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Working Moms
mrsbookworm
member
Poll: How Many Meals Per Wk Do U Eat Out?
mrsbookworm
member
in Working Moms
A few weeks ago, Suze Orman challenged Oprah viewers not to eat out for one month. As a working mom, I laughed at this seemingly impossible challenge. I have a 45 minute to 1 hour commute both ways to & from work. My job is very demanding and stressful.
On some days, the best I can do is pick up something quick on the way home for dinner. I'm striving to do better by cooking meals on the weekend and buying things that can be prepared quickly, but it is still not easy. What about you?
[poll]
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Re: Poll: How Many Meals Per Wk Do U Eat Out?
Oh, and how could I forget to mention LUNCH?! It is a struggle just for me to get out the door, drop my son off and get to work on time, maneuvering through the chaos otherwise known as DC traffic in my allotted 45 minutes to 1 hour. To ask me to pack lunch on top of all that just seems like extra stress. I do it sometimes, but not every single day.
In my profession, it is very customary to go out for lunch with colleagues. Sometimes people who are eating at their desk ALL THE TIME are viewed as loners. I've learned A LOT of valuable tips about being successsful in my office just by having lunch with an older, more experienced colleague. Not sure I can give this up (although I guess I could bring along a packed lunch to eat with colleagues).
I replied 3-5 meals a week!
You are right, its hard to cook all meals when you're a working mom. I normally cook on on the weekends, make enough to freeze and then we have home made food for the first 2-3 days. The remaining days we either defrost left overs from the week before or eat grilled/baked chicken with steamed veggies/ mixed salad. Most of our meals are certainly not fancy by any stretch of the imagination but I try to keep it atleast as helathy as possible. We eat out on the weekends for breakfast or when I get home, its late and I am just too exhausted to even wait for the 30 mins the chicken needs to cook!
I do; however, bring lunch almost every day and again its because I freeze the left overs in my tupperware contain and then just grab and defrost at home. I personally am not a fan of having most of my meals not made fresh everyday but its honestly the best that I can do for now!
Flyer posted a link to a bunch of "dump chicken" recipes and thats worked really well for us. I've been trying to do the same with fish and different marinades etc.
DH and I usually eat out once a week by ourselves. We occasionally will take ds out with us, but he's touch and go on eating out. Sometimes he throws food and doesn't want to sit down, and it seems like more trouble to take him anywhere than to just make something at home.
He takes his lunch every day, and I usually do, although I've been pretty lazy about it the last couple of weeks. We both bring the whole week's worth at once. He takes lunch meat, cheese, bread, etc. and has sandwiches, and I usually bring a bunch of salad stuff. I generally work through lunch and go work out in the afternoon instead, so a quick lunch is usually the best for me. I started bringing my lunch most days both because of money and because lunches out tend to be pretty high in calories, even if you just get salad or sandwiches. It's easier for me to manage if I just bring my own stuff.
I voted that I cook everything and pack lunches, but that's not entirely true; we eat out once very 2wks, normally on the weekend, and I cook everything else. I have an approx 1hr commute each way. IMO it's easier to cook than to take the baby to the restaurant.
DD -- 5YO
DS -- 3YO
I put myself in the 6-9 category. If you asked how many meals I cook a week the number would be closer to 1-2. Most of the time dinner is just what you grab, which I hate. I'm a big believer of everyone sitting down at the dinner table, but cannot seem to make it happen.
I know this is easier said than done but try to change your mindset about meals. I like to cook so I know that makes my life somewhat easier but SOOOOOOO many things are dependent on a successful week meal-wise.
a) I plan 3 big meals a week so we have leftovers after each one and one night is pizza/ takeout.
b) I have multiple skillet sensation-type meals in the freezer for when I'm in a pinch.
c) I've packed my lunch since the dawn of time so it's nothing new to me to do that
(seriously, since I was a 6 y.o. 1st grader, I've packed my lunch).
Like everything , remember the official mantra of working moms "it gets easier!"
I have DD "help" me prepare meals so we get to spend time together while I cook. (ie she drops lettuce in a bowl and some peppers/ veggies that i have chopped up for a salad) I let her stir stuff. It takes longer but it's worth it. Once she could walk, seriously, our lives got infinitely easier. I mean that!!!