by Erika Smith
Weight Loss Coach, Personal Trainer Food
From baseball practice to hockey games, and all the way back across town for drum lessons—I am a very busy mom of three boys. Like so many other moms during the after school or weekend shuffle, what to cook for dinner is usually the last thing on my mind.
I have always been a very health-conscious person. When my kids were little we hardly ever ate out. I always prepared meals at home. However, as my kids got older and they got more involved in sports and other activities, I’m embarrassed to say that I found myself pulling into the nearest fast food restaurant on more than one occasion.
Just a few months ago after a very long week of sports in various locations —my husband approached me with a very concerned look on his face. “How many times have you gone through McDonald’s drive thru this week?” he asked me. I stopped to think back and smiled, pleased in my response, “only two times,” I said.
Then he asked me about the four other fast food restaurants I drove thru and it hit me—I had actually fed my family from the drive-thru 6 times! A total of four dinners and two lunches that week, costing us around $96 — all of it unhealthy fast food.
After our conversation I continued to eat out for a few weeks, but the guilt got the best of me and I knew it was time for a change. The change needed to include easy meals that I could make at home as I was in a hurry racing out the door, or once we got home a little later in the evening when cooking a big meal was no longer an option. Most importantly, I was looking for healthy meals that my kids would actually want to eat. I work at Personal Trainer Food so I ordered the items our family would like best and headed home.
Once I unloaded the food in the freezer, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Finally! Meals I could make for my entire family in three minutes or less. Not only was it easy to make, but it was healthy food my kids couldn’t get enough of. That’s how “no-cook suppers” made their way into the Smith house. The kids devour the gluten free chicken strips and my husband is frequently caught heating up yet another teriyaki chicken or sesame ginger chicken.
We still eat fast food all the time—but this fast food doesn’t break the bank, saves me time in the kitchen (so I can find the lost cleats we need for my son’s baseball game) and allows us to eat healthy meals. This mom gives the “no-cook supper” convenience of Personal Trainer Food two thumbs up.
About the Writer
Erika Smith joined Personal Trainer Food™ with seven years of combined experience in public relations, radio and sports management. Aside from being a fitness and sports enthusiast, she is a busy mother of three young boys. If she’s not at a hockey rink or soccer field cheering on her kids, you can find her on a running trail training for her next race.
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