Feeding the mummy

One of the things I've noticed since having Harry is just how difficult it is to fit in eating when at home with the baby. Essentially you need food that can be eaten with one hand (as the baby is in the other), is quick to prepare and has minimal fallout. Tell me I'm not the only new mummy who's dusted the baby's head with flakes of pastry, toast crumbs, and the odd grain of rice?

There are some things I've found that make actually fitting eating in easier as well as some foods that are easier to eat.  And not just chocolate digestives!

• Chop things like veggies up into bite size pieces the night before - either once the baby's in bed or when you can hand him over to your husband/ partner. This serves two functions, if you can just grab a bowl out of the fridge then you've got snacks ready.
• Mini babybel (other small cheeses are available) Again, can be grabbed and eaten one handed. And yes, I know that I could chop cheese up, but it's something else to remember to do. And I just chopped those veggies, remember? Its time for bed now. I particularly like pairing them with an apple.
• Ritz crackers, again grab and go. also see cereal bars (I like the Naked ones)
• If your partner (or you) are doing packed lunches then double up and pop it in the fridge. Sandwiches work best cut into quarters. Lettuce is pointless unless you want to give the baby a hat.

• Leftovers - make (or get someone else to make) extra dinner. Flasks are your friend: tea, leftover pasta (not spaghetti) soup, coffee. Oh coffee. All stay hot, so you can fill it during a nap and if your lunch falls during a feed you're sorted. Because it does, it always does.
• A sports bottle. I mentioned this in my previous post about breast feeding,  but it's really true. I wouldn't refill a glass as frequently as I would need to, but a bottle keeps !e going long enough so I stay hydrated.
• Fruit - I either chop up fruit so its in pieces (I learnt this when working in Dementia services: people are more likely to eat fruit that's in pieces as opposed to whole. If you squeeze a lemon over it you get that Haribo sourness as a bonus (just me then)

• Cake. It's a given but it never hurts to state the obvious.
• And if all else fails: chocolate digestives

Frozen Grapes: Probably the simplest summer essential in the world. Ever

 

So much so, I can't believe I'm writing this post. I've coerced M into taking photos so I have to write it really. But even so, I'm blushing, futilely hiding behind my rose hoping that you won't abandon me purely for the fact that I'm writing this up on a food blog.

I'm a hardened dieter/ healthy eater and abandoner of both of those pasttimes, usually in the face of something with vast quantities of butter or sugar. Junk food has never been my thing and I eat pretty healthily most of the time, but there's nothing that's quite the same as crispy roast potatoes. So, I have to think about my snacks - make sure that my innate tendency towards fabulously flavoured badness is balanced out by fresh, clean, healthiness.

This tends to mean that Monday - Friday, fruit is my snack of choice - apples, bananas, satsumas, cherry tomatoes, sharon fruit. I get frustrated when I can't get British apples, but aside from that am fairly easily pleased. I tend to avoid berries as they don't travel well when wedged in between a laptop and 16 copies of handouts and tupperware containers add to unecessary bulk when travelling on trains that no longer give you somewhere to put your luggage when you're 5'4" and can't lift something above your head.

So yes, fruit. for years I've heard about freezing grapes as a dieters sweetie. It must come up at least annually as a suggestion in every women's magazine I've ever read - from Just Seventeen up to Easy Living. It's there in every Weight Watchers and Slimming world material I've ever read. And yet, I've never tried it. I've dismissed it, much like 'swap your regular sausages for Quorn - you'll never tell the difference!' Yes. I. Will. Or, 'try Turkey bacon in place of regular bacon for a Sunday morning fry (or grill) up' No, it has a weird texture - it's squeaky. Having tried those recommedations and been forced to dismiss them on account of the fact that they're RUBBISH, I also dismissed frozen grapes. Oh how stupid I was. Frozen grapes are a cross between grape flavoured sweeties and an ice lolly. Having stupidly sensitive teeth I choose to suck them and love when they start to go squishy.

I'm so embarrased by including this, but also so keen to spread the word - for those of you doing the 5:2 Feast:Fast I'm hoping frozen grapes might prove to be a something yummy you can fit in on your fast days - according to myfitnesspal, 1 grape is 2 calories and the good thing about freezing them is that you don't pop one in your mouth after another, barely tasting them as they go down. It forces you to slow down and to really enjoy each mouthful.

Quite simply, wash your grapes, put them in a tupperware or similar without a lid, and in your freezer - help yourself to them every time you're peckish.

If I weren't so embarrassed I'd submit these to Kavey's Bloggers Scream for Ice Cream this month, the subject of which is Ice lollies, but I'm too embarrassed. By far.