The 4th decade of life is for many under the sign of family planning. But also the job should not come too briefly. For the preparation of healthy food is therefore hardly time in the hectic between work and family life. In couples where both parents work full-time, mothers (or fathers) spend 55 minutes a day putting food on the table for the family. This is about 40 minutes less than non-working mothers. This is not to say that the structure of family meals is eliminated in families with working parents. However, the meal pattern shifts toward sharing a hot meal in the evening. Instead, working mothers have to develop time-saving strategies to keep the family full and optimally fed in a healthy way. Not infrequently, their own concerns and their own healthy diet fall by the wayside.
The little quirks of the daily menu
Even in this age group, people reach for animal foods too often. No more than 300 to 600 g of low-fat meat and sausage and 3 eggs (including processed eggs in pasta, pastries, etc.) should be on the menu per week. On the other hand, the vegetable products, especially those made from whole grains, could be consumed a little more frequently. Why don’t you test to see if you can get to the recommended amount?
- 4-6 slices of whole grain bread or 3-5 slices of bread and 50-60 g of cereal flakes.
- 150-180 g brown rice or 200-250 g wholemeal pasta or 200-250 g potatoes (each cooked).
- 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day
So, how does it look for you?
Folic acid in the daily diet
A special attention should still be paid here to the intake of folic acid. Measured against the recommendations, this is too low in all age groups. Folic acid intake is of particular importance for females of childbearing potential, as an adequate folic acid supply is important to avoid severe damage during child development (e.g., neural tube defect, “open back”). Good sources of folic acid are leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach, lettuce), asparagus and wheat germ/ bran. Since the intake from food is usually insufficient to meet the recommended intake for those who wish to have children, an additional daily intake of about 0.4 mg through suitable folic acid supplements is recommended.
Lack of time versus healthy eating
In hectic everyday life, there is often little time for shopping and cooking meals. In addition to work and other commitments, food preparation must be quick and practical above all else. That’s when healthy fresh food sometimes has to give way to a quick meal. In these situations, the “something-is-better-than-nothing principle” applies. Supplement a ready-made meal or sandwiches with a salad or raw vegetable sticks. Serve a fresh fruit salad or fruit pieces as dessert after the pizza. Spice up the prepared meal with fresh ingredients:
- Put fresh tomatoes on the pizza about 8 minutes before the end of cooking.
- Add to the China pan fresh sprouts, bell pepper strips or frozen vegetables (peas, carrots).
- To rice pudding from the bag fit fresh steamed apples or reheated frozen fruit
Ready meals – what to look for?
Ready meals come in a wide variety of compositions and processing levels. When choosing dishes, pay attention to some important points:
- Prefer less processed, frozen foods (vegetables, fruits, herbs). These generally contain more vitamins than canned products.
- The main part in ready meals should be vegetables, fruits, pasta, rice or potatoes. Pay attention to the list of ingredients: the ingredients are listed by quantity in descending order, that is, the food that makes up the largest proportion is first.
- Take a look at the nutritional information per serving: a full meal should have a maximum of 600 to 800 kcal and the fat content should be a maximum of 40 percent of the total energy.
You can calculate the fat content with the following formula: (9.3 x fat in grams / energy in kcal ) x 100 = fat percentage.
Organization is everything
Shopping takes a lot of time and is especially annoying when you are pressed for time. Therefore, rely on clever stockpiling. Then you are also well prepared for unforeseen events (e.g. unannounced overtime).
- Stock up generously on foods that keep well. This includes, for example, potatoes, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, wholemeal flour, nuts, UHT milk, margarine.
- Fill the freezer with frozen vegetables / fruits and whole grain bread.
- Buy a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables (e.g. nectarines, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber) once or twice a week. This will keep in the fruit and vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for several days. Apples, pears, cabbage vegetables, carrots and leeks can be stored in cool, dark rooms even up to several months.
- Remember to always have plenty of mineral water and fruit juices in the house.
Well prepared is half cooked
With the right preparation, you can save yourself a lot of handling and therefore precious time.
- Mix a stock portion of muesli from whole grain oatmeal, unsweetened flakes, nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. With milk and some fruit, a healthy breakfast is quickly prepared. Ready-made mueslis are rather unsuitable, because they have a high sugar content and thus many calories.
- The salad dressing to the salad you can prepare once a week in larger quantities. A vinegar / oil dressing can be kept for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Get in the habit of cooking twice the amount. Keep the rest in the refrigerator for the next day or freeze the leftovers.
Stock up on a handful of healthy lightning recipes that will be on the table in 30 minutes when you’re in a hurry.
