Starting Back to Work Need Help

Cook at the weekend and freeze family meals - you can calculate the calories and keep them to recipes, then you can adjust the serving size too. I do this all the time, love my weekend cooking sessions!

I'm a teacher and momma too! I'll post more when I can or feel free to message me.... But I'd like to get a little more info and I can reply better!
What time is your actual required work day? Are the kids in daycare? If so who does the pick-up and drop off? What grades do you teach? What time do you go to bed? What time do you get up? When do the kids go to bed and get up?

Why cook something different? Get your family on bored with eating healthy as well. With that busy schedule the only way to do what you want to do is to be prepared...that means planning out menus and being ready for the week. Sunday night do the prep work you can for your meals. I frequently cook 3lbs of chicken on Sunday, since its summer that means grilling it, I probably won't do it the same in the colder months, but then that is grilled chicken one night, chicken tacos one night, bbq chicken pizza on low cal flatbreads one night, chicken salads, and the list goes on with chicken. Unfortunately my husband does a lot of the cooking so I do not have many recipes, but being prepared helps, that way you dont get home at 530 with nothing prepared to make for dinner and end up ordering pizza etc. Use your crockpot, several meats such as turkey breasts and pork roasts can cook in there and then you just need to whip up a healthy side when you get home. Go to hungrygirl.com she has some great low cal recipes. Good luck to yo!

Here are some of my favorite low cal "freezable" recipes. I ususally grocery shop every other Friday and cook on Saturday during nap time. I make 2 casseroles for each item then I have 8 meals ready to freeze for the next 2 weeks.

Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay for Food Network Magazine
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (90 percent lean)
1 cup panko (coarse Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, bell
peppers, garlic paste and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the
vegetables are almost soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Whisk the egg and fresh herbs in a large bowl. Add the turkey, panko, grated cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2
tablespoons balsamic vinegar and the cooled vegetables; mix until just combined.
Gently press the mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup
balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a small bowl; brush the mixture over the entire
loaf. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Per serving: Calories 270; Fat 14 g (Sat. 4.2 g; Mono. 6.3 g; Poly. 3.1 g); Cholesterol 104 mg; Sodium
451 mg; Carbohydrate 16 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 20 g


Pulled Pork
From Food Network Kitchens
Notes
This tender and juicy pulled pork starts with a surprising choice: pork tenderloin.
By simmering large pieces of pork tenderloin in a tangy sauce and then shredding it with two forks the
result is tender pork tossed with lots of rich flavorful sauce. The final touch is a crunchy broccoli slaw with
a mustardy dressing.
Ingredients
3 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound, cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
3 cups (6 ounces) broccoli slaw
6 whole wheat hamburger rolls, split
In a large Dutch oven heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season
with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin,
cinnamon, and cayenne and cook until toasted, 1 minute more. Stir in the broth, ketchup, 1/3 cup vinegar,
and molasses. Bring to a simmer and add the pork. Simmer, covered, until the pork is just cooked
through and tender, about 20 minutes
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil with the remaining 1 tablespoon of
vinegar and the mustard. Add the broccoli slaw and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and
set aside.
Remove the pork to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes. Increase the heat on the remaining sauce
in the pot to medium-high and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Shred the pork with two forks into large chunks and add back into the thickened sauce. Toss well to coat.
Let stand 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, to let the pork absorb the sauce. Serve on a bun with the slaw
on the sandwich or on the side.
Nutritional analysis per serving (without broccoli slaw)
Calories 289; Total Fat 8g (Sat Fat 1.6g, Mono Fat 2.3g, Poly Fat 3g) ; Protein 21g; Carb 36g; Fiber 4g;
Cholesterol 49mg; Sodium 570mg



Turkey and Spinach Lasagna
Directions
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup dry red wine
3T dried Basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) container 1 percent low-fat cottage cheese
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 ounces Jimmy Dean pre-cooked turkey sausage
9 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles, 5 1/2-ounces, (recommended: Barilla)
1 1/2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, 6 ounces
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small pot bring the tomatoes, wine, 1 ½ T Basil Leaves, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, to a simmer; cook until slightly thickened, 10 minutes; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, mix the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. add the ricotta, spinach, 1 ½ T basil, nutmeg, and salt and pepper and pulse until just combined; set aside.
3. Assemble the lasagna: Mist a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the sausage and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with sauce, noodles, remaining ricotta and sausage and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the noodles are tender and the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the pan, 1 hour.
5. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and continue to bake until melted, 10 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve.
Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 350; Total Fat 12.5g (Sat Fat 5g, Mono Fat 3g, Poly Fat 1.5g); Protein 29g; Carb 30g; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 36mg; Sodium 848mg

Crisp Crab Cakes
Recipe courtesy Ellie Krieger for of Food Network Magazine
Ingredients
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons nonfat milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Dash of hot sauce
1 pound lump crab or crab claw meat, picked over
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive-oil cooking spray
Directions
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and bell
pepper and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
Mix 1/2 cup panko, the egg and milk in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the Worcestershire sauce,
mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay and hot sauce; fold in the crabmeat, panko mixture, scallionbell pepper
mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Shape into 8 patties and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Coat the crab cakes with the remaining 1/2 cup panko. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the
skillet over medium-high heat. Mist the crab cakes with cooking spray and cook, sprayed-side down, 3 to
4 minutes. Spray the tops, flip and cook 3 to 4 more minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Per serving (2 crab cakes): Calories 220; Fat 9 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 155 mg; Sodium 630 mg;
Carbohydrate 8 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 26 g

Personally, I have to drop my daughter at daycare at 6:45, so we are out the door by 6:30. I am not a morning person and don't have much strength that early (for lifting) so the 5 am workouts don't work for me
What does work, is to leave work as quickly as possible, my contract day ends at 3:15 so I am gone by 3:30. Then I go straight to the gym and the baby stays at daycare. I leave the gym by 5:15, we get home by 5:45. She has milk, story time, bath and bed. I know most kids aren't in bed that early, but none the less, when The kids do go to bed that's when I sit at the table and grade, make lesson plans, call parents, etc. All that stuff that I used to stay late at work to wrap up, now gets brought home and done at night during my down-time. This little readjustment has given me so much more time!
Would that work or help you?

There is a book I bought a while back called cook once, eat healthy all week that is really good for this type of thing. She has a number of weekly menu's and has the instructions set up so that on the weekend you can cook them all at the same time, then you just reheat all week. The instructions are all integrated so the timing is right ie she'll say 1)chop the carrots for "***" 2) boil the water for "%%%" 3) add the seasoning for "***" etc etc flipping back and forth between recipies so you can save big time on cooking and prep time.

Also - for exercise maybe try to incorporate it into playtime with your kids. A half an hour of playing tag or soccer with the kids is a decent burn! You still need some strength training somewhere but at least you'll know you've had some exercise on those busy days.