Healthy eating tips

You may sometimes feel like you’ve barely got enough energy to get through the day, let alone spend hours in the kitchen preparing healthy meals. Here are some tips that other new mums have shared:

• Opt for simple recipes that are quick to prepare (we’ve included some speedy recipe ideas here).
• Choose recipes that can be prepared in advance, such as overnight oats, or in larger quantities so you can freeze extra portions for another day (try this tasty chilli).
• If family and friends are keen to help, take up their offer of a home-cooked meal once in a while.
• Keep your fridge and fruit bowl full of healthy snacks so you’ve always got something handy to satisfy you when a snack attack hits. Think cherry tomatoes, cooked chicken, reduced-fat houmous, cucumber, carrot and pepper sticks, grapes, bananas, apples, satsumas, fat-free yogurts, or portions of reduced-fat cheese. Handy cupboard snacks include nuts and seeds, crispbreads and high-fibre cereal bars.
• If you’re out for lunch and looking for a healthier choice, opt for a jacket potato topped with baked beans and a salad on the side. If pre-prepared sandwiches are on the menu, choose fillings like chicken, ham, tuna, salmon, sliced egg and salad (just keep an eye on the mayo and dressings).
• Make the most of kitchen gadgets, if you have access to them, to save a bit of time and washing-up. A microwave can help you quickly cook porridge, reheat a batch-cooked meal such as a portion of chilli or curry, or cook extra vegetables to add to your meal; a slow-cooker meal needs just a bit of prep in advance and then you’ve got dinner sorted; and air fryers are an energy efficient way to help make delicious, healthy meals with less fuss.

More tips and suggestions on healthy eating

Read more about your weight after pregnancy...