I just make protein a priority. I try to get it in every meal and every snack. Research suggests these amounts are best for staying full and supporting muscle health.
You can't do it all. And early on as a parent, I found that out by burning out completely while trying to be the perfect mother. One of the first things I abandoned to reestablish my sanity? Not trying to cook three from-scratch meals for my family every day while also trying to parent, work, and clean. Let's face it: if you're in the parenting business, you better have a few incredibly easy go-to meals up your sleeve
It can be tough to get back on track and re-establish home cooking habits, especially when the frozen dinner aisle and takeout make it so easy to compromise. That's why it's often best to start the process with baby steps - simple meals that don't call for lots of ingredients or take too much time (or effort) start to finish.
I don't want to eat bagged salad for lunch just because it's easy. In my household, when I don't have last night's dinner leftovers to turn to, my go-to lunch has always been a rice bowl. I usually fry up some tofu and/or chickpeas and toss those with greens and a quick little sauce. It takes about 10 minutes and is wildly satisfying.
If you're trying to eat more vegetables, consider slurping more soup. Most of them rely on vegetables as a base, and from there, it's easy to add even more for a belly-filling, nourishing meal. Without much effort, you can easily work two servings of vegetables into a single bowl. Soup also happens to be one of the most simple and soul-warming things to make, a breeze to customize and easily packed for lunches,
