How many times have you experienced the morning rush in your kitchen?
Let’s say that you’re a working mom with two kids to send to school, and a husband who also needs to prepare to go to work in the morning.
So the first thing that you need to do in the morning is to prepare breakfast, wake the kids up, help them prepare for school and make sure that they have their share of the most important meal of the day, prepare their lunch, take a shower yourself, do a bit of cleaning up before you prepare for work, and probably drive the kids to school if your husband is not the one who does it.
As you can see, someone who is not a multi-tasker may not be able to juggle all these activities in one morning. So, how much more time does that leave you for yourself as a mom who is always on the go?
How a Busy Mom Can Squeeze in Some Time for Her Fitness Routine
In between your work, the household chores, taking care of the kids, attending to your personal life and social life – where does that leave you with time for a fitness routine?
If you don’t watch it, you can easily add unwanted inches to your waistline. This is if you even managed to lose the post-baby fat in the first place.
If you have a very busy schedule, it is quite easy for you to fall into the trap of skipping breakfast or lunch – and then making up for it later on. Remember that as a busy mom, it is much easier and more beneficial for you to eat smaller servings of food, more frequently throughout the day.
This is as compared to skipping an entire meal and allowing yourself to go hungry. The result is it becomes your habit and it is easier to give into the temptation to overeat and add the pounds later on.
Aside from taking smaller meals more frequently throughout the day, you should also be creative in making the time to workout [workouts for busy moms]. You can do it while playing with the kids in the park, squeezing in at least 10 minutes of real workout time while the kids are busy or even during your lunch hour in the office.
Finally, plan your meals in advance so that you can be a fit and lean mom, despite not having the time to spend hours in the gym for a real workout session.
10 Healthy Snacks for Super Busy Moms
To help you out in planning your meals, here is a collection of the top 10 healthy snacks that every busy super mom should not be without.
Remember that these snacks are easy and quick to eat, have minimal preparation time and are always handy. This way, you can place them on a diaper bag, in your car, in your office desk and almost anywhere accessible. Take a look at the following list:
1. Chocolate Bars
What a way to start a healthy snacks list, right? Actually the chocolate bars that busy moms should consume are the 100-calorie variants. If you just absolutely cannot deny yourself the pleasure of having a bar of chocolate every now and then, you might as well give in. Just make sure to do it in smaller servings, by stocking up on 100-calorie bar chocolates.
2. Cereals
Choose cereals which are rich in fiber, have essential vitamins and nutrients – and they should also be low in sugar. Since you won’t have them for breakfast, you can skip the milk and just pack the cereal flakes into individual ziplock bags. When hunger strikes, just dip into the bag of these munchies and you’ll have the added benefit of feeling full for a longer amount of time.
3. Cheese
The cheese that’s being referred to here is the pre-packaged string cheese variety. They are perfectly handy and the taste will make you feel as if you are having a wine-and-cheese night – minus the wine. String cheese is a lightweight in the calorie department; they contain about 50 to 70 calories. Eat them as it is or pair them with whole-grain crackers and you have a great tasting, healthy and almost instant snack!
4. Dried Fruits
The good thing about stocking up on dried fruits as a healthy snack is that they will not spoil, unlike fresh fruits which can easily get those ugly marks and bruises. Go for dried fruits which still have the fiber and vitamins of the original fruit intact.
5. Fruits
If an apple a day keep the doctor away, there’s no better and healthier snack to have than fruits. Toss an apple, a pear or an orange in your bag and munch on these healthy and natural snacks when you feel the need to munch on something sweet, juicy and crunchy.
6. Instant Oatmeal
All you need is some hot water and you have a bowl of snack which is rich in fiber high fiber foods.
7. Snack Bars
Granola bars and whole grain snack bars are a perfectly healthy and instant snack option. Stock up on snack bars which are low in calories and sugar, but high in fiber.
8. Soy Crisps
Skip the greasy potato chips and switch to soy crisps. Not only will you get to consume more chips in a bigger serving without the guilt – but it is also much healthier snack altogether.
9. Sandwiches Made with Whole Wheat Bread
If you’re looking for something more than a snack bar, prepare a sandwich or two for yourself with a thin layer of your favorite spread – and make sure to use whole wheat bread for that extra dose of fiber.
10. Yogurt
Whenever you feel the need to lick a calorie-laden cone of ice cream, go light and pack on the yogurt instead. Choose brands which are low in calorie and have zero fat. Consuming yogurt smoothies, yogurt-based drinks and similar products will make you feel as if you’ve given into your ice cream craving – without packing on the pounds.
One final advice that moms-on-the-go can use is this: “try to look for handy snacks which are about 150 calories worth, and consume them every two to four hours.” This way, you can keep hunger at bay, your energy will be up and there is no need for you to add inches to your waist at all.
