Meal planning is hard! There. I said it.
But really, it is a simple concept. Take some time to sit down, once a week, and decide what meals you’re going to have. But simple doesn’t mean easy.
The problem is that when it’s not a habit for you to find some time in your already busy week to meal plan- when it’s not a priority, it’s easy to find an excuse not to do it. Sound familiar?
But what happens when you don’t take some time to meal plan? Perhaps that week, you’re:
❌ Eating more takeout,
❌ Resorting to frozen, processed meals,
❌ Consuming less fresh fruits and veggies,
❌ Scratching your head every night trying to figure out “what the heck am I going to make for dinner”???
On the flip side, what happens when you do plan your meals? You will:
✅ Have everything on hand that you need to cook simple, healthy meals for the week
✅ Cook your meals at home
✅ Save money
✅ Not have to ask “what are we going to have for dinner tonight”?
Now, which scenario seems more appealing to you?
Personally, the weeks where I don’t make meal planning a non-negotiable activity are:
🤦♀️ the most chaotic weeks,
🤦♀️ the weeks I feel lower on energy because I’m likely not eating as well as I normally do,
🤦♀️ the weeks where I end up spending way more time in the kitchen, trying to make a meal from whatever I might have left in my pantry.
And I don’t like it. That’s why I meal plan. I’d rather invest 30-45 minutes on Thursday evenings to map out our meals for the week and place my online grocery order than to be faced with a chaotic, low-energy week.
Here are four simple steps to help you get started with meal planning this week:
1️⃣ Make an inventory of what you already have on hand. Go through your freezer, fridge and pantry. Make a list of the protein you can use in next week’s meals, and which fruits and veggies need to get used up ASAP to avoid food waste
2️⃣ Check your favourite grocery store’s flyer to see what’s on sale. Consider integrating these items to next week’s meals.
3️⃣ Come up with the meals you want to eat based on what’s on sale, and what you already have on hand.
PRO TIP: Keep it simple at first. Consider planning to make what I call “component meals,” which include protein, fibre, veggies and healthy fats — for example, chicken with pasta and roasted veggies.
4️⃣ Make your grocery list based on your meal plan. Go through the recipes you selected one by one, and jot down the ingredients you’ll need to purchase to make the meal.
And there you have it! You planned your meals for the week!!
Now, the trick is to do it all over again next week, and the week after that, too! It becomes easier, a habit even, with time. So without aiming for perfection, try it, and adjust as required next week.
I work with busy women to help them release weight without giving up the foods they love. Most of these women are tired of dieting without getting any real results, they’re eating too many processed foods, and they have a closet full of clothes that don’t fit! Together we work on releasing any guilt associated with food choices and learn to eat the foods that our body wants and needs to feel energized and happy, without spending hours in the kitchen every day.
Eating well and feeling great doesn’t have to be complicated! Want to learn more? Get in touch with me to schedule your free consultation so that we can create a personalized plan of action that will suit your needs so that you can finally experience the results you’ve been after!
Meal Plan – July 5th, 2019
