Practical Nutrition Tips for Busy Moms

Guest Blogger & Instructor: Britain McDonald

Being a mom can be one of the hardest yet most rewarding jobs ever, but not taking care of your body nutritionally can make it even more challenging. When we don’t feel like our best selves, it’s hard to give our best to someone else. As the saying goes, “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” and our bodies work the same way.

“When we don’t feel like our best selves, it’s hard to give our best to someone else.”

When we don’t properly fuel our bodies, it becomes difficult to keep up with intense cardio-focused workouts, heavy lifting classes, and even regular daily activities.

Here are a few practical nutrition tips that help me keep up with our busy lives and keep me feeling my best.

Dinner Preparation is Key

I know, I know—life is busy, but being prepared makes it feel just a little bit easier. Prepping dinner can be as simple as planning out 3-5 meals for the week, thawing any frozen proteins (there’s nothing worse than being ready to cook and realizing the meat isn’t thawed), and ensuring you have all the ingredients for your recipes. It may sound like a lot, but once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature. Personally, I plan to cook four meals per week: a chicken night, a taco night, something my kids love (usually spaghetti), and something new or a family favorite.

Keep Nutrient-Dense Snacks Handy

I don’t know about you, but I love a good snack. Eating a balanced diet and staying fueled all day sometimes requires a between-meals “pick me up.” I prefer my snacks to be protein-heavy because they help keep you full longer and stabilize your blood sugar, preventing spikes and crashes. Some of my favorite snacks include deli turkey/ham and cheese roll-ups, tuna packets (flavored packets make it easy—just grab a fork), beef jerky, and Greek yogurt.

Start Your Day on the Right Foot

It’s often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I couldn’t agree more. Starting my day with a balanced meal of protein, carbs, and fats helps me in two ways: first, it sets the mindset to make the best nutritional choices throughout the day, and second, it allows me to knock out at least 20-30 grams of protein for my daily macro goals. Yes, you need to eat multiple meals a day, but breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. When I used to skip breakfast, I found myself grazing all day long, and let’s be real, my food choices suffered in nutrient density. Start your day off right, so you can feel successful and fueled the whole day. Below are a couple of my favorite breakfast prep ideas.

Sweet Potato & Egg Taco Bowl

Yields: 1 bowl

Servings: 1 bowl

• 4 oz ground turkey, seasoned with taco seasoning

• 50 g sweet potatoes

• 100 g egg whites

• 1 whole egg

• 40 g 2% low-fat cottage cheese

Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 14g

*All measurements can be adjusted to meet your macro needs.

**This is a recipe I would batch prep, meaning I cook one pound (16 ounces) of ground turkey and chop and roast several sweet potatoes all at once.

Egg Bites

Yields: 18 egg bites

Serving: 3 egg bites

• 3 cups egg whites

• 6 eggs

• 1-2 cups spinach, chopped

• 1 cup cottage chees

• 12 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped

Mix all ingredients together, oil a cupcake pan or line it with cupcake wrappers, pour evenly into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g

Author
Britain McDonald

Britain holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Education. She has always had a passion for teaching and helping others become the healthiest versions of themselves.