In the past, I really struggled to eat well as a stay-at-home mom. To save time and not have to think too hard, I would eat a sandwich, chicken nuggets, or whatever was going for the kids that day.
After 4 years of being a stay-at-home mom, I’ve spent the last year really focusing on my nutrition after realizing that junk food just doesn’t give me enough energy to get through the day. When I eat poorly, I always find myself craving something else (usually sweet food!) within an hour or two after eating.
Here are some examples of breakfast and lunches I’ve been eating recently to give other stay at home moms some ideas and inspiration of what you can prepare which take minimal time at all and use everyday ingredients.
I’ve included photos of my meals as a reference however they aren’t pretty! I’m here to share what worked for me – not to spend hours on food preparation and photography! My goal is that you too can get your mom life back on track💓.
Explore This Guide
Stay at home mom breakfast ideas
Here’s my go-to breakfast meals that are quick and easy to prepare:
Porridge Bowl
My absolute favorite in winter! I use a packet mix porridge sachet which is super quick. I top it with berries and muesli clusters. The girls love it too so are always asking to share it with me. Here I’ve also added some choc drops which is so yum as they melt in the warm porridge.
Protein Pancakes
Protein Pancakes with strawberries, blueberries and protein yoghurt. I love using this recipe. In the photo above I’ve added maple syrup, though if you’re watching calories this is high in cals🤕
I love using this protein powder which also adds extra flavour.
Overnight Oats
This requires 2 minutes prep the night before you go to bed. I quickly mix 1/4 cup of oats with 1/2 cup milk and 1 tbsp of chia seeds into a container with a lid. Place this in the fridge; and in the morning you have your overnight oats!
Top with a drizzle of maple syrup and berries.
I use this recipe, however I usually halve it because I find it too much.
Breakfast Smoothie
This is a winner for busy moms as it’s quick and simple to pop into a blender. To make my smoothie, I use any berries I have (frozen raspberries work great). If I have any berries that are looking a little old in the fridge, I’ll always freeze them to use later rather than throwing them out. My recipe looks something like this:
- Handful berries OR peeled + frozen banana
- Two spoonfuls of yoghurt
- Cup of milk of your choice
- Add ice to make it more creamy. I mostly skip this step as I want a smoothie that I can drink quickly
- Spinach – This adds nutrients and trust me, you can’t taste this!
- Scoop of protein powder if you like (Leave this out if breastfeeding, or sharing this with your kids)
Blend and enjoy!
Boiled Eggs on Toast
This recipe is nothing new! However, it’s a winner to keep you feeling full and ready to hit the day.
Toast sourdough and top with avocado and sliced pre-boiled eggs. Add a shake of dukkah or a seasoning of your choice.
You can of course skip the eggs and have avocado on toast, however I don’t find this gives me enough protein or energy to get through to lunchtime.
Protein yoghurt with berries & muesli
If I have time, I’ll serve myself this is an fancy little bowl and use a different spoon. Silly really, but it helps escape the mundane a little😂
Yoghurt Parfait
Nothing new here! This is the same as the protein yoghurt breakfast idea above, but served a little fancier. My girls love it when I make them these.
Scrambled egg wrap
I love making scrambled egg and popping it in a wrap with spinach. You can also add chopped tomato, sauteed mushrooms or avocado.
Egg & cheese English muffins
These are something my Dad would always make! I always burn my mouth because I can never wait for them to cool down before I start eating them. Here’s my basic recipe:
- Halve and lightly toast or grill an English muffin
- Spread each half with tomato or pizza sauce
- In a cup, combine a whisked egg, grated cheese and bacon pieces.
- Top muffins with egg filling
- Sprinkle with pizza topper or seasoning of your choice
- Bake in over 180⁰ for 10-15 mins or until set.
Now folks, that’s essentially everything I eat for breakfast as a stay at home mom! If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself having crazes on a certain breakfast before you get tired of it and moving onto something else!
Healthy lunch ideas for busy stay-at-home moms
What I eat at home for lunches isn’t anything ground-breaking. I keep it simple so that I don’t have to think! I know there any tonnes of websites out there promoting healthy lunch ideas, but this is what works for me, using staple pantry items.
I always have these ingredients on my weekly shopping list:
- Chicken tenderloins
- Tinned tuna
- Eggs
- Lettuce (Iceberg or Romain) or spinach
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Avocado
- Sour dough
- Wraps
Grilled chicken and salad
I used to use processed chicken tenders, but I can honestly say they really didn’t keep me full, plus not to mention they are pretty high in calories! Now, I buy a pack of chicken tenders at the start of the week, and trim the tendons from them. When I’m ready to cook some for my lunch, I’ll toss them in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and some pre-made fajita seasoning. I’ll always serve with a side salad.
Grilled chicken wrap
Use all the same ingredients as above, and assemble it into a wrap! This makes it easy to prepare ahead of time so you have lunch ready when you need it.
Open sourdough chicken sandwich
This is an ultimate favorite of mine! I use:
- Toasted sourdough, spread with mayonaise
- Grilled chicken tenderloins
- Spinach or spouts
- Cherry tomatoes
- Avocado
- Top with a sprinkle of dukkah for added zing!
Pastry-free Quiche
(I guess it could also be called frittata😂) I use my mom’s quiche recipe, but leave out the puff pastry, hence the name. I LOVE it! Try it and let me know your thoughts.
This is my super easy pastry-free quiche recipe:
- Grease a baking dish (I use approx 28 x 20cm, smaller would be fine)
- Mix 4 eggs with 1 cup evaporated milk (or ? milk + ¼ cup sour cream or cream)
- Season mixture with salt + pepper
- Sprinkles bacon pieces + grated cheese into the bottom of your dish.
- Pour mixture over the top, and sprinkle with a little parsley
- Bake 180⁰ for 25-30 minutes or until dish looks golden + set
- Serve with a side salad and cherry tomatoes
Leftovers!
The easiest thing to not have to think about is leftovers in the fridge from dinner the night before. I LOVE leftovers!
Pictured above is leftover chicken schnitzel, sweet potato and a side salad.
Salad ideas to go with lunches
Always add a salad to your meal to keep you fuller! Some of my favourite salad items are:
- Any type of shredded lettuce or spinach
- Avocado
- Cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Grated carrot
- Salad dressing
Limit your salad dressing as this can be a real calorie crusher. I love dressing on my salad so I’ll always include it, but recently I’ve been cutting back on how much I add to my meal.
For a healthier homemade salad dressing option, I often pick a salad dressing from Half Baked Harvest and store that in my fridge.
Finishing off your healthy lunch
I have a serious sweet tooth and often like to finish my meal off with a treat. I’ve been trying to steer clear of chocolate and sweets, so will have a small piece of sourdough toast and honey, or small bowl of yoghurt and berries.
Though, some days I just feel like treating myself so I’ll have a Reese’s pieces or some other kind of chocolate😊
HOT TIP: Drink lots of water after having your treat to wash away the taste and stop you from craving more. Try it, it works!
Healthy snacks ideas for busy women
I used to be the ultimate snack queen and seemed to never stop grazing all day long. It’s taken a lot of self control, but since focusing on eating really nutritious foods, I actually don’t snack as often because I can honestly say I feel fuller for longer.
When I was breastfeeding, I always felt hungry, so for any moms in this boat; you may find you’re reaching for those mid-morning or afternoon snacks. Sticking to low calorie, highly nutritious foods will help you stop at one snack.
Here’s some of my current snack ideas:
Yoghurt and berries
Protein shake
Protein shakes are not just for gym junkies! A scoop of this in milk or water helps to keep me feeling full.
It’s also so easy to mix and have when you’re on the go.
Boiled eggs
Personally I can’t stand to eat an egg on its own, but I’m including this as while it might be obvious, it’s a great snack option (which I’m sure everyone already knows!)
Smoothie
I use the same recipe listed above and have this as an afternoon snack. You can adjust the quantities to create a smaller batch.
Chia Seed Pudding
This requires a bit of forethough to mix ahead so I don’t have it too often, but it’s a great tasting healthy snack option for the whole family.
Fruit
We go through a lot of fruit in my house! The girls LOVE fruit and we often spend afternoons cutting up various fruits to curb them over to dinner time. Some of these are seasonal but we love snacking on:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Nectarines and peaches
- Mandarins and oranges
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Mangoes
- Kiwi fruit
- Watermelon
When I have a bit of extra time I’ll cut up fruit and create fruit skewers which the girls LOVE!
Nut bar
I find store-bought bars are quite high in calories, but they are definitely a great option when you are on the go to stop you snacking on junk!
Protein balls
There are piles of recipes for protein balls online. Personally this recipe is my favorite and when I get time I make a batch of these on the weekend to store in the fridge. They are also great for kids!
Peppermint & liquorice tea
Peppermint and liquorice tea is a really nice option to curb your sweet tooth. I know, I know, it’s nothing like munching into a block of chocolate but give it a try if you’re cutting back on your calories.
Quality dark chocolate
I can honestly say I used to snack on chocolate all day long. While I was breastfeeding, I could get away with this as I was lucky enough to lose weight while feeding. However, once I stopped feeding my child, I put all that weight back on.
To try and slim down, I started counting my calories in My Fitness Pal and realised I couldn’t keep eating chocolate like I was if I wanted to lose weight! Not to mention, this was not being a good role model for my girls.
I find I need to leave my sweet treat until the end of the day. If I have this earlier in the day, I’ll find my mindset changes to ‘Oh well, I’ve had chocolate already, a little more won’t hurt’ and before long, I’ve eaten half the packet! True story… Can anyone relate?
Easy dinner ideas for busy stay at home moms
Lastly, I’ll dive into some quick and easy dinner ideas to keep the family happy. These are some of the recipes we’ve been enjoying recently which my 2 and 4 year old absolutely love:
Slow cooked butter chicken - Kidspot
This slow cooker butter chicken takes minimal time to prepare and can be left for hours cooking. Serve it with rice and a steamed veg.
Greek Lemon Chicken - RecipeTin Eats
This is full of flavor, and yet again is so easy to make. (You’ll realise by now that I don’t make anything that requires too much effort!) Find the recipe on Recipe Tin Eats.
Low Carb Pizza
I use Lebanese bread as pizza base to cut back on calories. It makes a lovely, crunchy pizza. Add your favorite toppings, cook and enjoy!
Crunchy Chicken Schnitzels - Half Baked Harvest
These schnitzels are oven baked, which makes them so much healthier than a fried option! Don’t let the extra steps of preparing your schnitzel deter you – It is SO worth the effort!
I don’t bother with the hot sauce, but choose to make a gravy instead.
Cut back on the hot sauce in the schnitzel coating to cater for small kids, or when breastfeeding.
I usually serve these schnitzels with chips and veggies which is a hit with the kids.
Quick Bombay Chicken
SO easy! This is my own family recipe:
- Cut 1kg of chicken into large pieces.
- Brown chicken in a fry pan.
- Place chicken into large baking dish
- Combine the sauce in a bowl:
- 1 cup mayonaise
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 1 tin apricot nectar
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 packet french onion soup mix (approx 30g)
- Wizz sauce until smooth using a blender or whisk.
- Pour sauce over chicken and cover with foil.
- Bake with foil in oven 320F for 1 hour.
- Serve with rice and greens.
Spaghetti Bolognaise - RecipeTin Eats
This is worth the little bit of effort at the start to create this delicious family favorite dinner! Find the recipe here at RecipeTin Eats.
How many calories should a stay at home mom consume?
The number of calories a stay-at-home mom should consume depends on factors like:
- Age
- Height
- Weight
- Activity level
- Health goals (weight maintenance, loss, or gain).
To calculate your daily calorie intake, use our calorie calculator here (coming soon!)
What my typical daily calories as a stay-at-home mom looks like:
- Breakfast: Tea with milk, protein yoghurt, berries + muesli
160-200 calories - Morning snack – Sourdough toast & honey. Tea with milk
200 calories - Lunch – Chicken tenders + salad
200-250 calories - Afternoon snack – Smoothie
150 calories - Dinner – Usually around 400 calories
- Evening treat – Peppermint tea + Lindtt dark chocolate square
115 calories
TOTAL CALORIES – 1300
Of course, the above example suits my personal weight and fitness goals. It does however show that you can still enjoy snacks and treats while still maintaining your daily caloric intake.
It all comes down to making good choices that are nutritious and filling. As well as your diet, its important to prioritize daily exercise, plenty of water and sleep for optimum results in your health.
I hope this article has helped to give you some inspiration for stay-at-home meals.
Let me know in the comments your tips around daily food choices and your favorite meals!
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