The meals of (recent) fatherhood

arwaldd

Hi all,

I recently became a father of a sweet little girl. During these three months since the birth, I have been eating erratically and often fell back onto frozen meals that I could just shove into the oven/airfryer.
This led to me putting 10 kg back on after I had lost 22 kg two years ago. I am trying to get back on the horse, exercise, eat healthy and stuff, but life seems to constantly get in the way and I always feel exhausted... like... since June.
Anybody got good tips for parents (who want to be there and support their partner in raising the child) on how to find time and energy to take care of their health?

AdahPotatah2024

The first few months is a whirlwind, but it'll get easier. I think at about 6 or 7 months when my baby started sitting up, I started to settle down and start thinking about myself, too, again.I'd just focus on trying to buy healthy foods at the grocery store since you all might not be eating at restaurants as much for awhile!:)💕

nossmf

I think for me as a father of four, I started to feel normal again and able to exercise once my baby started sleeping through the night, allowing me to sleep through the night. Each baby is different - the earliest of my four started at age 2 months, the latest at about 6 months.

For dietary, rather than relying upon frozen meals, pick one day a week where you can devote several hours to cooking and whip up large amounts of 2-3 meals you can divvy into Tupperware and refrigerate until you need them. Chili, pasta, stir fries work especially well. I did my cooking on Sunday afternoons when I could have the TV playing football in the background and instead of sitting idle watching I could listen while cooking. (This is an old bachelor trick I had from when I first lived on my own, recycled.)

AnnPT77

Without disputing the excellent advice from others, I think it's OK to use frozen meals as the root of eating, for convenience, as long as that's affordable - it's not the only way, but one way.

With the frozen meals:
If you're coming up short on protein, add rotisserie chicken, tuna pouches, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese . . . anything easy.
Some omnivore frozen meals are OK on protein, but short on veggies. Add bagged frozen mixed veggies.

If you're vegetarian/vegan, there's more . . . but most people are omnivores so I won't go there unless you ask. (I'm 50 years vegetarian.)

Make your snacks easy, nutritious, filling: Jerky, whole fruit, Greek yogurt (read labels!), hard boiled eggs, dry roasted soybeans.

Add protein shakes if they help you, or smoothies with protein (powder, Greek yogurt, whatever), veggies, fruits, even oatmeal or other blended-in whole grains, nuts or seeds.

If you're an omnivore, there are other very easy frozen options, like some of the chicken (or other lean protein) microwaveable stir-fry mixes. If the included/separate sauce is high calorie, do you own thing (tamari with rice vinegar and peanut or almond powder is an option, chili sauce/powder for heat if you like it, or miso for a little extra protein and some probiotics).

Convenience foods are not necessarily non-nutritious. Don't fall for orthodoxy, read labels and think about it. Even fast foods are not the devil. You can get the burger without the bun, the side salad, other options.

The main thing you're doing now - the "dadding" - is in all of our service: Raising babies who know they are safe, loved - become confident and empathetic adults someday. That is a superpower! What you're doing improves the future for all of us.

On the activity front, remember the basics: If you're cuddling that beautiful little baby girl, walking with swinging/bouncing is better (for you, in calorie terms), walking but otherwise holding her still is better than standing totally still, standing is better than sitting . . . you get it. Hold her, love her, teach her to love movement. That's great stuff!

Please give her a cuddle from me!