Nutrition Challenges For Working Mothers

Working mothers are undoubtedly, the whole and sole caretaker of their families. These professional mothers in India reach their workforce by fighting everyday battle yet with compassion to work. The growing nutrition and lifestyle related diseases such as Obesity, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases and other metabolic syndromes among working professionals parents are of a serious concern now. The burning desire of working Mothers to balance work and life is somehow compromised in their nutrition intake.

The negligence in diet has a direct impact on diet and nutrition of their children in family. Well-being of children has been observed affected more by the time constraints of women who perform the dual role of mother and earner.

 How working women can unlock the potential of investment in Nutrition and well being in family?

• Consider Diet and Nutrition as foremost concern for the family. After all, what is the purpose to earn if you can’t eat and feed right?
• Remember You First. And be the change to drive others.
• Engage yourself by taking out some time to read or listen to nutrition awareness talk/programs/articles.
• Periodic Nutrition assessment of yourself and children is equally important as your regular health check up. 

5 best things working mothers can do to up the ante

1. Go seasonal

The best way to extract the maximum nutrients is to go seasonal. Adopt all seasonal fruits and veggies of your place. You can play with the recipe ingredients and can be an amazing chef. Cook and involve your children to learn and cook, of course not indulge in heavy cooking.

2. Be geographic and specific

If a Kolkata based obese working mother will be suggested to eat English breakfast like baked beans and rolled oats as a daily breakfast, she is surely going to give a big frown.

You must eat food available as per your geographic area. But, remember the portion and serving size determines what and how much nutrition you are adding in yours and family’s diet.  Ex- If potato and rice are most eaten food in your family, it means you all are eating more of carbohydrate and that too every day. The best you can do is lessen the amount of potato, include other seasonal veggies in the diet; include other grains like daliya/quinoa/oats/millets in place of eating rice every day.

 3. Colourful kitchen

When you see children laugh, they spread happiness. Make your kitchen colourful. No no, not through colors and paints but, trough colourful food stuff. Every color brings specific nutrients and add on nutrition level of your family. Eat colourful cherry and berries apart from just eating your conventional eating an apple in a day.

 4. Balanced approach

Check out your food pattern with a bird’s eye view. You should include different food groups in everyday’s diet. Apart from major grains like wheat, rice, bread, Dals do you include dairy products everyday or do you eat fruits, salad/soup everyday apart from just eating vegetables? A balanced approach will be justified when you include all seven food groups in daily diet in moderation along with good hydration. Food groups include- Cereals, protein, Milk, Vitamins and minerals, Fibres and water.

 5. Maintain healthy waist circumference

Monitoring waist and regular checking of weight itself tell you everything about your diet pattern in family. Don’t wait till the situation gets worst and you invite diseases. Take out 20-25 minutes for workout as per your interest and similarly involve your children in the physical activity rather than watching them quietly playing on electronic gadgets.

(A waist circumference of 40 inches or more in men, and 35 inches or more in women, is associated with weight related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure) 

 Working moms are real heroes of the family. And since they are the leaders, they should ensure for nutrition and healthy lifestyle.

( Nutrition and wellness consultant, RD, CDE)