve learned to do is put alarms on my phone to remind me to eat throughout the day
When those alarms go off, I can think clearly and do what I planned for lunch that day
Final Thoughts On How To Eat Healthy as a Busy Mom
Everything in life is harder when you are responsible for tiny and destructive humans
There are many things that will not get done, but I believe that learning how to eat healthy as a busy mom cannot be pushed aside
Food is the fuel that will help you get everything else done and be the best mom you can be
Without fueling yourself well, your energy will disappear and you will struggle through everyday
What will you try first learn how to eat healthy as a busy mom?