Let's do Lunch: A simple lunch guide for busy mums (or anyone really).

Ok so, I am not here to talk about long lunches with mum friends, the kind of lunch we’d all love to indulge in — not even close.

I’m talking about the every day lunch. The importance of fuelling your body, with nourishing food, to get you further, support your physical and emotional wellbeing as a parent. The easy lunch, and it’s role in sustaining your energy so that you can be the best version of yourself daily.

Whether you are mum’ing with little people, maybe a fresh newborn, or one on your hip and moving between nap times and playtime, a mother in paid employment managing the logistics of working and mothering, or generally a busy person - it’s so easy to skip lunch. You may be too busy, or literally just forget, you likely have a million other things on your mind, and limited time.

I want to keep this really simple, an easy guide to motivate you put a little of your time toward planning, preparing and enjoying an every day lunch. The mum lunch ideas are no frills, low cost but nutritionally loaded. No recipes, just put it all together - likely messy, but hey, kind of makes sense amongst the chaos?

I will also link to incredible cookbooks that focus on postpartum food, so if you’re looking for more, invest in these!

The Lunch Ideas

• Wholegrain Rice Cakes topped with:

  • Avocado, cheese, tuna, hummus,

  • Cottage cheese, cherry tomato, spinach

  • Iron Rich Pesto*, avocado, shredded chicken, cherry tomato

  • Cottage cheese, cucumber, sardines, sauerkraut

• Multigrain Wrap loaded with:

  • Avocado, cheese, spinach, cherry tomato

  • Iron Rich Pesto, shredded chicken, cherry tomato, spinach, capsicum

  • Hummus, left over roast veggies (see below), cheese

  • Hummus, spinach, cucumber, falafels OR veggie bites
    

• Cranberry, Kale Slaw Salad (Woolworths) add tuna / shredded chicken / falafels topped with avocado and hummus and a boiled egg

• Roast Veggie Bowl - Weekly go to, cut up and fill a large tray of assorted veggies (pumpkin, sweet potato, capsicum, cauliflower for example) drown in olive oil and herbs, use this mix through the week.

  • Loaded with hummus, edamame, sauerkraut shredded chicken / falafel or veggie bites
    

• Frittata Ft Roast Veggie

  • Mix eggs, roast veggie mix, spinach and grated cheese, with Iron Rich Pesto, bake in oven.
    

• Dinner Left Overs - One of my go-to, fail proof, cost and time effective lunch ideas, is to double up the recipe and have leftovers ready for lunch - soups, pastas, meat and veggies etc.
  

• A Classic Sandwich - If you’re making one for your little one, and its the only thing you can manage to put together, load it up with anything or all that you have (inspo noted above) and enjoy a sandwich together!

The Shopping List

Some of these items are staples you can keep in the pantry or fridge and use over weeks, keep an eye on sales for canned fish and stock up so you are never short, making it EASY and cost effective is the goal.

• Wholegrain Rice Cakes

• Loaf of Sourdough sandwich bread

• Multigrain Wraps

• Avocado

• Cheese (Sliced & Grated)

• Tuna - go for GOOD quality in olive oil

• Hummus

• Cottage Cheese

• Cherry Tomato

• Spinach

• Shredded Chicken (Pre-Roasted Chicken or Chicken Breast to cook)

• Cucumber

• Sardines

• Sauerkraut

• Veggie Bites OR Falafels

• Capsicum

• Eggs

• Edamame (Freezer Section)

• Pumpkin

• Sweet Potato

• Cauliflower

Recipe books which include the Iron Rich Pesto recipe and other INCREDIBLY nourishing recipes if you’re needing more - Cocoon by Naomi, Life After Birth & Village for Mama.

The Hacks

I know I keep reiterating how easy I want this to be, I truly want you to be able to enjoy lunch and make positive habits. Here’s what will help.

• Meal Planning: Write out a simple list of meals from the suggestions above and pop it on the fridge, you can rotate, having it noted down will motivate you when feeling a little brain fog, when the mental list is a lot (which is often).

• Online Grocery Shopping: If you have access to online grocery shopping, it will save you time, and money. Download the Woolworths or Coles app to your phone, scroll and shop while sitting on the couch with a sleepy newborn ontop of you - select click and collect (free) or delivery.

• Prep what you can: Spend some time each week, cutting up veggies, toppings etc to have ready to pull out of the fridge.

Make it happen

I know that time can be the biggest barrier to eating and enjoying lunch.

So to make this lunch thing something you CAN do, take the suggestions above and make it work for you.

Slow it down and mindfully enjoy your lunch. Sit with your toddler or child, eat with them, pop your baby in the bouncer for 5 mins. Or make the use of nap time by eating, before doing anything else on your to-do list.

If you have a designated work lunch break, TAKE IT, stop and eat. Don’t skip it.

You deserve this time, it’s not self care, its actually necessary for SO many reasons.

Now go eat your lunch babe x