Let’s be real: cooking healthy meals as a student nurse and a mum feels like another full-time job. Between placements, uni, and keeping Miles (4) and Lara (2) alive and entertained, sometimes dinner ends up being… creative. But I’ve found a few go-to meals and snacks that keep us going, even on the most chaotic days.
1. Wraps = Life
If you know me, you know I live on wraps. They’re my go to food; throw in salad, some seasoned chicken, a bit of sauce, and done. When I’m feeling slightly more fun, I’ll turn wraps into pizzas (stick on some sauce, cheese, toppings, and oven them for 10 minutes). Honestly, I’ve even microwaved BBQ sauce and cheese in a wrap before and called it a mini calzone. Desperate times, tasty measures.
2. Toddler-Approved: Sausages, Mash & Gravy
I don’t know why, but this is the meal both my kids always eat without complaint. Lara even eats it like she’s in a food advert; fork in one hand, gravy dripping with a big grin. Meanwhile, Miles would probably live on chicken nuggets and ham wraps with soft cheese if I let him (he’s so obsessed that his school friends joke about it on playdates).
3. My “Mum Version” of Dinner
I try to sneak in less beige food for myself and surprisingly, Lara often wants to “try mammy’s” when I make something a little spicier or healthier. Miles? Not so much. He’ll happily trade my fajita bowl for a slice of bread.
4. Nurse-Life Snacks
For 13-hour shifts, fruit is my lifeline. Pre-sliced apple bags, bananas, satsumas are straight in my bag. And let’s be honest, I balance it out with sweet treats too. Luckily, there’s always a biscuit tin or some ‘thank you’ chocolates on the ward.
5. Slow Cooker & Air Fryer Saves
My Ninja air fryer is basically my best friend. It does quick meals in half the time (and means fewer distractions turn into burnt dinners). In winter, I swear by my slow cooker. Dump ingredients in before placement and come home to a warm meal. My go-to’s: spaghetti bolognese or panacalty (aka corned beef hash for anyone not from the North East).
6. The ADHD Factor
Confession: I’ve forgotten food was cooking more times than I can count. Unless it’s my feta pasta bake. I chop tomatoes, stick them in the oven with feta for 45 minutes (ish), and use the timer as a productivity alarm to get something else done.
ADHD also means I sometimes get wild with food combos. I once made a cheese toasty with mint sauce in(teenage experiment that my friends still laugh about).
7. Prep… Sometimes
Meal prep and I have a love-hate relationship. I’ll smash out a full week of prepped meals once in a blue moon, feel smug, and then never do it again. Mostly, it’s a last-minute fridge raid and panic wrap situation.
✨ The truth is, eating well doesn’t have to be complicated. Some days it’s a wrap, some days it’s slow cooker magic, and some days it’s chicken nuggets or noodles with the kids because that’s just what works. The balance is in knowing it doesn’t need to be perfect, just enough to keep you fuelled for mum life and nursing school chaos.
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