Meet Jenny - Dietitian, Diabetes Educator, Working Mom and Blogger

First and foremost, I am the mother of a busy 14 month old little girl. I am also a pediatric dietitian at a children's hospital. I love to cook, and I grew up on a small family farm. Laura's Lean Beef has always been near and dear to me since I love that the company helps keep small farms alive. As a dietitian, I know it is so important to eat a healthy diet but as a busy wife and mother it can be a struggle to find the time to do that so I want to share ideas that will hopefully help other families find that balance.

Today I am going to focus on organized eating. So, here it goes.

Being a working mother of an active toddler, I have to make a detailed weekly plan to keep everything organized. This includes my work schedule, social outings, doctor’s visits and even a list of what we are going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Writing down things we need to make time for is important. Otherwise we might forget. The same principle applies to food. Healthy eating doesn’t just happen; we have to MAKE it happen by planning ahead.

Here are some tips on how to organize your eating in order to make good intentions a healthy reality.

PLAN AHEAD

1. Make a weekly menu plan that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

2. Make your grocery list based on your weekly menu plan. This may seem obvious but people who don’t do this end up wasting time and money shopping for ingredients they don’t need and are also tempted by not-so-healthy “extras.”

3. Organize your list in the order the foods are found in the store.

4. Stock up on healthy foods like lean meats when they are on sale.

5. Involve your children in the planning, shopping and meal preparation so they, too, are invested in their healthy food choices.

PREPARE AHEAD

1. Batch cooking larger quantities is an easy way to save time and alleviate the stress of cooking during the week. Homemade soups are a delicious option that can be put into individual containers for the week ahead. Lasagna is another good choice. Make two pans and freeze one for later.

2. Chop produce and divide it into individual baggies that are ready to grab and go for snacks or lunch.

3. Packaged bags of pre-washed salad are a convenient, time-saving option worth the extra cost to get a daily serving of veggies onto your plate.

4. Use healthy dinner leftovers for a healthy lunch the next day.

DO SOMETHING POSITIVE WITH YOUR EXTRA TIME AND MONEY

1. Use the extra time you gain from planning and prepping ahead to exercise. Not only will you feel better, it’s a great stress reliever.

2. Treat yourself to dinner out. It’s ok as long as you select restaurants with healthy menu options.