6 Tips for Meal Planning

It’s the new year and you’re determined to improve your health one way or another. You have probably started a new exercise routine, paid for a gym membership or booked the doctor’s appointment, but the thought of improving your diet is still a little daunting to you. I’m here to help.

One of the main things we need to make a ‘healthy’ diet is consistency, and that’s hard. You are already into your routine of skipping breakfast or eating sweets at 9 pm while watching Netflix and the thought of having to plan your meals is exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be.

Meal planning is the act of making the commitment to decide which meals you will eat in advance. This is generally for a few days to a week. You will consider the meals you and your family members enjoy, the ingredients you have on hand, time allotted for preparing and cooking, as well as proper storage.

But what are the benefits of meal planning you may ask?

1. Make healthier food decisions – Having a plan will make you less likely to reach for foods that are worse for health.
2. Reaching your health goals – A plan of action for your meals will get you to your goal much quicker than simply hoping for the best. You will see the best results whether you want to gain or lose weight or manage your blood sugar and PCOS symptoms
3. Less confusion at the supermarket – Making a list of items that you need that corresponds to the meals you have planned, will cut down on the time and money spent in the supermarket.
4. Less waste – Instead of buying all the things that look good and only using a fraction of it before it spoils, you will buy exactly what you need and likely use it all.
5. Reduce decision fatigue – If you’ve tried to improve your health you know that sometimes you just don’t know what to eat, but making a plan in advance will remove that feeling all together.

Let me walk you through 6 simple tips to make meal planning work for you:

1. Make a list

This list should include meals from your typical diet. Do not make it complicated. Write down any meal that you like and generally eat. Try having 3 – 5 meals in each of the following categories

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Snacks

2. Consider time management

If you are new to meal planning find out how long it takes you to prepare and cook the meals in the list you just created above. The main gripe people have with planning and preparing meals is the time it takes, but knowing the time you need will increase the likelihood of you making changes to your routine to get it done.

3. Start small

You don’t need to prepare and cook a large portion all at once to plan your meals. Start small by planning 1 – 2 meals for the week and move forward from there. The goal is to make sustainable changes to your diet which generally occurs when it is small, slow and steady.

4. Try new recipes

Variety is the spice of life, and that definitely includes food. Once you get comfortable planning and preparing your typical meals, make an effort to find and try new recipes to break the monotony and vary your nutrient intake.

5. Change up the flavours

Some persons have a restricted diet due to allergies, sensitivities or preferences, and hence will not get to enjoy many new recipes. In that case, I would suggest keeping your base in ingredient the same, while changing the seasonings or the way you prepare it. Examples:

• Chicken – baked, jerk, curried, stewed or parmesan
• Eggs – boiled, scrambled or in an omelette
• Rice – rice & peas, fried rice, rice in a burrito bowl

6. Consider storage time

Remember to factor in where and how long you will store your meals once prepared and cooked to prevent bacteria from multiplying in your food. Example:

• Raw chicken in freezer – up to 9 months
• Raw chicken in the fridge – up to 2 days
• Cooked chicken in the fridge – up to 3 days

Meal planning takes time, but it does not have to be complicated. Stick to what you like and use the time available to you. Even if you are not consistent, do what you can, when you can and it will definitely make a positive impact on your health.

If you need help with creating meal plans and sticking to them improve your health, request an Initial Nutrition Evaluation here and start your health journey with ease and support.