As time went on, family and friends offered less assistance to the new mom. She was finding herself short on time and sleep. Pressure from returning to work added to her list of responsibilities with her new family. Soon this working mom began feeling tired and run down. She lost her luminous glow and her once-bright eyes were dark and heavy. Somewhere in developing a routine for her baby's well-being she forgot to adopt a routine for herself. Maybe you, like this new mom, have let your good nutrition habits go. Vibrant in her intention to be the best mom, she forgot her own nutrition plan: skipping meals, feeding hunger with quick trips to the drive through window, and grabbing handfuls of potato chips for snacks.

And maybe you, too, are wondering, "Why can't I lose these extra pounds? How can I improve my nutrition and keep the healthy glow?" You may just need the simple reminder telling you to take care of yourself too. You can't care for your family if you are sick, tired, and malnourished.

Meeting your nutrition needs is challenging when you have the added demands of a family. Are you skipping breakfast and reaching for caffeine to keep up? Does lunch get by you only to later send you to the drive-thru? Missing meals means missing nutrients, and missing nutrients can leave you tired and hungry.

Get back on track with three meals a day and healthy snacks as your guide. Not only will a good daily meal plan improve your health, but you'll also lose any added baby weight over time.

Boost Energy with Breakfast In your race to get the baby to daycare and yourself to work, or the rest of the family out the door, breakfast may slip your mind. Skipping out on breakfast can rob you of so much energy you feel it into the next day.

Don't miss out on this stamina-building morning eating occasion! Think of your needs while meeting those of your toddler. For example, as you fill the sippie cup with the milk, pour a glass for yourself. Or, if you don't like milk, try a drinkable yogurt or flavored milk such as chocolate or strawberry.

Do whatever it takes to make sure you are getting something for breakfast that includes a source of calcium. You need 1000-1200 mg of calcium each day and you're more likely to meet that Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) if you start in the morning. Calcium is necessary for building and maintaining bone strength. With a busy schedule you're probably getting less than half the calcium you need.

Because you can't get by on yogurt and milk alone, instead of grabbing that pastry at the coffee shop or while running errands, reach for whole-grain foods such as instant oatmeal, LUNA bars, or slice of peanut-buttered whole-grain toast to compliment your morning dairy selection.

Mastering the Mid-Day Meal As you continue to build an energizing nutrition plan be sure to include a mid-day meal. The key to healthy lunching is planning ahead. Have lunches in mind during your weekend grocery store trip. If mid-day finds you at work, lunches brought from home can not only energize you, but can also save you time and money.

The night before, make yourself a delicious sandwich. Treat yourself to some gourmet touches such as a sun-dried tomato spread, hummus, or flavored mustards. Diversify the texture with roasted bell peppers, cucumbers, leaf lettuce, or vine ripened organic tomatoes. You can prepare a turkey and cheese sandwich at home, packing crunchy veggies separately. Right before lunch, zap the sandwich in the toaster oven until the cheese is slightly melted. Then, add the cool crisp extras.

Smart Snacking Fruits and veggies are a fabulous portable snack that will help you to meet your daily vitamin and mineral needs. As you're heading out for the day, be sure to pack two to three pieces of fresh fruit and some cut-up veggies for healthy snacking. "Ants On a Log" isn't just for kids; it's a good snack for you too. Spread some peanut butter on that celery stick and top it with a few raisins!

Dried fruits and nuts are also handy snacks to have around. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, adding º cup dried fruit and nut mix can help you reach the 20-35 grams of fiber recommended for each day and is a healthy source of non-animal protein.

Look to the Future with Dinner However busy their day, moms generally plan well ahead for dinner. When making dinner, why not make twice as much — keeping the extra for lunches the next day. If you are cooking two chicken breasts, you might as well cook four. If you are making salad, pull out a to-go container and throw an extra serving in it for your lunch tomorrow. Voila! You have the makings of a grilled chicken salad.

Water to Glow Want look like you get a facial every day? Stay hydrated with about eight to ten 8 ounce glasses of non-caffeinated, non-caloric fluids per day. Caffeine in excess can be dehydrating and high caloric drinks such as soda and juice can add up extra calories! If you need a morning cup of coffee, go for it but make sure you have a bottle of water handy to wash it down.

Skip the 300 calories in the glass of OJ and go for the whole orange instead. A well-hydrated body can better disperse nutrients where they need to go leaving you feeling less hungry and satisfied longer. If you are hungry and it is not mealtime, all it might take is a glass of water to feel fine.

Living Happily Ever After The essence of happily ever after for our new mom was, once she began planning meals, making healthier food choices and snacking smarter, she found she had more energy to meet her daily demands. Even when waking early, she had more stamina at the end of the day, was sick less often, and felt better about herself.

Keeping your toddler well fed and cared for is important but to keep up with him or her you need to be healthy yourself. Pay attention to nutrition needs — not skipping meals and choosing healthier foods — so you too can feel better about yourself and have more energy to be the best mom you can.

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