Are you a mom with a never ending to-do list for the day? Do you feel like your own health is under prioritized? You’re not alone! Being a mom might mean you’re responsible for healthy living for you, your family and household, hence you have maxed out your bandwidth. You're doing something at all times to keep your family and home at peace. Also with more than 62% of American families having both parents working part-time or full-time, there’s less time for all the healthy lifestyle factors you want to include in your life. To help out, we have compiled a list of healthy living tips for our busy moms.

Mom! What’s For Dinner?! 

This is a commonly asked question for moms. If you don’t get it daily, then your kids might just be distracted that day. Mom’s are normally the biggest influencers, planners, and shoppers for meals eaten in the home. It's a no-brainer to make the majority of our tips about how to hack healthy eating to help reduce the dinner rush stress.

Eating meals together with your kids, partner or older generations of your family can be a great way to connect. But did you know that it can also be impactful in their long term development? This can help them with healthy living and eating habits when they are older. However, with most families having a single partner or both parents working, sports, and homework, this is not always possible. Setting aside one day a week for a family dinner can be a great place to start. 

Here are some tips to help make those healthy meals easier on you and add more time back to your day!

Meal Planning 

The golden tip for making healthy eating choices is taking 5-10 minutes to plan meals ahead for the week. Take a few minutes to write out meals for the week ahead and get a grocery shopping template, will really make grocery shopping a breeze. If you are new to meal planning, thinking of planning for a week may feel overwhelming.  Start off small with just 1 or 2 days out of your week. Try the meal plan strategy 2-2-2 from dietitian Dawn Blatner! You plan out 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners for the week. Check out a printable version here.

To get the most value for your time spent preparing, make double portions of those meals so you can have leftovers for lunches or dinners later in the week. Now you have half of the week’s meals planned and prepared to save you time during the busy week! 

Curbside Pick up 

Over the past couple years, more grocery stores have started to offer curbside pick up for groceries. Every busy mom should be utilizing this benefit to save time and reduce unneeded stress of long lines at checkout. To get even more savvy with your time, using your meal plan and grocery list, order your groceries online for curbside pick up. This is a free service offered at most stores and is great for budgeting out recipes.

With time saved from planning ahead and doing grocery pick up, you also won’t have to spend an hour out of your week shopping, so now you have hours back to yourself every month. Spend that time for self care, joyful movement, or fun family activities.

For busy moms on school drop off or pick up duty, plan your grocery order to pick up along your daily school route. If you include apple slices, mandarins, or other healthy snacks in your order, it’s easy to have a quick after school snack ready already in the car or for right when you get home. 

Befriend the Freezer

The freezer can be your best friend in terms of having healthy foods on hand! Plus it can save you a grocery run mid week. Take inventory of your freezer bi-monthly to make sure you still have stock of those staples that can help you make a quick dinner. Frozen produce is frozen just after harvest (even sometimes still on the plant). It can have higher amounts of vitamins and minerals than some fruit that is fresh in your produce department due to transportation time. With some seasoning and cooking techniques, frozen foods can be delicious, save you time, and save money.

Three freezer staples our moms love to have on hand: 

• Vegetable Stir Fry Mix - this is usually a crowd pleaser so keep a large batch on hand for quick asian inspired nights with little to no prep involved. To prepare sauté  with a drizzle of oil or splash of broth, garlic, seasonings (go heavy, just make sure they are sodium free), and a dash of soy sauce. Pair with grain and protein for dinner in under 15 minutes.
• Berries - Fresh berries in the summer is such a treat. However once you leave the store the clock starts ticking on those berries before they go bad. Frozen berries are great to have on hand all year round. They are cheaper than fresh berries and help with getting fruit into your family’s diet. Blueberries are the best value and super versatile. Just add a couple to morning pancakes or throw some in a blender with milk and banana for an after school smoothie.
• Whole Wheat Pizza Crust - Most kids love pizza! It’s served at the majority of schools and usually a staple in every kids function. For an easy dinner, pull out frozen pizza crust, top with leftover tomato sauce from last nights pasta, and sprinkle on shredded mozzarella, veggies and your protein of choice. Just like that, you have a healthier pizza night. It will also be ready faster than you can order from the local pizza shop and customized to you. Pizza and tomato sauce used in large chain pizza shops can have added sugar, which increase calories without adding a nutritional benefit. 

The Power of Protein

This protein hack is similar to the last tip with keeping your freezer stocked with proteins. This can be such a time saver with just a little prep ahead of time. Set a reminder on your phone or place a note on your fridge to take out the proteins the night before to thaw in the refrigerator. This step is important because if not you might end up using fast thawing techniques which could increase risk of bacteria from forming and causing food borne illness. 

Another step that requires less thawing time is opting for pre portioned proteins prior to freezing. Buy it directly from the store pre portioned in vacuum sealed bags, or portion it out when you get home in freezer bags or containers. Also pre cutting or slicing chicken breast prior to freezing, can short thawing time. Then it’s ready to be cooked and added to those stir fry veggies! 

Careful with your proteins!

For a quick thawing versatile protein that can be thawed in 10-15 minutes then you should keep a bag of frozen pre-cooked shrimp. Thaw under running cool water to keep bacteria levels in a safe range. Then use for tacos, pasta, or top a summer salad. Shrimp can be a good gateway for introducing seafood to children. 

Looking for plant based frozen protein options? Grab a few bags of shelled edamame and peas! Both are high in protein and cook in just a few minutes. Tofu can also be frozen, however the inside scoop when doing this technique,  is to drain all water, pat dry with a clean towel, chop into cubes, and then freeze. 

Designate a Day

Pick a day for some batch cooking. Most commonly this looks like a Sunday when people gather for family meals. While you have the grill on, cook off some proteins and veggies for the rest of the week. You can reap the rewards of one day of prep for the rest of the week. If your days off are on Monday or another weekday, then you're in luck; the grocery store is less crowded during the week! You might find that designating a weekday might takes less time to do the shopping and prep! 

One Dish Wonders

Some credit to Martha Stewart for starting the one dish pasta trend. Casseroles have been around way before the queen of home hacks. Regardless of the origins, these real time savers can be modified for most any diet preference. Fun fact: because all the components are cooked together, these dishes are bursting with flavor. 

One pot pastas, such as this simple Italian pasta that your whole family will love; can be on the table in under 20 minutes. Utilize the cooking water to create a pasta sauce. Since the pasta is cooked with all the ingredients, the clean up is only one pot. To boost the veggies in this dish, add a few handfuls of spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking for the health benefits of this nutrient dense power house.

If you have a larger family, tacos or fajitas are another option! You could even try sheet pan dinners that have less clean up and shorter cooking times. With most sheet pan meals, you can throw all your ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet with some seasonings, a drizzle of oil and throw it into the oven! Use the time to clean up the kitchen while the food is cooking. Once it’s out, you have a dish that can be served with corn or whole wheat flour tortillas. The only thing left to clean up will be the sheet pan. Enjoy these 30 minutes added back into your night. 

Snacks to Stash

When we mean stash, we mean must have staples in your pantry for use to grab energy and nutrition. Moms are on the go, there is no doubt about that. We often hear of moms eating kids snacks because they skipped a meal or need something fast before heading on to the next task. Skipping meals can have negative impacts on metabolism, energy levels, and hormonal implications. Having some nutrition snacks available during the day will help create an environment that supports fueling yourself. With options that align with your health goals! Here are some pantry staples that are great options to fuel you AND great options for everyone in your household: 

Try incorporating some of these snacks into your routine:

• Nuts - 1 handful or 2 oz of nuts per day has been linked with longevity. Have these on hand for a good energy boost in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Since they are high in fat, they take longer to digest and promote a sense of fullness or satiety. 

• Greek yogurt - this high protein and super satiety snack can be purchased pre-portioned to help with having a portable snack. The built in portion control with single containers is perfect for those mom’s interested in weight management. Major key with greek yogurt is to check the nutritional label for added sugar. Opt for one that is under 5 grams of added sugars. Full fat yogurt is the best option when it comes to yogurt. If they spin out the fat to make it fat free, that means they have to add sugar or other stabilizers to balance out the fat loss. 

• Fruit bowl - do you have a pretty bowl on your counter? Keep a bowl of whole fruit on your counter. The foods you see the most will trigger behavior. Make your fruit the most visible thing in your kitchen! This way, you and your kids are more likely to grab that fruit than search through the pantry for more processed snacks. Easy and kid friendly fruit to always include in your shopping list: banana, apple, mandarins or clementines, and grapes. These are low prep and portable options! 

Rethink Exercise

In the past, exercise might have looked like a long run or cycle class with your girls after work. Now with children in your life and a shift in your priorities, there is less time, so it’s okay to drop those expectations of what exercise has to look in the past for you. Building awareness of your intentional movement throughout the day is super impactful and reaps some of the same benefits of your past favorite exercises. 

To increase exercise, build awareness of how much movement you're currently doing in your daily routine. Having a step tracker, smart watch, or utilizing the built in pedometer on your phone helps you know how many steps you're getting throughout the day. A study from the National Institute of Health, found that people who wore a pedometer walked 1 mile or 2,000 more steps than people who didn’t track their steps.

This increased awareness encourages finding more movement throughout the day. It may motivate you to take that meeting walking or park just a few spots further away to help get a few extra steps here and there until you reach a goal. For busy moms finding ways to multitask on these walks might be the only way to make this possible. Getting the whole family involved in a post dinner walk is a great way to encourage healthy behaviors and get some quality time together.

When you are choosing exercise that brings you joy, there is still an aspect of multitasking. Fun movement is a great mood boost, stress reliever, and does wonders for your mental health. Exercise can be for your heart health, weight loss goals, and for self care. Remind yourself that one workout or time spent moving is providing so many benefits.

In Conclusion 

You’re a busy mom and making healthy living choices can feel like a challenge. Since nutrition and food choices can help provide adequate energy and is a big influencer on health, testing at home can help make it easier to feel confident your meals can be both convenient and healthy. Taking care of your health is so important to being able to take care of your household's health. If you have been wondering where your current health levels stand, check out Vessel Health to start learning more about your nutrient levels. Did I mention that this is all in the convenience of your own home? As a busy mom, your time is really important. Vessel’s urinary test can be done in just a few minutes and is simple to add into your morning routine. Sign up with Vessel today and take the step to prioritize your health.   

To all the moms, what is your favorite healthy living tip?