I need to improve my health - quick healthy meal ideas please!

[ibuiltahomeforyou]

I am mum to an 18 month old, knackered, putting on weight and constantly run down, and I have decided enough is enough. Like, now.

My usual diet is:
Breakfast - porridge and a cup of tea
Morning - usually a couple of biscuits at work
Lunch - roast chicken sandwich, crisps, apple, orange
Afternoon - usually a bit of cake or whatever is on the 'bird table' at work
Dinner - pasta, French bread, piece of dark chocolate

I am exhausted and work full time. I have a mouth full of ulcers and need really quick meal ideas, please!

I was thinking of:

Breakfast - porridge with blueberries
Snack - a piece of fruit
Lunch - the usual
Afternoon - nothing
Dinner - more vegetables with whatever I have!

All help appreciated!

Is the sandwich, porridge etc homemade or bought?

Sounds like you’re on the right track. I’d look at your portion sizes if you’re gaining weight. Try MyFitnessPal for a week or so to start, weighing everything. A “portion” can be shockingly small!

For pasta, I tend to add veg like courgette, peppers, etc. If you’re used to garlic bread, the frozen slices are better than baguettes as you can have one slice rather than half a baguette.

For porridge, frozen fruit is quite cheap. You might need to add less liquid as it’ll defrost when you cook it.

You can swap the crisps for one that’s lower calorie per bag. Snackajacks, Walkers lights are like that but baked crisps like Skips and Wotsits are the same. I really like popcorn, you can get individual bags in a multipack.

Jacket potatoes
Fried rice with salmon and veg
Homemade soups
Homemade chilli with extra veg/beans
Steamed fish and roast veg
Vegetable curry

Your current diet sounds fine though. Are you getting enough sleep and are you stressed? Those will affect health as much as diet.

Some suggestions - just small things that could make a difference;

Is the porridge made with half semi skimmed milk and half water? - if not (and using all milk) try this and yes add a portion or two of fruit
Skip the biscuits and replace with fruit, veg sticks, nuts or oatcakes
Is the sandwhich made with whole meal bread if not switch. Try not to add mayo etc. Skip the crisps and replace with nuts or seeds.
Skip the cake and try snack suggestions above.
Skip the French bread and add a couple of portions of veg to your pasta meal. Try brown rather than white pasta.

Suggestions based on increasing your fruit and veg intake, increasing fibre to make you feel fuller and lower overall GI of meal and to reduce fat and sugar.

You are doing better than I did when mine were that age

It looks like vitamins are lacking.
Could you sometimes have tomatoes and mushrooms, beans or avocado on wholemeal toast for breakfast.
Maybe a veg based soup for lunch
And definitely add veg to evening meal. Maybe a stirfry, veg curry, veg chilli, jacket sweet potato, etc

How about having some greek 0% fat yoghurt mid afternoon? Either on its own or with some berries sprinkled on. It's full of protein (as well as calcium) and will help to keep you full

Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water

Egg for breakfast ?

you meals don't sound too bad.
maybe add some salad leaves/grated carrot, some more veg.

and leave out the snacks.

I think you're eating too many carbs & not enough protein. Have a read around macro nutrients, really helped me. My days are more like this now.

Breakfast - skyr yogurt & fruit

Lunch - lentil Dahl/soup/m&s count on us ready meals pretty well balanced

Dinner - fish/prawns/chicken, sweet potato/rice & veg

Snacks - banana/cottage cheese/egg/square of dark chocolate/fruit