Help! I'm Exhausted and I Can't Get Up! Food Boosts for Tired Moms

Your nine-month-old is teething, your work-at-home computer is covered in a layer of baby drool, and your boss wants it when? Mommying is exhausting, but you can't just lay down and nap. Heavens, no! The baby won't give you the luxury of taking a nap, so how can you? When you've just got to keep on going, you have to make sure to eat right. There are some great energy-giving foods that can really give you a boost when life saps you.

Eat your spinach. Ark! Ark! Ark! (or however one spells that sound Popeye makes)
That's right, spinach. Loaded with iron, spinach is energizing. That one-eyed sailor really knew what he was talking about. But you don't have to eat it canned. Fresh spinach leaves from the produce department can be had - prewashed! One less thing to do. Throw on a little chopped tomato and some walnuts (another good energy food), and you may just find you have the strength to conquer the Brutus in your life!

Get Fruity
Lots of fresh fruits are known for energizing. Bananas are loaded with potassium, which is a must-have for the dragged-down mama. Easy, shmeazy. They come prepackaged and you don't have to wash those either. Hey, we're all about ease, dear.

The Magical Fruit
Okay, we all know the little rhyme, so let's not get gross. But truly, beans are full of protein and iron, not to mention a whole host of other vitamins and minerals. B vitamins? You got it, baby. Try keeping a nice container of hummus in the fridge, along with some whole-wheat pita bread. This is a filling snack, and since it's so full of health benefits, it's okay that it is completely addictive. It's also one of those things that can be eaten over the sink in a pinch. (Don't forget, anything eaten over the sink doesn't count. I think the calories must slip down the drain or something. I forget.)

Get creative with your food. Your kids play with their food, so why can't you? If you can keep lots of healthy, easy-to-grab foods around, you'll be more likely to snag a handful of sunflower seeds than a Twinkie. Trust me - your body will thank you for it. And that teething baby? He needs you awake - not face-down in a bowl of Ben and Jerry's. (P.S. No, beer is not an energy food and yes, we wish it was.)