Quick, Easy & Healthy Meal Ideas for Busy Mums

The fastest and most effective way to lose weight (and keep it off) is to healthy eating and minimising or eliminating junk food. 

We understand that this can be challenging for busy mums with limited time. 

Fear not, as we have developed smart, easy, and time-saving solutions to help you spend less time in the kitchen and more quality moments with your little ones.

In Shape Mummy Smoothie

For a quick and nutritious breakfast, enjoy a smoothie. The perfect healthy start to the day and they taste great!

You can make smoothies even speedier by storing your smoothie ingredients in zip-lock bags in the freezer. 

For example, you can make up bags of sliced banana, raspberries, and spinach in zip-lock bags. When ready, toss the contents into a blender, add milk and your In Shape Mummy Health Shake mix. Voilla! A health-bomb smoothie breakfast in 60 seconds! 

Banana Raspberry Smoothie

Ingredients: 

• 1 frozen banana
• ½ cup frozen raspberries
• 2 tbsp Vanilla In Shape Mummy Health Shake
• 2 tbsp rolled oats 
• 1 cup of your favourite milk

Method:

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blitz to combine. 

Chocolate Snickers Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Chocolate Brownie In Shape Mummy Health Shake mix
• 1 frozen banana 
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 cup of your favourite milk
• 1 medjool date or 1 tsp maple syrup
• Optional: 1 tbsp avocado (makes extra creamy)

Overnight oats and chia puddings 

These delicious overnight oats and chia pudding recipes take under five minutes to whip up the night beforehand. You can make larger batches to have enough for a few days and eat them on the go. The flavour combinations are endless, so you can enjoy a new flavour sensation each day. 

Blueberry Vanilla Chia Pudding

Ingredients 

• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp Vanilla In Shape Mummy Health Shake mix 
• 2 tsp maple syrup 
• ½ cup coconut milk 

Method:

Place all ingredients in a jar and mix well to combine. Place the lid on and give the jar a vigorous shake. Place in the fridge overnight.. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats 

Ingredients 

• ¼ cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp chia seeds  
• 2 tsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp Chocolate Brownie In Shape Mummy Health Shake mix
• ¾ cup almond milk 

Method:

Place all ingredients in a jar and mix well to combine. Place the lid on and give the jar a good shake. Place in the fridge overnight. 

Why do they say "breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"

A wholesome breakfast is crucial, especially for busy mums. Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day for several reasons:

• Energy Boost: After a night's sleep (or even more after a sleepless night!), your body needs fuel to kickstart your metabolism and provide the energy you need for daily activities.
• Brain Function: A nutritious breakfast enhances cognitive function, concentration, and memory, crucial for managing the demands of a busy day.
• Nutrient Intake: Breakfast provides an opportunity to intake essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, to help you feel and look your best.
• Weight Management: Regular breakfast consumption is linked to better weight management, because it helps control appetite and prevents overeating later in the day.

Healthy Lunch Ideas for Busy Mums

Who else often forgets to eat lunch? The day gets away from you, and suddenly, you're ravenous at 3 pm and into the snack drawer!

Eating lunch will help you fight off the 3 pm cravings and will provide you the energy you need to get through the day. Having healthy and straightforward lunches prepared and ready will take the pressure off immensely. 

Loaded Salads

A big, nutritious salad is a great mid-week lunch to ensure you're getting all the goodness you need to power through the day. The key to making a filling and satiating salad is to ensure it contains a good amount of protein, healthy fats and carbs. The protein is essential because, without it, you may find you're hungry and looking for a snack an hour later. 

Some protein sources to add to your salads include:

• Tinned salmon or tuna 
• Chicken 
• Tofu
• Fish
• Eggs 
• Beans, e.g. chickpeas, lentils 

Great sources of healthy fats include: 

• Avocado
• Goat's cheese or fetta 
• Nuts 
• Olive oil 

Low GI sources of carbohydrates include:

• Quinoa 
• Brown rice
• Sweet potato 

And don't forget to add as many vegetables as possible; the more the better! 

As for the dressing, a healthy choice is olive oil and fresh lemon. Or olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Just limit the amount you use as oil adds calories.

Our tip is to prep your salad ingredients at the beginning of the week. Then, each day you can easily choose your ingredients and throw them together. 

Healthy Sandwich

• Avocado, cheese, tomato and spinach on sourdough
• Black bean or Mexican refried beans, salsa and salad in a wholemeal wrap
• Boiled eggs, avocado and tomato on wholemeal toast

Leftovers

Making enough leftovers for lunch always pays off. It might take an extra few minutes to chop everything, but it saves even more time as lunch the next day is sorted. Here are a few ideas that make a great leftover:

• Curries
• Pasta
• Stir fries
• Quiche/frittatas 
• Nicose salads
• Soups

Egg cups

Egg cups are another on-the-go, bulk batch option that can be made quickly the night before. This is a great high protein meal for when you want something savoury. The additions that you can add to egg cups are endless, so they're fantastic for anyone who likes to change up their meals without taking too much time out of their day.

Cheese and Chive Egg Cups – makes 12 

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup mushroom, chopped
• 1/4 cup chives, diced 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 12-hole muffin tin with olive oil cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cheese, mushroom and chives and mix to combine. 

Transfer the mixture to the prepared muffin tin and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. 

Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days

Healthy Dinner Ideas for Busy Mums

It always seems that dinner time coincides with the witching hour. So, minimising your time in the kitchen each night will take the pressure off the whole family. In addition, having a selection of your favourite meals on rotation is a great time saver, as you know what you're doing and don't have to follow new instructions. 

We recommend keeping it simple. Save the new and more time-consuming recipes for the weekend when you've got more time on your hands. But mid-week, quick and easy, is the way to go. Make bigger batches so you can have left overs the next day to save more time. In Shape Mummy has a massive range of easy, healthy, family meal recipes that you can access in our Free 12-Week Support Program.

Here are some examples of easy dinners for busy mums: 

Stir-fry

Mixed vegetables, lean protein and brown rice or quinoa .

Buddha Bowl

Lean protein, vegetables, quinoa and soy dressing.

Vegetable Soup

Mixed vegetables, beans, tomato soup.

Frittata or Omelette

Eggs, vegetables and cheese.

Roast Chicken & Steamed Veggies

You can buy the roast chicken. Steam the veggies.

Tuna & Pesto Pasta

Tuna, pesto, pasta.

Sesame Szechuan Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 1/3 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 red chilli 
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 1 onion (medium)
• 1 tsp ginger
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 3/4 cup parboiled brown rice
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 3 & 1/2 cup shredded bok choi
• 340 grams chicken breast

Method

• Dice the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli and set aside.
• Chop the chicken, zest the orange and rinse the rice.
• Cook rice according to package or rice cooker instructions.
• While the rice cooks, heat coconut oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the onions, ginger and chilli and cook for a minute until you start to smell the aromas.
• Then add the chicken, garlic and half the orange zest.
• Add the sesame seeds and stir until the chicken is almost cooked.
• Add the liquids (vinegar, tamari and sesame oil) and the chopped bok choi and allow to cook another few minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the rice onto plates and add the chicken. 

Snacks

• Cut up veggie sticks (e.g carrot, cucumber, capsicum and celery) with hummus
• Fruit, e.g. banana
• Handful of mixed nuts
• Boiled eggs
• Yogurt and fruit - healthy brands are Yopro, Jalna, Coyo
• Popcorn
• Tuna and light cream cheese on rice cakes
• Salted Caramel Protein Bites
• Chocolate Brownie Breastfeeding Boost Bars

So, there are our top meal prep tips for busy mums. The top takeaway points are:

• Aim to minimise your time in the kitchen
• Keep it simple
• Make enough for leftovers
• Cook bulk batches 
• Use In Shape Mummy Health Shakes & Snacks to save you time