Meal planning is the simple act of taking some time to plan any number of meals for the week ahead…but how do you do it?
HOW TO PLAN
- Look ahead – Decide when you want to cook, when you want the convenience of reheating a meal, and how many people you need to cater for.
- Make a plan – Decide on the meals that you will eat. Think about whether you can use ingredients more than once to minimize waste. Write out your menu.
- Make a shopping list – Finalize your plan and make a shopping list to match your serving sizes and the days you are shopping for.
- Go shopping – Go shopping and stick to your shopping list. You could even see if your supermarket delivers.
- Bulk cook – Prepare ahead by bulk cooking. Things you can cook in advance include chilis, hard-boiled eggs, legume dishes, roasted vegetables, mason jar salads, potatoes, and stews. Pack your prepped food in stackable clear containers. If you want information on how to prepare freezer meals, click here.
BENEFITS OF PLANNING
Meal planning saves you time, money and calories.
- Time – If your menu is planned ahead of time, you will require fewer trips to the grocery store and spend less time when you are there (as a shopping list will stop you wandering around aimlessly and make you less likely to forget things).
- Stress – Planning means you know what needs to be prepped and can do it in bulk. You can chop vegetables and store them for another meal, or you can cook meals to reheat another day.
- Money – When you plan and cook your own meals, you are most likely saving money compared to purchasing the same type of meal in a restaurant or from a takeaway.
- Nutrition – When you plan ahead, you can make smart choices related to your personal health and fitness needs. If you combine planning with bulk cooking, it gives you a little more incentive to eat the healthy things you’ve already planned out and taken the time to cook.
If you need help with your nutrition, book a call today to speak with a nutrition coach. This is what we do, why not see if we can help? Book using this link https://collectivefit.ca/nutrition/