I know it’s horribly unhealthy, but some days I skip lunch. This probably explains why I voraciously attack any uneaten scraps from my kids’ lunch boxes at the end of the day.
The fact is, as a time-challenged WAHM, the clock ticks so fast that I can’t always stop to make a healthy lunch. And when I don’t…
a) I’m slumped over my desk by 2:30 pm listless and useless.
b) I’m tired, grumpy and stupid by 2:36 pm.
c) I’m stuffing my face with cheese and crackers by 2:59 pm.
d) I’ve ingested the equivalent of a meal for two while making dinner.
e) All of the above.
So what’s a busy WAHM to do? Other than find a Sugar Daddy so you don’t have to work at all and can spend your days lunching with the ladies at the country club. Or, you can try these tricks:
Dish out a lunch sized portion of whatever you’ve made for dinner and refrigerate to eat for lunch that week. All you have to do is heat and eat. Fast and easy, just the way we WAHMS like it.
Make and take a smoothie to go. Sip while you walk around the block, listening to an audiobook on your iPhone. Lunch…check! Exercise…check! Dogs walked…check! Mail picked up…check! Mental escape…check! This is multi-tasking excellence folks.
Go out for lunch occasionally. This is a great opportunity to feed yourself in the presence of actual people. I can tell you from experience that no matter how much you talk to your four legged co-worker, he will never answer you. And if he does, working alone at home may have taken its toll.
Brown bag it. If you are making a tasty lunch for your kids, make an extra and set aside for yourself to enjoy later in the day.
Have emergency frozen meals on hand. Even with the best of intentions, I can’t always manage all (or any) of the above. Instead of skipping lunch, cut yourself some slack and grab something that’s ready to go. You can either buy frozen meals (there are some reasonably healthy options. Just watch the sodium content.) or you can devote one day a month to cooking in bulk—portion out a few lunch sized servings and freeze to have on hand. To be clear, I haven’t actually done this yet, but it’s on my blah blah list of things to do. Like I said, best of intentions…
