I feel like I never have time to lunch. That’s reserved for lovely women who wear kitten heels and still use their nice purses because they don’t have to keep wipes and bibs in them. My kid is down for a long nap and I become a crazer, running around the house, paying bills, folding laundry, making lists, returning emails… maybe this is just the existence of a working mom or maybe it’s all of us these days but regardless, 2pm rolls around and suddenly I’m HANGRY. It’s like the Incredible Hulk is tearing off his shirt in a fit and low blood sugar is starting to send a dark cloud over the family. And that’s not good for anyone. Especially my shirts.
Two things I’ve done to avoid this unpleasant situation in our home:
1. I started making healthy option snack stations. It’s like craft service on a movie set, but just on the counter of our kitchen. I got these really pretty canisters from Crate and Barrel and fill them with various things like pretzels, bars, trail mix… sometimes for holidays I’ll put M&M’s in but Brandon usually complains I’m just trying to tempt him into a husky size jean so I refrain for special occasions 😉 One of my favorite mixes to do is a bag of raw almonds and baked banana slices from TJ’s. Good little pack of protein and satisfying crunch. I also make sure the fruit basket is full of lots of options, so if Im running out the door I can grab an apple and a bar and at least that will tide me over until the next destination.
2. My go-to mom lunch these days is an open-faced sandwich. I swear, Joey Tribbiani and I could be twins when it comes to our favorite food. Sandwiches. Oh how I love you. And yes there is an art to them, which I’ll get to in another post, but this easy, quick option is my favorite right now.One slice of bread, spread with Sriracha Veganaise (OMG the greatest thing ever), a few slices of deli turkey, and a slice of cheese — pop this in the toaster on light to melt the cheese. Then I tear some kale or spinach over top and kind of fold it up with one hand. It’s a little of everything and just enough to get me over the hump of turning into a villainous comic book monster.
