Stay at home mom who eats junk! What do all my stay at home moms/wives eat at home?

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Jesszeke16
Jesszeke16 Posts: 7 Member
edited July 2017 in Food and Nutrition
I need to eat healthier since I am home. I am a new mom and all I have been eating is junk food since it is the quickest way to fill my tummy at that moment. I did not realise how bad i was eating until i saw i gained almost 30 pounds AFTER giving birth.
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  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 523 Member
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    Yikes, you want to be practicing up healthy cooking so that baby of yours starts out right, if not for yourself. Got to a website like Ohsheglows or Forksoverknives for some easy snack ideas, do some cooking and store it all in the fridge or freezer and yes, stop buying junk--don't even let it in the house.
    An amazing snack I made this morning that took about 2 minutes to make: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/pea-guacamole/#gs.R3Y3dxk
  • lucys1225
    lucys1225 Posts: 597 Member
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    Since you're probably busy with the new baby, meal prepping is the way to go. It's much easier to stay on track when you have prepared things in the fridge ready to go.
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
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    It's a good time to start modeling good eating habits for the kiddos. This is when they decide what "normal" is.

    Don't bring home the foods that you have trouble moderating. For me, that's cheesy crackers, so the kids just had to be ok with getting occasional single-serve packs.

    Plan ahead so you know when your next meal is coming and what it is. Calculate the calories before you eat. This removes bad decision-making in the heat of the moment. Include enough treats that you don't feel deprived.

    Pay attention to nutrition, but don't get stressed about it. Weight loss is about calories. Macros and vitamins are about long-term health. Progress is the goal, not perfection.
  • Jesszeke16
    Jesszeke16 Posts: 7 Member
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    Yes I have always struggled with my weight. I am just the heaviest I have ever been. I have been meal prepping and yes that has helped alot. Thank you.
  • Vex3521
    Vex3521 Posts: 385 Member
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    Portion control will help. If you're really pressed for time and don't mind paying more you can do the pre-portioned cheese sticks and such. Not sure what you're terming junk so if it's snack food like chips or other things like that, I would portion if you're not going to remove things. If you also make a menu for the day and stick to that it will keep you on track. I prep Sundays usually so everything goes in the fridge for Monday and I am on my schedule during the week. Everything I need is right there so it takes all the fuss out.
  • Jesszeke16
    Jesszeke16 Posts: 7 Member
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    Yes, you are exactly right. Thank you.

  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
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    I am not a mom, but I recently took an opportunity to work from home and I struggled with this at first, since my partner had a lot of "junk" food in the pantry. It's a lot easier and more desirable to grab a pop tart than cook or prepare a nutritious meal. What I made sure to do is pack these things in his lunches and made him aware that I won't be filling the pantry up with this type of food anymore - but we can have a little of it and eat it in moderation. I buy tons of fruit and veggies, Greek yogurt, etc. and I make sure to have everything cut up and ready to eat so that it's easily accessible and I'm not tempted to go for the pre-packaged higher-calorie options so much.
  • colleenrein
    colleenrein Posts: 8 Member
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    I am a stay at home mom. The key for me is eating three filling meals so I am not hungry to need to grab quick snacks that are often unhealthy.

    For breakfast I often sautée a bunch of veggies in two tsp of olive oil (zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms), and eat that with two scrambled eggs. You can cook the veggies a few days worth at a time, and then just reheat in the morning.

    Lunch is either healthy leftovers or a big salad (prewash lettuce and chop veggies so you just have to dump it in a bowl. I really like bolthouse dressings.

    I use our best bites menu planning service for dinner and adjust things to make it healthier when necessary.
  • MommaGem2017
    MommaGem2017 Posts: 405 Member
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    I have two little kids and work from home. Planning and tracking had been the key for me. Having easy foods to prepare like Greek yogurt , avocado toast, or fruit ready helps. The biggest issue I had after having kids was grazing :( I was always nibbling when I was getting them snacks or meals or bored or tired. Always grabbing a nibble. For me, tracking food and stopping grazing was Huge!
  • gidjinswife
    gidjinswife Posts: 36 Member
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    Sounds like you have an infant, so it's not baby's food that messing you up. Make sure you have plenty of produce washed and ready to go. A few dips you like. Maybe some string cheese, yogurt, nuts, etc. And as baby gets older they can eat the same things, just full fat, if you do low fat. There is no need for kids to have goldfish and animal crackers, especially if you have trouble controlling them.
  • AMV91
    AMV91 Posts: 86 Member
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    Im a SAHM as well, I have a 3 year old and will be having a new born in 4 weeks! I just don't buy junk. There are lots of healthy things that take as much time to grab as cookies. My issue is if I grab cookies, I want more cookies. If I grab an apple, I'm normally fuller.

    If you have a half hour during a nap for babes, just prep some veggies and chicken and you've got a lot of options!

    Be kind to yourself though, adding a baby makes things wonky until you get into a routine.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
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    I gained weight after giving birth, too. It was discouraging! I had twins and was running on fumes, and people kindly brought us meals (LOTS of lasagna, garlic bread, chocolate chip cookies, etc.) several times a week for the first two months after I gave birth. I often ate out of convenience and for energy, to help counteract the sleep deprivation.

    Some things that helped to have on hand (quick snacks that were lower in calorie and bonus points if they could be eaten with one hand) were yogurt, baby carrots, cheese sticks, steamable bags of veggies, buy the pre-cut fresh fruits and veggies if that will help, clementines, apples, bananas, and nuts. (YMMV; some people find these easy to overeat but I'm usually OK with sticking to a serving of nuts or a spoonful of PB if I'm in a hurry and need something to tide me over.)
  • Jesszeke16
    Jesszeke16 Posts: 7 Member
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    Wow twins! Amazing mommy! You are a busy bee!!! It is discouraging. Thank you very much!
  • wenrob
    wenrob Posts: 125 Member
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    When I became a SAHM with twins I became obese for the first time in my life. It wasn't what I was eating but how much I was eating and not moving. When I finally decided to do something about it the biggest change for me (aside from portion control/calorie counting) was putting myself on a schedule. Breakfast at 7am, lunch at 11am, snack at 2pm, dinner at 6pm, snack 9pm. Before that I ate all day because the food was there, no rhyme or reason I just ate. By putting myself on a schedule if I found myself heading towards the fridge I would look at the clock and realize lunch was only an hour away. That made me stop and ask myself if I was really hungry or was I just looking for something to do. Those kids are eleven and a half now and I still pretty much stick to that schedule. It's not for everyone but I found having a routine I could stick to made all the difference in the world.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
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    Like others mentioned, I just don't buy any junk food when I am at the store. Anything bought at a grocery story is "healthy" i.e. fruits and veggies, lean meats, yogurt, whole wheat, etc etc. if there are no treats/junk in the house you won't be eating it.

    Also I agree with others, anything that you can buy that's convenient and healthy is worth the couple extra bucks. I am way more likely to eat yogurt if it's a single serving cup, as opposed to pulling out a bowl, dishing it out, washing a dish etc. or fruits and veggies that are precut/precut chicken.

  • Rosered3333
    Rosered3333 Posts: 171 Member
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    Congratulations on the new baby! How old is the baby now? My children's snacks (I have a 4 year old and almost 2 year old) are so easy to just munch on. Goldfish are my downfall. I've stopped buying certain things because I know they're too easy to eat.
    We have a lot of fresh fruit that I add to yogurt and I'll make myself a meal while the kids have their snack. It's hard and most of it is staying organized and ahead of the hunger.
    It's cliche but the slow cooker is your friend and just doubling a healthy dinner so you can have something healthy for lunch the next day will help. For example, I baked chicken tonight that I can add to a salad for lunch tomorrow.

    One of my favorite websites for bulk meal prepping is whoneedsacape.com. Their meals aren't the healthiest but they do a great job at teaching you the logistics of meal prep.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Weight management is about calories not type of food. Type of food impacts meeting your nutritional needs and satisfaction.
    Getting enough protein, fats and fiber tends to make people feel more satisfied.

    My goal is 1200-1400 calories without exercise. I typically eat like this:
    Breakfast- stuff like Greek yogurt, granola bars, cereal with milk, sandwich, dinner leftovers, fruit, cottage cheese (about 200-300 calories)
    Lunch- stuff like a sandwich, salad, or dinner leftovers (about 300-500 calories)
    Dinner- something different every night of the month. (about 500-600 calories) I have soup once a week usually which is great for reheating for other meals.
    Snacks- things like fruit, chips, popcorn, pretzels, chocolate, cookies, granola bar, carrots, celery, broccoli, trail mix, deviled eggs, pickles, cottage cheese (about 100-300 calories)

    Notice my breakfast, lunch and snacks are low to no prep foods.

    I prelog my food every morning so I am not guessing at what to eat or not getting enough protein.

    I find food ideas on Pinterest a lot.
    http://www.budgetbytes.com
    http://www.skinnytaste.com
    http://www.allrecipes.com
    http://www.kalynskitchen.com/
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
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    I do all of the shopping...I just don't buy junk food on a regular basis. The kids don't NEED it, and I certainly don't need it.

    If I buy ice cream, I buy only pint sized and split mine with the kids.

    I prelog the majority of my meals on Sunday night after I have done my big grocery trip. That helps me stay on track and helps plan dinners for the family for the week.

    I weigh my food for portion control. It's no big deal, just place my plate on the scale, and serve. It becomes second nature after awhile.

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