How to Eat Like a H.O.T. Mom (Even When You Haven’t Showered 2 Days)
I’ve been a registered dietitian for over 8 years and an enthusiastic lover of food for 31. But I’ve only been a working mom for 22 months. And I can tell you that while my passion for nutrition has never wavered, my bandwidth for cooking sure has.
Before giving birth, I could happily spend hours in the kitchen. In fact, I’d wake up on Sunday excited to visit all of my favorite grocery stores, chop produce to my favorite soundtrack, and plate aesthetic meals I could post on Instagram.
Now, that sounds like Hell.
Yet like many of us, I have aspirations to be a HOT mom. Not a frumpy mom, not a frazzled mom, but a H-O-T mom. So in the kitchen, I prevail. It simply looks a little different than it used to.
What is a HOT mom actually?
When you picture a HOT mom, what do you see? A thin woman hopping out of her Range Rover dressed out in a black Lululemon set? A mom with perfectly manicured nails hitting up a pilates workout every morning before she meets her equally hot mom friends for matcha?
As much as I want to be that kind of hot mom, I’m not. I average at a dress size 8, bite my nails, and can’t convince my husband to go into debt for a luxury vehicle. However, I still insist on being a HOT mom, so I’ve made up my own definition of HOT.
Whether you’re a mom, pregnant, or just a baddie who wants a baby one day, feel free to steal it.
H= Healthy.
Duh! How can you can feel HOT if you feel like a dumpster? For me, being healthy starts with the food I put in my body. It’s gotta be nutritious and balanced, which helps keep me energized, stable, and well. Below, I share how I make all my meals nutritious by using my P.L.A.T.E. Framework. I promise, it’s not complicated.
O= Organized.
A HOT mom doesn’t play when it comes to her and her family’s wellbeing. She plans meals, gets her booty to the store (or on Instacart), and cooks a healthy dinner even when she’d rather toss a frozen pizza in the oven for the 3rd day in a row. She knows it takes some extra time and effort but for her, it’s always worth giving up 15 minutes doom scrolling.
T= Thriving.
Here’s the thing- thriving is a choice. HOT moms know this. You can drown in the chaos of being a mom by playing the victim, or you can choose to rise above it. In this case, we’re not going to let the tantrums, daycare illnesses, or lack of sleep keep us from nourishing our bodies with healthy meals. We’re making the deliberate choice to thrive, and it starts with food.
I’ll show you how I make it simple— with the Full P.L.A.T.E. Method.
The Full P.L.A.T.E. Method
Outside of motherhood, speaking to companies, organizations, and women’s conferences about health and wellness is my passion. And when it comes to breaking down the science and art of healthy eating to groups as big as 1,000 people, I’ve found the simplest formulas are the most transformational.
That’s why I developed a few frameworks for my keynotes. The one I’ll share with you today is called the Full P.L.A.T.E. Method, and it’s my hack for those who have full plates (get it?) but want to eat nutritious meals that keep them satiated, focused, and energized for hours!
P= Protein
Start here. Protein anchors a meal, and helps build the muscles you’re (hopefully) working on in your workouts. A meal without protein is just a snack. A palm-size portion is a good place to start. I lean heavily on crockpot shredded chicken, ground turkey, plain Greek yogurt, and eggs.
L= Load Fiber
Fiber is like a shovel- it binds to everything in your gut and keeps it moving right along. HOT moms poop regularly and comfortably, so fiber is a non-negotiable. I look to sources of complex carbs like sweet potato, old-fashioned oats, beans, and brown rice. These foods give us plenty of energy without weighing us down.
A= Add a Healthy Fat
Unlike carbs, which give your body a quick dose of fuel, fats give you a slower source of quality fuel. They send a message to your brain that says, "“hey brain, we’re good on energy. No need to seek out junk food or mindlessly snack.” Healthy fats are anti-inflammatory. Think avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
T= Two Colors
Time to audit your plate. Is there any color, or is everything beige? This is your opportunity to boost the nutrition with colorful fruits and vegetables! There should be at least 2 colors on every plate and ideally, one of them is green. Any vegetable or fruit counts, though the darker the color, the richer the nutrients. My go-to’s are berries, dark cherries, kale or spinach, purple carrots, and bell peppers.
E= Enough is Enough
Here’s the skill that takes practice. Even if you create the most nutritious plate in the history of mankind, you must stop when you feel full. I know— much easier said than done. But being a HOT mom is all about feeling good, and that’s hard to do when you’re stuffed. To help with portion control, I swear by the hunger scale. It’s a tool that describes levels of hunger and fullness on a scale from 1-10.
1- Painfully Hungry: So starved you feel dizzy and lightheaded, sometimes with an upset stomach or nausea.
2- Hangry: Feeling moody, irritable, and distracted by the empty pit feeling in your gut that won’t go away.
3- Hungry: Thoughts of food become frequent as your stomach rumbles; you feel like you need energy.
4- Somewhat Hungry: Stomach feels slightly empty but hunger doesn’t feel urgent. You may think, “I could eat.”
5- Neutral: Neither hungry or full.
6- Somewhat Full: Stomach feels full but not completely satisfied. Thoughts of food become less intense or frequent.
7- Satisfied: Stomach feels comfortably full, and you’re ready to move on to your next task.
8- Too Full: You feel full, slightly past the point of comfort. You may feel the need to rest and digest before moving on to your next task.
9- Uncomfortably Full: Stuffed to the point of needing to change into loose fitting clothing. You may want to take a nap.
10- Binge: Physical discomfort to the point of feeling sick or nauseous, often follows a binge eating episode.
Your goal is stop start eating when you feel between a 3-4, and stop at a 7. Yes, even if that means you throw some food away or toss it to the dog. I promise, you’ll be OK.
Psst- I write in depth about the hunger scale in chapter 2 of my book How to Eat Like a Normal Person.
stunning image found on cosmos.com by @savchenko_photo on Instagram
Steal My Meals
As a HOT mom, you may not want to spend all of your precious time recipe hunting. I get it, that’s why I created a FREE HOT Mom’s Guide Healthy Eating [snag it here!]
The guide includes 21 Dietitian-approved breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that…
Require less than 20 minutes of prep work
Are great for leftovers
Follow the P.L.A.T.E Method
If your offspring or spouse refuses to eat them, don’t fight them or bend to their Dino nuggets desires. Rather, whip them up a PB&J while your healthy meal simmers or bakes.
For a nutritious PB&J, use sprouted grain bread, Smash jam (no added sugar), and natural peanut butter. It’s got way more nutrition and less added junk than traditional PB&Js. This means on your laziest days, you can eat one, too. :-)
So next time you find yourself agonizing over what to make for dinner, reduce your decision fatigue by referencing your HOT Mom’s Healthy Eating Guide.
