Healthy Eating When You Have a Baby and Zero Time

I have a 15-month-old son. Life right now is joyful, messy, and exhausting. This season of life has taught me that it’s all about simplifying.

Here’s what works for me right now:

1. Relying on Meal Templates

I use the same formula I shared in my meal template and lunch post:
👉 Protein + Carb + Fat + Fiber
It keeps meals balanced without needing recipes or extra brainpower.

2. Sunday Prep (Just a Little)

I don’t meal prep full recipes anymore—it’s too much. Instead, I’ll spend 45ish minutes on Sundays and prep:

• A batch of grains (quinoa, rice, or farro)

• Roasted veggies

• A protein or two (boiled eggs, beans, chicken sausage)

Then I can mix/match these during the week when time is short.

3. Keep Meals Simple

This is not the season for fancy sauces or long ingredient lists. Meals like eggs + toast + avocado, tuna with crackers and veggies, or a turkey sandwich get the job done. And honestly? That’s enough.

Photo by Pablo Arroyo on Unsplash

4. Sheet Pan Meals = Lifesaver

If I could only share one tip—it’s this: sheet pan meals are completely underrated. Toss some chicken sausage, sweet potatoes, and broccoli on a pan → roast → done. Dinner for the whole family with one pan to wash.

✨ The takeaway: Healthy eating doesn’t mean complicated. Especially with a baby, it’s about shortcuts, simple templates, and using tools like sheet pans to make life easier.