working long hours - have the worst diet and need advice

darling.x

I work as a childminder and work very long hours. I could work 10 - 12 hours a day. I've got the worst diet in the world and need advice.

I mind 1 child and during my working days when baby is napping i sit down to eat a prepared lunch (lunch i've made the night before to bring with me). The problem is if child is having and off day i don't get time to eat. 5 or 6 hours or maybe even more could go by between my meals which is too long, and i usually end up raiding my employers sweet press in between my meals until i get time to sit and eat. I end up eating all sorts of crap then from packets - biscuits, chocolate, cookies, cake, chrisps, whatever for an energy boost. My whole day is just gone haywire, and i get far to tired. With having very little time to eat lately so many times food or tea goes down the wrong way and i end up coughing it back up.


I eat a good breakfast every morning before work. Usuaaly porridge or musli.

lunch is usually tuna and sweetcorn on an oatcake or two. (I bring the tuna and sweetcorn in a tub to 'butter' my oatcakes there). A yoghurt.

I need some quick lunch and healthy snack ideas for my day. Food must be filling also. Something i could pre-prepare before work or the night before. I think i know where i'm going wrong throughout my days - i'm bringing a lunch that needs to be prepared a little at lunch time before eating. I need something there in front of me ready to eat.

darling.x

if anybody has and ideas for salads i could make up that would be great.

darling.x

would there be any energy shakes i could use between meals.

Also i forgot to mention that red bull is also part of my daily diet. I also have a vitamin supplement i intend on starting on today.

mrsberries

darling.x wrote: »

if anybody has and ideas for salads i could make up that would be great.

A couple of my favourite salads are as follows;

Chargrilled chicken breast (using schwartz seasoning and putting the chicken on a George Foreman grill)
Mixed leaves (rocket, spinach, lollo rosso - whatever you fancy)
Tomatoes
Chopped red peppers
Chopped Mango


OR

Mixed leaves
chopped avocado (High in good fat, I only use a quarter)
Cucumber
Olives (about 5)
Sprinkle of feta cheese for taste
Pine nuts


You could also grill a salmon breast with cajun seasoning for the salad

Khannie

Fruit and nuts are very handy for snacking on when you're on the run.

Eating the kind of crap you're eating is probably only contributing to your tiredness. Redbull is muck. I'd cut that out. Plenty of water to replace it.

Things I eat when I'm in work and haven't brought in a lunch:
Tin of tuna
Museli
chicken breast (lidl do a 2% fat one that's covered in herbs and tastes yum)
nuts
fruit (I'd leave fruit and nuts in the office)

If you're switching from a high sugar diet to slow release energy foods then expect a bit of a changeover period while your body adjusts. Well worth coming out the other side of though. High sugar diet really sucks the life out of you with all the ups and downs.

Edit: One other thing; In the morning I try to eat at the same time as my baby, or when she's having her bottle, or else I sit her on my lap and give her some of what I'm having. If she's in her high chair, I'm good to eat. Don't forget to look after yourself. It'll help both you and the child you're minding.

Hope this helps.

justbringit89

mrsberries wrote: »

A couple of my favourite salads are as follows;

Chargrilled chicken breast (using schwartz seasoning and putting the chicken on a George Foreman grill)
Mixed leaves (rocket, spinach, lollo rosso - whatever you fancy)
Tomatoes
Chopped red peppers
Chopped Mango


You could also grill a salmon breast with cajun seasoning for the salad

I must try that Chargrilled Chicken Breast, What flavour is the Schwartz seasoning?? Is it sold in most supermarkets eg tesco?

Serafijn

I often bring in strawberries, grapes or cherry tomatoes in a tupperware. Great snack to have if you're busy, as you can grab one or two at a time then carry on with what you're doing.

Similar handy bites are raw carrots or cucumber cut into strips, celery sticks (with a blob of cream cheese if you fancy) or combine all three for a bit of variety.