Taking Care of Yourself by Eating Healthy

I recently spent a significant amount of time at the hospital with a loved one, and the truth be told, it was a complete emotional and physical drain.  Not only were we dealing with doctors and nurses and surgeons and insurance companies, but I was still working part-time and caring for my house and four-legged babies.

I lucked out that the hospital had a very decent cafeteria available for breakfast and lunch (dinner was another story, mind you).  I tried very hard to make smart decisions that would care for my body and keep it running to take care of everything that was going on.

Out of the options available, here are a few of the things that kept me fueled to handle things:

• Breakfast – I started my days with whole wheat pancakes and a hard-boiled egg. Yes, the syrup on the pancakes was not really the best option, but I enjoyed the heck out of it and the whole wheat does provide nutrition and the egg provides protein.
• Lunch and Snacks – I mostly stuck with tuna sandwiches just because it was easy and quick and filling. I always added my lettuce and cucumbers for a boost of veggies, and made sure to make a spinach salad at the salad bar as well.  While I was there I tended to grab another hard-boiled egg or apples with peanut butter for my afternoon snack. In a moment of weakness, I may or may not have also had their banana pudding.  It’s healthy because of the fruit!
• Dinner – Most of the lunch counters closed before dinner so the options dropped dramatically. I usually ended up with another spinach salad and a cup of broth-based soup.  Nourishing, comforting, and reasonably healthy all at the same time.