A Little Easy Mac Never Hurt Anyone

Meal and snack time routines have been a little crazy since our daughter was diagnosed with diabetes. I can't even count the number of actual steps it takes to check her blood glucose level, get her meal prepared (counted, weighed, measured), get her to actually eat everything since I have to calculate, figure out the number of carbs consumed, figure out the ratios and calculate the insulin dosage, give her the injection, and let her leave the table.

All of this with a 16 month old with a voracious appetite that always wants more (more food and more attention).

Mealtime is hectic to put it mildly.

Add two parents who work full-time.

Something's gotta give.

Something that I have not been able to live without in the past few months is prepackaged food. Of course I wish I could cook three healthy meals a day. But the reality is that I need to be quick and I need to know exact serving sizes and carb counts.

Butoni frozen pasta meals that my husband can fix in 10 minutes, pre-portioned snacks like Annie's cheddar bunnies, Fruitabu, individual yogurt cups like Yoplait kids, and yes, even the more-than-occasional Easy Mac, expedite mealtime. These are all saving my sanity and lowering my stress level.

My family eats a well-balanced diet for the most part. But I don't know where I would be without these convenience foods.

Now if there are any aspiring chefs who would like to come cook for us and can figure out the carbs and serving sizes in their recipes, I would certainly appreciate the help! Feel free to stock my freezer.

This post is written as part of Parent Bloggers Network blogblast "What Moms Can't Live Without" that is sponsored by Yoplait Kids.