nutrition tips

loubian

Hi all, just looking to get some advice here. I'm sure a lot of you have noticed this with a new baby, if not fair play to you
Basically, I'm eating like crap. I rarely have breakfast, or lunch n have just been making handy stuff for dinner like pizza or pasta. I tend to avoid making stuff because I feel once it's on, the LO will wake up n it'll be left half cooked on the stove, or if I do actually get it cooked, she'll wake just as I take the first bite. I'm a vegetarian also so it's a bit harder for me to get nutrients into me. Some may not agree but I'm thinking of even introducing fish back into my diet just for those extra vitamins.
I tend to just snack during the day. It's getting me down a bit as I know I've to try eat better but I just have no motivation. I'm planning on making veg lasagne and shepherds pie this weekend but do any of you ladies have any tips on getting the right nutrients and staying healthy during this busy demanding time.
Thanks in advance

How Strange

Eat whole wheat as much as you can so brown pasta, rice and bread.

Brown bread and cheese is a great stop gap snack.

Eggs are a fantastic convenience food.

Perhaps make up a nice red lentil curry soup once a week.

The food has to be easy to make and eat at this stage.

nikpmup

loubian wrote: »

Hi all, just looking to get some advice here. I'm sure a lot of you have noticed this with a new baby, if not fair play to you
Basically, I'm eating like crap. I rarely have breakfast, or lunch n have just been making handy stuff for dinner like pizza or pasta. I tend to avoid making stuff because I feel once it's on, the LO will wake up n it'll be left half cooked on the stove, or if I do actually get it cooked, she'll wake just as I take the first bite. I'm a vegetarian also so it's a bit harder for me to get nutrients into me. Some may not agree but I'm thinking of even introducing fish back into my diet just for those extra vitamins.
I tend to just snack during the day. It's getting me down a bit as I know I've to try eat better but I just have no motivation. I'm planning on making veg lasagne and shepherds pie this weekend but do any of you ladies have any tips on getting the right nutrients and staying healthy during this busy demanding time.
Thanks in advance

Get someone to cook for you! Seriously, if you can rope in a friend to batch cook some nutritious meals and freeze them, you'll have a supply that's easy to access. Include loads of dark green leafy veg for iron - keep a big bag of baby spinach in the fridge and stir a couple of handfuls into your dinner just before you eat it; the heat of your food is enough to wilt it without overcooking it.
If you eat eggs, omelettes are a great meal - nutritious and quick. Keep little lunch boxes in the fridge with chopped onions, peppers, tomatoes etc, then you can fire a handful of each onto a pan and crack over a couple of eggs, add spinach at the very end of cooking. Spinach is also brilliant on sandwiches instead of lettuce (can you tell I love spinach )
Veggie lasagne, chilli, ratatouille etc are great to batch cook and freeze and you can add various beans and lentils for protein. Quinoa is good too.
Baked potatoes are easy to do, bung em in the oven and forget about them. Lovely with chilli and grated cheese.
Take a good multivitamin with iron if you feel you need topping up.

icescreamqueen

Hope you are getting on well Loubian . I'm so blessed that my sister is cooking for me at the moment, it's like meals on wheels arriving at the door! She's such a pet. The days she isn't here to cook for me, it's a real case of quick, filling snacks. In the morning, I'd usually try to make porridge with chopped apple and cinnamon. I don't have a microwave but the microwave stuff is handy.
I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but I love raw food. For a snack, I'd cut up sticks of celery/carrots/cheese/peppers and have them with hummus. At least, there's no danger of them going cold and you can chomp on them as you go along and you know you're getting some kind of vitamins in you.
I try to go out for a walk every day and the loop takes me 45 mins. In that time, I bung jacket potatoes wrapped in tinfoil with olive oil, black pepper and a little salt in the oven. They're usually done when I get back and you can have them with a lot of fillings. I must start making my own beans to be more healthy! So filling and so yum.
If you want to start eating fish, Lidl do these great pre cooked salmon fillets in a packet. They are Devine! I usually put them on brown bread with cucumber and cherry tomatoes for my lunch. Again very filling.
I love cooking and really miss not having the time to cook properly these days. I must try to start making soups again. Stuff that won't burn easily while minding baby!

liliq

The best thing I've done food wise is invest in a slow cooker. I chuck everything in after breakfast, and it has dinner cooked that evening. Things like chilli and casserole type dishes I'd usually get an extra two portions into the freezer which is brilliant.
I do porridge in it too, overnight, and have started doing soups in it.
It's especially handy for over the winter, real wintry meals are so handy in it.

How Strange

I've just started using my slow cooker again. I've done more experimenting to do before I go back to work but I hope tonne able to use it for most of our week night dinners.

FunkSoulSista

Discussion on slow cookers in Bargain alerts thread.

I found bulk cooking where I could helped, soups, Bolognese, chilli. And if anyone offers to cook for you don't do the Irish thing of "Ah no you're grand!"

banbhaaifric

If you can get someone to prep a few meals for the freezer then go for it. My mum had been asking and asking what to buy for the baby but that's what we asked for in the end. She got the foil containers in the pound shop and they have been a godsend.

I seem to have a 'toast based' diet during the day so I get a nice granary one. Beans on toast are pretty healthy and quick if you're stuck. And plus one to the soup, one can of tomatoes and a handful of lentils simmered together make a healthy soup and if you have time a stick cube and/or some sweated onion add to the flavour. Maybe a pinch of coriander powder?! Good thing about that is it can be two tins and two handfuls, or three, or four, and you have plenty left for next time.

Snacky fruits and veg are my saviour too. Cherry tomatoes and grapes are the only thing standing between me and scurvy :eek:

Main thing though is eat eh? You'll be wrecked otherwise. xx