Four or five days a week I eat lunch at the office.
And, when I say I eat ‘lunch’, the term is applied loosely.
Two servings of vaguely nutritious dinners are served each evening to my son and my other half. Most of the time. Sometimes my partner comes in from his long working day to a wistful ‘sorry’ smile and a cup of tea and toast. It’s all I can muster. There are occasions where mummy will get all zombie apocalypse if she has to spend any more time in a 2 ft radius of the oven. Don’t concern yourself, we hit the daily vegetable quota to ensure my son reaches his full height potential. Yesterday I tricked him into eating green beans.
Me? Well I will not be the only mum who fills up on their son’s leftovers and a quart of wine poured into a Leo Spiderman cup.
Working parent food fads.
Parents have so little time. It flies past in a tornado of odd socks and tantrums. So when it comes to making my lunches for work, I can be a tad slack. Hit and miss. Usually miss. Who has the time, or energy, or inclination to make lunches on top of life? It’s not unusual for me to Tupperware up half a cold baked potato and nibbled fish fingers.
A friend makes soup from chicken carcass and I am sure some of her meals include the addition of salmon foam. Yes, I endeavor to be more organized and enthusiastic. Also to wear a pencil skirt and adult shoes. Whilst batch cooking seems to be the way to achieve producing what feels like a thousand meals a week, I don’t always have the hours. Or the inclination. Or the onions. Mothers are queens of curries, casseroles and one pot recipes.
Like a third of other mums, a lot of the time I work through my lunchbreak. On my own violation. Yes, it is important to eat, get a break and fresh air. I find equal relaxation in getting home with 10 minutes before the school run to stick the laundry on and stare at my living room wall. Or sit for 20 minutes outside the school and parooze twitter in my car. This is not a healthy eating post. Though if you would like some wisdom, try and have some breakfast that is not just plain black coffee. Start your day well. Welcome to the culinary disaster that is my working week.
The hungry mummy meal plan.
On Monday she eats through a sausage roll from the Grubs up van, a bargain for only a pound. Then had 234 cups of very milky tea of varying strengths. Some had sugar. None of them had caffeine so this must be considered healthy.
On Tuesday she eats half a box of chocolates shaped like buttons as her workmate is fearful of them. Koumpounophobia. She is therefore doing her friend a favour. Lots of water is drank so therefore this even out the unhealthy munching so technically nothing was eaten at all. Calorie count, none, chips can be eaten later.
On Wednesday she eats through a market stalls worth of fruit as she feels minor guilt from the previous days luncheon. Three Clementine’s, two Apples, one banana and a partridge in a Pear tree.
On Thursday she eats through a SALAD. With Kale. Brought from Sainsbury’s. Which results in the need for Rennie and an assault on the vending machine.
On Friday she eats through a myriad of E numbers and pretends she is six years old on camping trip.
Please note, the nutritional value of these meals is pretty negligible.
15 comments
I found it really hard when working not to nip to the shop or cafe for cake or chocolate or crisps… Now I’m a SAHM, I find it hard not to eat peanut butter and nutella out of the jar… I can’t win either way!! #StayClassyMama
I’m pretty good with my work lunches. If I have work I always cook something that is good for left overs, like pasta or stir fry. Otherwise I take a frozen jacket potato and a tin of tuna or beans in with me. I’m rubbish at eating a proper lunch when at home with the kids though #stayclassymama
Parenting has definitely made me snack more. After taking care of other people all day there just isn’t enough care felt over for me. #StayClassyMama
This is such a typical me diet! well before I attempted to get “healthy” which now involves veg for lunch and veg and meat for dinner.. its a boring diet i try to spuce up with plain yoghurt and honey hahaha. #stayclassymama
I’ve given up with my lunches! I’m now opting to tell people doing the 5-2 diet (my 2 being my days at work) so I don’t have to bother or arse about in the kitchen just when I thought finished all the jobs in there for the day! #stayclassymama
I’m very guilty of this. I feel like a just grab a quick piece of pizza from the cafeteria just about every day #stayclassy
Loved this! There is a lady that brings sandwiches and salads etc to the office, all made by a local firm. And she also brings PIES ! They are delicious and cost 50p !!! 50p??? ! I try and make healthy choices but f I forget to take lunch in I go for a pie. Every time. #stayclassymama
Its the hot sausage rolls that get me. Devils food. I want one right now xx
I’m a serial snacker, but it only really hits me at night after my daughter has gone to bed. I think, “I’ve just had a long day at work and spent the last few hours playing with a toddler – I deserve to eat crackers and cheese and wine and chocolate.” It’s kind of a problem. But I’m pretty restrained during the day. For work lunches, I usually just bring leftovers from the night before, so it’s usually pretty varied and cheap. #stayclassymama
Many Many mom’s somehow survive on their children’s leftovers. My husband is the lunch packer (for himself) and he loads up on provita biscuits and cottage cheese, apples and other fruit, low fat yoghurts etc. None of which require preparing the night before. Just sling them in a cooler bag and prepare it prior to eating.
#stayclassymama
Can totally relate to wanting something more palatable post the Kale salad;) and wanting that salad in the first place because of the binge-fest the afternoon before:):):)
#StayClassyMama
I’m actually less of a snack monster since becoming a mum but I think that is in turn because I am actually more conscious of what I am eating. It would have been rude to leave those chocolate buttons around tormenting her friend! Eating them was the decent thing to do!
#StayClassyMama
I feel blessed that there isn’t a shop within a reasonable ‘I can be bothered to walk that far’ distance of my workplace, so I’m stuck with whatever I packed last night when I was adamant I’d be ‘good’ tomorrow!! #stayclassymama
I have a nightmare convincing my daughter what to have in her preschool packed lunch twice a week! My partner spends about 20 minutes preparing his lunch (couscous, smoothie, rolls, quinoa etc) If I ever work over lunchtime I take a packet of crisps #StayClaasyMama
I have become superspeedy with my lunch breaks I’m a huge fan of a mini roll and a packet of mini chedders! Great post! xx