Dare I Say… Too Many Meals in a Day!
As I write this, I am just shy of four weeks into first time motherhood. Being ignorant, coupled with an unhealthy dose of idealism, I can honestly say I was unprepared for the demands of breastfeeding – both in terms of how much time I would spend breastfeeding, as well as the voracity of my appetite.
In my mind, my baby was just going to get slotted into my schedule – she would be keenly looking on in her triple zero sized apron as I lovingly crafted the evening’s meal while dreaming of all of the cupcakes we would be decorating together in the future. Yes, all you seasoned mums, I hear your sniggers.
While I have learnt that there are a number of tasks that can be performed one handed (thighs are my secret weapon in opening a bottle of milk with one hand), even the simplest of task (such as cutting an avocado to spread on my toast) is insurmountable with only one hand (short of peeling the skin off with my teeth… my hunger levels have not been that extreme…yet!)
So, How Can a Time-poor New Mum Eat Well?
From what I have heard and read by experts, there are a number of strategies,
- Delegate
If you are like you me and cooking is not just about eating well, but you feel as though a portion of your soul is missing when you are not in the kitchen preparing food for your family and friends, then this just won’t do! Other tips include:
- Prepare in the third trimester – fill the freezer with prepared healthy meals and ensure the pantry is stocked
- Prepare evening meals in the morning as babies are often unsettled come usual dinner prep time
- In the same vein – a slow cooker is your new BFF (I mean, who has time time to catch up with their other friends anyway?)
- Batch cooking – not sure if I read this somewhere or if I just came to this conclusion myself, but it makes sense, a little extra effort for multiple meals. I find this particularly helpful with rice – cook a heap – portion up and freeze.
Personally, I have been seeking to adopt these principles (with the exception of the slow cooker, as I simply do not have one). I have also found modifying my recipes to:
- Make in stages: in other words, temporarily abandoned when baby wakes),
- Reduce the “handling” involved: for example, instead of hand rolled biscuits, make as slices, or make into a log, refrigerate, and cut into rounds
The other thing I have found that works is
- Doing the things that you can’t do one handed, first, while baby is asleep
- Simpler recipes, fewer ingredients and look at ways to be more effient. This does not have to mean convenience or processed food – it could be as simple as using three varities of vegetable in a stirfry rather than six. Good quality spice blends (such as Herbies) can go a long way if its flavour your craving, but the simple task of measuring out the contents of 15 different spices is just all a little tedious!
