help a single mother a full time student diet healthy?

Question

as a full time often nights student i find it hard to eat healthy. sometimes we dont get home till 7:30 at night. along with my schedule my children also have their activities and are finiky. i need help. since starting school 3 years ago i have gained 50 pounds. this has to stop. i searched the web and havent found much help any good ideas?

Answer 1

plan ahead and cut back on calories. Whole foods (real food, in other words) will keep you full longer, so throw your junk food away. Keep calories between 1100 and 1300 or so to DROP weight, and about 1600-1800 to maintain your weight. Good luck and HATS OFF TO YOU FOR GOING TO SCHOOL, MAMA!!!

Answer 2

When you have breaks during the day, try to eat only some low-carbohydrated pastry (or toast) and yoghurt. By time, you will decrease the amount to 2 small portions daily, and maybe one salad between. But you should have nice and low-calory supper waiting for you at home. The best combination is that you cook a kind of dietal soup. Allowed amount - 1/2 kg of vegetables (beans excluded) and 200-300 g of meat daily, plus as much water as you wish, plus salt and spices. If you cook the soup with minced meat, it will take less time. Advantage: 1) you can cook amount for several days and keep it in the fridge; 2) you can share that healthy meal with your child; 3) you can eat it until you burst, even late in the evening, for it is a soup. I managed to rid of my own pounds successfully that way.

Answer 3

I very much understand how you're feeling.

I'm also a student, I work 30+ hours a week at a childcare center, and I have 3 brothers and sisters that take up a lot of my time.

The only things that I can really suggest are, keep healthy food in the house. Perhaps on a weekend, or when you can find some time, you can prepare healthy meals for the week.
One thing that healthy that the children at my daycare LOVE is chicken stir fry.
We make it with rice, a packet of mixed vegetables, and grilled chicken strips (we use tyson's frozen chicken strips....very fast and easy to make) ... and we put it over brown rice. You can make a whole lot of this and have it several times over the week.

Also, you may want to slice up some veggies that both you and your children love. Buy you're favorite dressing, and pop it in the fridge. That way, when you are hungry, healthy snacks will be right at hand. (Usually people opt for potatoe chips and cookies because they are already prepared and ready to eat.... .... I'm sure that when you get home at 7:30 at night your not in the mood to cook!...so this will help you out a bit.)

I usually do this with fruit. On a saturday or sunday i throw all my favorite fruits together in an air tight container (Bluebarries, strawberries, rasberries, manderine oranges-they come in the can-) and then throughout the week when I'm looking for a sweet snack, I just pour some into a bowl and there it is!! Try to avoid purchasing things such as chips and cookies....even for your childrens lunch boxes and snacks, as these foods are not only bad for you but they are bad for your children as well. (Try things like organic yogurts, they have pre-packaged organic apple sauce...it doesnt taste any different either)..

Also, exercise is very important and it might be a great way for you to spend time iwht your kids. Going on nautre walks can be very fun for your kids, and beneficial to you as well. In the fall time you can set out to find all different kinds of leaves...in the summer you can set out to find all different types of flowers. Not only is this fun for your kids, but its a great learning expierence as well! You'll be multi tasking!!...

Good luck. I took a nutrition class as well as a childs nutrition class last semester. I have TUNS of great ideas as far as snacks and meals go....healthy things that you'll enjoy also. If you'd like those recipies, please feel free to contact me.

Answer 4

Plan and prep your meals ahead of time. When you do your grocery shopping think about what your going to make for dinner during the week. If something can be prepped ahead of time (such as chopping up veggies) then do it the night before when you have the time, so that when you get home from a long day it doesnt take much time to get dinner on the table. Make enough to have leftovers the next day so you arent hitting up the vending machine or fast food places for lunch. If you don't have time to make dinner and have to resort to fast food try places where you can get lighter options such as subway or get a salad.

Answer 5

You should stick to a breakfast which is low fat(ie: low fat cereal and low fat milk), Lunch, try drinking the hunger controled milk shake from Slim Fast(they are actually pretty good) and a rice cake, then for dinner eat low fat again(ie:chicken, meat, and GREEN VEGGIES are very important). I have been doing a diet like this for 2 months and I have lost 12 lbs.

I wish you the best!

Answer 6

all you have to do is make better food choices. you need to plan ahead...it isn't that hard once you get used to it. Make sure you are taking healthy food to school to eat and only have healthy foods at home...if you are eating nothing but junk, well...I think the 50 pound weight gain speaks for itself. just eat healthy and exercise whenever you can. if you are eating nothing but junk you are just going to get fatter. and that isnt a good example to set for your kids. they should be eating healthy too.

Answer 7

Frozen vegetables mixed with mac or versions topped with salad dressings-gravy (pouched) or salsa or mayo/ranch...low fat hot dogs...chicken nuggets or patties that are low fat...crock pot meals that you prepare...lots of salads with different greens
Fruit: I buy the restaurant sizes and drain, add water...(frucose makes you eat more). Fresh fruit in season; tomato juice or vegetable juice...flavored teas...cocoas...
Count calories for a day and eat normally...Remember input is weight/output is energy burned...Three things result: imput high-high calories; output low-keep on weight or the third: may be something wrong?...Good luck.