You know those moms whose kids are always dressed in new, cute outfits? The moms who have a spin class to rush to after carpool and chair a non-profit in their free time? Yeah, that wasn’t me. When my twins were in elementary school, just getting them dressed, fed, and on the bus felt like a victory. I was so busy that I didn’t really have time to take care of myself. After years of eating chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, and other kid foods, I started gaining weight and feeling a lot less healthy. When my twins started 7th grade, they gained a lot more independence. I finally had some breathing room, which is when I realized that I had spent so long making my life all about them that it was hard for me to focus on myself. I decided that the first place I’d start with was my health, figuring out how to eat grown-up food and get the nutrition I needed to be energized, happy and strong. But I still didn’t have enough time to cook myself completely separate meals, and even though the twins have graduated from nuggets, they didn’t want to eat sauteed spinach with pine nuts for protein.
I decided to crowd-source some advice, and made my Facebook status “Fellow moms, how do you eat healthy on a busy schedule? Help!!!” To my surprise, I got a lot of responses, and three of my mom-friends suggested Daily Harvest. Daily Harvest is a plan that delivers Harvest Bowls, soups, smoothies, to your home on a monthly or weekly basis, that are ready in minutes. They are filled with perfectly portioned fresh produce and specialty ingredients I just don’t have time to find on my own — because honestly who knows which aisle the acai berries are in! They flash freeze the ingredients at peak ripeness, so they have maximum nutritional value, and the smoothies come in a wide variety of tasty flavor combinations like Chocolate + Hazelnut and Strawberry + Peach. I figured since other moms I knew said Daily Harvest was keeping them healthy, I should give it a shot!
I chose the 9-cup weekly plan that would send me smoothies that I planned to eat for breakfast, plus some savory Harvest Bowl options I could eat for a healthier dinner option a few nights a week, like the Cauliflower Rice + Pesto Harvest bowl and the Butternut Squash + Chimichurri Harvest bowl. When they arrived, they were frozen in a box with dry ice, and I just threw them in the freezer. The next morning I tried my first smoothie. I decided on the Chai + Coconut smoothie cup and poured the ingredients into the blender. It was cool to see all the real, whole foods like zucchini slices, spices, and coconut shavings. I added some water, blended for 30 seconds, and poured the smoothie back into the same cup (which totally saves clean-up time!). It tasted so delicious, I couldn’t believe I was getting fruits and veggies for breakfast, or that it had really only taken 30 seconds. When my twins came down the stairs complaining about their allowance, I had my nutrition-packed breakfast to fortify me against that headache.
It’s been two months, and I’m absolutely loving using Daily Harvest to add clean nutrition into my diet. I have been noticeably happier, and I’ve noticed that I have since found the motivation to make it to some of those spin classes I never had the energy for. I am finally that mom! Daily Harvest is a total steal compared to the cost of all the separate healthy groceries that often go bad before I have time to use them up. It’s true that what you eat has a huge effect on your mood and brain function and I feel so much more prepared for the day when I start my morning with Daily Harvest. I’ve even lost a few pounds because I don’t crave sugar in the middle of the day like I used to. Daily Harvest is my secret weapon for getting nutrition, without the hassle of cooking or grocery shopping.
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