Day 7: Breakfasts are a breeze, lunches aren't really a problem, but not eating out at dinner is starting to wear on me.

Today, I had exactly 45 minutes between classes to feed my kids and pick up their babysitter ... before running off again. We're already in the car, I thought to myself, it would be a lot easier to just pick something up.

Instead, we all came home, shrugged off our winter wear and whipped up a quick dinner that might have included freezer waffles (whole grain, at least!).

We pulled coats, hats and mittens on just in time to run back out the door, but we all had full bellies of nutritious foods -- low-fat and low-cal for me -- rather than hamburgers or chicken nuggets. Plus, the bonus time talking around the dinner table was nice. Later, in class, I realized that I wasn't cranky and over-stuffed like I usually am after eating something on the run.

It kind of makes me wonder what came first -- was fast food created to accommodate our increasingly hectic lives, or do we feel like squeezing in a meal is an afterthought because fast food exists? Either way, taking the time to sit down and eat has been a pleasure this week, even if I'm darn tired of standing in that kitchen.