Convenience food

[judecorp]

Someone (nikki_herself?) once posted that someone insinuated to her that it should be a lot easier for her to eat well since she is now a stay-home parent. I guess the thought process was something like: no cookies/cake/goodies around the office, no candy jar, no "working lunch" at a less than health restaurant, no tempting fast food, etc. The rationale was, "You can fill your house with healthy food and then just eat that! No problem!"

I can't speak for anyone else, but I have eaten nothing but CRAP since I have been home. And it's not even like my house is full of crap, but it has been, by necessity, overstocked with convenience foods like macaroni and cheese or instant oatmeal or frozen lunches. Processed crap. Never mind the fact that it is so tempting to go through fast-food drive-throughs while your child naps in the car seat behind you rather than considering lugging her out to get something proper... or trying to eat when you get home and she inevitably wakes up.

But even when I'm NOT eating processed junk, it's still junk. Let's take now. What am I eating? Potatoes. I'm not kidding, I'm eating potatoes. Leftover potatoes from dinner the other night. There was a tupperware container in the fridge and I opened it and there they were. Potatoes. So I heated them up, and here I am. Eating potatoes. With a slice of cheese on top. (A guy's gotta have some protein, you know? *g*)

Comments

[halleyscomet.livejournal.com]

I'm often perplexed at the line of "reasoning" that leads people to equate a stay at home mom with Peg Bundy in terms of spare time. I remember my mother's justifiable anger when some TV news anchor said "Well at least I'm not some wifey sitting at home eating Bon-Bons."

As for the Potatoes, they aren't evil in and of themselves. As M. F. K. Fisher said "Balance the day, not the meal."

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, totally. It's insane.

A friend of mine has a 12 year old and a baby that's about 3 weeks younger than August, and she works from home for most of the week and goes into the office for 3 hours 3 days a week.

She calls her time in the office a break.

[mayna.livejournal.com]

At least as she gets older, you will skip the drive thru becase if you hit the drive through for a snack, you'll hear from the backseat, "I want french fries!! Can I have a Frosty? I'm so hungry!"

And when you combine the cost for your meal AND theirs, it ends up being more than $4 (I think it was $12 for Wendy's yesterday). Or if all you wanted was an iced coffee, all you'll hear is whining so it's not worth it. :-)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Oh totally. I never ate fast food before I was pregnant and I am going to put a screeching halt on it awfully soon because I don't want to always be buying fast food for my kid! (And I'm cheap.)

My friend's kid LOVES iced coffee because she's a Dunkin Donuts-a-holic. Whoops!

[ntiva.livejournal.com]

I so hear what you are saying! I really have to try hard to eat well when I'm staying home. Moreso (is that a word?), I need to make sure I actually *sit down* at eat actual meals. Otherwise, I'd be grabbing a couple Oreos for breakfast (sadly, no joke), eating the rest of Alex's PB&J for lunch, a few bites of Mary's mac & cheese, and getting absolutely no nutrition at all. I made a list of some nutritious go-to breakfast, lunch, and snack ideas. Most of the things are really easy to make and are high in protein, which always keeps me satisfied longer.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I do a lot of grab-n-go, too... I eat a LOT of breakfast foods (bagels, oatmeal, cereal) because it's easy and sometimes I have to consciously remind myself to have some protein. I should start keeping protein powder in the house so that even if I get desperate on time, I can still chuck down something that isn't a carb. :)

In my Martha Stewart dreams, I take our leftovers and put them in single-serving containers. But then I remember that that just makes more dishes! :)

[ntiva.livejournal.com]

Oh, and the drive-thru Starbucks here in town was my saving grace when the kids were sleeping and I needed some caffeine! Do you remember when Alex was about two, he had my order memorized? :-D But, like mayna said, now every time we even go *near* it, Alex suggests going so he can get a brownie bite. :-/

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I remember when Alex knew your Starbucks order - it was funny because it wasn't my kid! (Ha ha) Alex has always been too smart for his own good, seriously.

Mmm, brownie bite...

[nikki-herself.livejournal.com]

Yep it was the stoopid trainer at the gym.

Let me recount my eating as of today...I had two oatmeal cookies for breakfast, then we went to Target and I got banana bread and coffee at Starbucks...then Eric came home and I ate hummus and soup. If he"d not come home, I'd have had mac and cheese.

I don't get why people don't understand that just because I'm at home it doesn't mean I have the time to make something healthy. I have a kid stuck to my leg or hip and I just can't listen to the whining ...

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Let's see. I was a little better today. I think.

I had a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast, but then I didn't remember to take my morning meds until like 11:30, when I took them with water. (The first thing I drank all day, oops.) And then, at 2pm, potatoes with a slice of cheese.

I may have some yogurt or something to pretend it's a healthy day. ;) If there were cookies in my house, you KNOW that's what I'd be eating right now. Or Pop Tarts. Dang I would love a Pop Tart.

I don't even know how people manage to cook dinner. I suppose I could stick Punk in the high chair and putter around the kitchen aimlessly but I figure she'll be in childcare some day and maybe she should get the one on one now.

[skatured.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking to myself today about how I don't like pretzels when I should eat them at home :P I want something to dip them in. I should make some honey mustard dipping sauce..yeah. But my point being, at work at least I would fill up on carrot sticks, pretzels, fruit, etc...at home I want something good and fast to eat...and good.

Damn, now I want some fast food. I guess it's a good thing it's ass cold out there and I have NO gumption to go into it. I should make some cookies instead...

oh man.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yes! I always brought a nice, healthy lunch to work with all kinds of healthy snacks! Always tons of fresh fruit and veggies, small portions... not anymore. Now I eat an entire container of potatoes. :)

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

Stouffer's frozie macaroni and cheese has no preservatives, no trans fat, and no MSG. This is what I cling to when I'm eating it for the 72057367139573th meal in a row.

[halleyscomet.livejournal.com]

It works well with some frozen peas for vegetable content.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I usually eat Annie's or Trader Joe mac and cheese so at least it doesn't have the bad stuff... it's just not the best meal ever. :)

[vttwinmama.livejournal.com]

do you have a backpack carrier that gus likes or will tolerate? sometimes we wear the kids around the house in the ergo so that we are still with them and they love that, but we can also get things done, like dinner or other household crap!

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

IIRC Gus hates any sort of sling or backpack carrier with the white-hot passion of a thousand burning suns. But I could be wrong.

[vttwinmama.livejournal.com]

i had to google IIRC! For those not in the know...it is "If I recall correctly." does she indeed hate them, jude? if so, ah, well, shoot. another idea out the window. :)

[juju-bug.livejournal.com]

ditto on the 'junk' food... or convenience food as you may put it...
I was planning from the get go that once Rio was born, I would get back on my 'diet' and lose all my excess weight. THat has now backfired on me, and I barely have time to shop for the 'healthy' stuff, let alone cook it in between her naps. yea right. For now, I'll take anything 'easy'! lol

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Word. Easy is the name of the game.

[estrange.livejournal.com]

I am exactly the same way. I think being at work is much much better because at work I can't just go to the pantry and get a bag of cookies to munch on. Plus at work I'm busy working instead of wandering around the house. I just ate an entire container of soy nuts! For no reason at all.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I try to make sure we don't have things like containers of cookies, but I guess that's part of the problem with having an older kid - you end up with snacks for them. I either end up eating nothing one day or else eating 5 meals of breakfast food. I don't know what's up with me, I'll have a bowl of cereal, and later some frozen waffles, and later a bagel... carbs carbs carbs!

[tea-soaked.livejournal.com]

I eat crap too - whatever is handy.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

You just never know when your free minute is over, you know? My kid's really hands-on and needs constant attention when she's awake, so if I can make it in 10 minutes, we might have a winner. (She will sit in her high chair and watch me and bang toys for about 10-15.)

[posthaste.livejournal.com]

ha! i eat so much crap now that i'm home with the girls. i have absolutely no will power. it sucks.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Thank goodness I don't have snacky foods in the house!

[amyura.livejournal.com]

It's easier to eat well when you're the stay-home parent of an older child. I'm not a SAHM, but I have had a LOT of vacation time recently between the longer-than-usual Christmas vacation, an unexpected snow day this week, and MLK this weekend. When I'm home, Julia can entertain herself and I can cook good food.

When you're the at-home parent of an infant? Forget it! You're too busy being the parent!

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if I had a self-entertaining kid I think I could pull it off a little better, because I could chop up some veggies, or make something healthier instead of wolfing down something that I can chow in 5 minutes. :)

[sassywoman.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's almost impossible to eat healthy with a baby. I find myself so busy I don't eat lunch sometimes then it's like 2:00 and I'm starving. I'll eat anything I can get my hands on.

One thing that is nice when they start taking more solids and finger foods is you can give them cheerios, fruit etc... in the high chair or something to munch on while you get yourself something to eat.

I finally bucked up and just loaded up with healthy snacks and got on WW to hold myself accountable. It's only been a week though. :(

The crock pot is the bomb and seriously my life saver in regards to dinner.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Good for you for doing WW. I need to get back into something soon. I'm a good eater when I am conscious about it and have good portion control, I just need to get out of the quick processed stuff and go back to eating fresh foods with fresh ingredients. Besides, it tastes better.

You can do it!!

[lynncc01.livejournal.com]

Hey you- I tagged you on my site- go check it out!!!

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll catch it in a bit!

[lunamoonwmn01.livejournal.com]

God, I so hear you on this. I'm in a pretty structured 12-step program for food, and had been for 3 years before Edie was born. I follow a fairly strict food plan in that I don't eat any sugar and have to eat certain things like 4 oz protein, 6 oz starch, fat, fruit, 8 oz veggies, etc. for lunch and dinner for example. Like, I *have* to. It is so fucking hard now - sometimes all I did when she was tiny was feed her, then feed me, then repeat. But I'm glad for it because it has kept me feeling good and I have like 3 lbs. left to lose to be at my pre-preg. weight. And I don't say that in a "I rock" way. I have to do this program because I have an eating disorder. If I didn't have to be so stringent, I wouldn't be at this place. So I have no idea how other moms do it.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was wondering how you were able to keep to your food plan while chasing after a little, active baby. I know that Edie needs a lot of hands-on just like August does, and there are some days where she doesn't nap, or naps so briefly that by the time I say "Oh, I'll just fold this load of laundry," or "Oh, I'll just wash these dishes first," I have lost my window to actually make something good to eat, so I sit on the floor with her and scarf a granola bar or something.

I actually just bought a bunch of protein powder so that if I end up missing a meal, at the very least I can make myself a little shake and not be totally devoid of substance.

I'm so glad it has been going well for you and that you are close to your pre-preg weight. My pre-preg weight is a distant memory right now but I am confident that when I am out of the house and moving more, it will get better. I hope.