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Article 7 time saving tips for new mums and dads

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Having a new baby is certainly one of the busiest times in a family’s life.

Added to that, if your baby isn’t sleeping well, you’re probably not getting much sleep either.  This combination of exhaustion and lack of time makes consuming a coffee and muffin instead of making a sandwich very appealing.

Unfortunately the additional kilojoules can add up, and the lack of healthy foods can exacerbate your lack of energy.

If this sounds like you, you may like to try some of these tips:

  1. Buy groceries online – This is much easier than getting your baby in and out of the car and waiting between sleeps to get to the supermarket. Both of the big supermarkets have some pretty great deals when you shop online.
  2. Try home delivered meals – I don’t mean dialling a pizza!  There are now plenty of companies which home deliver a recipe and all of the necessary ingredients (such as Hello Fresh, My Food Bag, The Cook’s Grocer and Marley Spoon) to your door. If you don’t have time to cook either, try a complete home delivered meal option such as Lite N Easy, Fit Foods Club, Dineamic or NuMeals. There are also some great phone apps out there that can help you order a hot meal and pay with paypal, try Deliveroo or Menulog.
  3. Keep plenty of staples on hand – Foods such as tinned tuna, 4 bean mix, frozen vegetables, rice and pasta are great foods to purchase in bulk and have on hand. They are cheap to buy and there is always a pasta sauce on sale.  It doesn’t take long to put some frozen vegies in the microwave and mix through a can of flavoured tuna for a quick, nourishing and easy meal.
  4. Consider spending more on pre-prepared foods – When you’re exhausted, sometimes even cutting up a carrot can feel like too much work.  If it’s going to make the difference between snacking on carrot sticks or a bar of chocolate, it may be worth spending a little more money on pre-cut fruit and vegetables such as pre-cut carrot sticks or pre-cut apples.
  5. Keep plenty of nutritious snacks on hand – If you are finding that you don’t have time to sit down to have a proper meal, focus on trying to include more nutritious snacks in your day.  Good options can include nuts, yoghurt or fresh fruit.
  6. Eat with your toddler – When your little one starts solids, try to cook just one meal, then mash a portion of it for your toddler rather than preparing two separate meals. This will help both you and they learn what they like.
  7. Ask for help – There’s usually plenty of people who would love to help you out, sometimes it just takes the humility to accept help by those who are offering.  When people offer, ask them if they’d mind making a casserole, frittata or pot of soup which can be eaten over a few nights.

What are your time saving tips?

Image source Shutterstock.

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Comments

  • I tried ordering groceries online and found that it was very time consuming and for me a total pain in the neck.

    Reply

  • Try to be as organised as possible and always ask for help or agree to take help if it’s offered.

    Reply

  • Hire a cleaner!

    Reply

  • Great tips. I agree, ask for help and it’s all about food. Everyone in the family needs to eat to be fit and healthy so planning for this is key. Let other people make meals for you, take it. You can repay them one day.

    Reply

  • Great tips and ideas you have suggested.

    Reply

  • Yes, be organized and prepared. Cook double where possible. Make snacks in pots ready to grab. And multitask where possible (recite homework of your kids during cooking, clean the shower cabin whilst taking a shower, clean the toilet and the sinks while you bath your toddler, etc).

    Reply

  • I think my best tip is to be prepared and organised. As hard as it is to do at times, the more you can manage it, the easier life is

    Reply

  • Cook in bulk so you can freeze the leftovers

    Reply

  • When you have some time, cook more and freeze. Before giving birth I filled up the freezer with meals for 3 entire weeks, and that surely helped in living better those first weeks with a baby at home.

    Reply

  • There are some options for slowcooker meals. Cook enough to last 2 or 3 days. Perhaps freeze some to use in a few days time or when you need them. With many of them you can use an assortment of vegetables – frozen ones if you wish too. Just use whatever you’ve got. If you are giving some of it to a baby or toddler you may want to be a little careful what you put in it (e.g. I wouldn’t add onion, garlic or too strong a herbs or spices). If you use frozen or canned vegetables it takes very little time to prepare. In actual fact often frozen vegetables contain as much or more nutritional value as “fresh?” which could have been stored in a coolroom for weeks or months.

    Reply

  • I think asking for help is the best tip.

    Reply

  • All very good tips and especially ask for help!

    Reply
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