Your child is thriving and hitting all his developmental milestones. But what about you? Are the demands of motherhood taking their toll?
Peanut Butter Fruit Napoleon
Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
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- ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
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- 1 Tbsp. honey
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- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
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- ? tsp. ground nutmeg
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- 1 Granny Smith apple
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- 1 pear
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- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
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- ¼ cup seedless raisins, plus 4 tsp. for garnish
Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. Quarter the apple and pear and remove the core. Slice each quarter into four thin slices.
3. To build the napoleon, lay four pear slices onto each of four plates. The pear slices should be facing in the same direction and touching each other to create the bottom layer of the napoleon.
4. Top with 1 Tbsp. of peanut butter and, using the back of a spoon, spread evenly to coat.
5. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of raisins on top.
6. Layer four apple slices over the peanut butter and raisins.
7. Spoon on 1 Tbsp. of the yogurt mixture and, using the back of a spoon, spread evenly to coat.
8. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of the raisins over the yogurt to garnish. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information (per Napoleon): 218 calories, 34 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 8 g fat (2 g saturated), 7 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 91 mg sodium
Created by Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, for the National Peanut Board
The way many of us cope with stress is by loading up on caloric, nutrient-poor foods (Hello, big ice cream bowl!), drinking too much alcohol or consuming too much caffeine. But that often exacerbates stress, making us feel worse and sabotaging our health and spirit.
“In order to make any successful changes in how you cope, moms need to first identify how stress affects them and their food, fitness and lifestyle habits,” says Elisa Zied, MS, RDN, author of Younger Next Week.
For example, does stress make you go to the nearest drive-thru for fast food? Do you skip your workout or spend more time watching TV or surfing the Internet? Do you sleep less (or worse) because you have too much to get done or your mind races?
Once you realize how stress affects your personal habits, work toward tweaking one or two of these behaviors at a time to get back on track, Zied says. For example, set an alarm every hour to remind you to take 10 minutes to stand, stretch, take a short walk or climb stairs if physical activity is lacking.
Nutrient-rich plus a treat
Mad Men viewers were shocked by the scene of a pregnant Betty Draper smoking and enjoying a glass of wine. Yet two generations ago, women’s lifestyles were healthier in other ways than they are now. A Mayo Clinic Proceedings study found today’s mothers are less physically active than mothers in the 1960s. Today’s moms need to eat 175 to 225 fewer calories to prevent weight gain than the Mad Men-era moms.
You know the drill. Focus on a dietary pattern that includes fruits and vegetables, protein-rich foods, low fat dairy, whole grains and healthy fats.
What about treats? Zied says give yourself permission to include small amounts of chocolate, cookies, wine or even some French fries daily. “Not every calorie moms consume has to be nutritious. As long as most of the foods and beverages are power-packed, a few items that don’t fall into basic food groups can fit in just fine.”
