Honestly, I think all moms are tired. We are busy from the early morning hours to late in the evening, regardless if we work full-time jobs or are stay-at-home. Consequently, we always feel exhausted! So how do we stay energized and fueled throughout the day? As a health-conscious, single-mama of two, here are my top ideas to stay energized all day long.
Snacks for Mama (or the kiddos, too!)
Raise your hand if you start the day making lunches and snacks for the kids, totally forgetting about yourself? Then it’s 1:00 PM in the afternoon and you are driving around town digging through your purse hoping to find a pretzel or ANYTHING thing to munch on. Yeah, we’ve all been there. My saving grace has been meal-prepping snacks on Sunday to last the entire week. Here are some of my favorite ideas:
1. Date balls. These are a great quick grab-and-go snack and are easy to keep around the house for you and the kiddos. Dates are naturally sweet so you do not need to add any extra sweetness. Simply blend dates in a food processor and roll them in coconut shavings or any kind of nuts for an even richer taste. I love to kick it up a notch by dipping them in melted dark chocolate and then rolling them in crushed nuts. This is a win win especially with the kiddos.
For breastfeeding mamas, it has been shown that dates are GREAT for increasing milk supply. These worked wonders for me while I was breastfeeding, I would eat a few and instantly produce milk!
2. Smoothie with blueberries, spinach, rose water, and mint. Blueberries are low in calories and high in nutrients, plus they are a great antioxidant. Spinach is high in calcium and contains vitamins A and C, fiber, and folic acid. Mint is super refreshing and adding rose water gives the smoothie an extra kick.
Lunch Ideas to Stay Fueled
My biggest tip with lunch is to include protein, which will keep you full and energized throughout the afternoon. I always try to prepare stuff that I can keep in big containers for the whole family to grab from the fridge during the week. I will prep salads and leave out the dressing until I am serving, which saves me tons of time during the week. And as an added bonus, it helps me save money during the week by not eating out so much! Here are some of my favorite lunches to prep and eat throughout the week:
1. Salad with chickpeas, tuna, tomato, lemon, olive oil, and sea salt.
2. Arugula salad with grapefruit, figs, sea salt, and avocado.
3. Tuna lettuce wraps with hummus (pictured below).
Let’s Talk Caffeine
Who else is absolutely IN LOVE with coffee? I don’t just drink it to stay awake, I absolutely love the taste! But as much as we want to, we cannot just run on coffee. Here are some creative ways to get your coffee fix without crashing and burning:
1. Steep your favorite coffee overnight and drain in the morning. I find cold coffee doesn’t hit me as hard later on in the day. I like to add almond milk and little honey too!
2. In the winter I naturally I want something warm, so I will have coffee in a French press and add some ground turmeric. I also love adding a touch of cinnamon, which I find is great for women (especially on your period). I add a little milk to mine, currently I am a huge fan of pea milk.
3. For the non coffee drinkers, mocha with your favorite plant-based milk and honey is a fantastic option. It is absolutely delicious, energizing, and will kickstart your day without the sugar/caffeine crash. I even sometimes add a splash of rose water!
Finally, don’t forget to eat, mama! The best thing you can do for yourself to feel energized throughout the day is to EAT. Keep healthy food on hand and you will be a better version of yourself.
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About the contributor:
Arrica Afton is a single mama of two: a 19 year-old daughter and a 5 year-old son. She is passionate about shining a light on what society says the “average Muslim women” should be, while living as holistic and green as possible (in style, of course). Arrica is also a MentorMama ambassador for SocialMama.