Beginning meal planning can be daunting, so starting off slowly with a weekly plan may be the way to go. This plan was created with someone needing approximately 2,000 calories daily in mind; your individual calorie target may differ. Meal planning can be invaluable for busy professionals with families to feed. Not only can it reduce stress associated with food and mealtime, but it can also provide more confidence when it comes time to sit down for meals themselves.
1. Plan Your Meals
Making time to plan out your meals and snacks can help save money and pick healthier food. Use our free meal-planning template (link below), or just use pen and paper; be sure to include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks!
Begin by selecting quick and easy “core meals” to quickly prepare on busy days. Next, incorporate one or two new recipes for variety; consider creating tray bakes or one-pot meals to reduce dishwashing time and to ensure healthy ingredients will be enjoyed by everyone in your household.
2. Make a Grocery List
Prior to heading out shopping, it’s essential that you create a detailed grocery list to remain within budget and reduce food waste. By creating a list, shopping for healthful items becomes much simpler—helping ensure that they support your healthy eating goals and saving time in the store! Plus, this method makes the entire shopping experience more efficient.
Assemble a staple list that includes items you use frequently, like brown rice, canned beans, and frozen vegetables. By having these essential items ready-to-use in your pantry when time is short, you can create nutritious meals quickly and efficiently.
3. Buy Only What You Need
An easy meal planning blueprint can save time and prevent food waste. Furthermore, having such a plan in place can help ensure a healthier and more well-rounded diet is followed.
Start meal planning by using items already present in your kitchen and selecting family favorites as ingredients for meals. This can help get kids involved while simultaneously helping reduce dinnertime chaos. Setting themes for specific nights of the week—such as Taco Tuesday or Meatless Mondays—can also help keep you on track and make grocery shopping simpler.
4. Make a Menu Plan
As soon as you know how many meals are necessary, go through your pantry and freezer to see what foods you already have available to make meals—including breakfast and lunch options—using these ingredients. Make a list of meals you could make using them—then start planning!
Find meals that your entire family will enjoy; this will increase the odds that they’ll stick with their meal plans! Diversifying your menu on a regular basis is another effective way to stave off food boredom and add spice to cooking! A good rule of thumb would be adding one new recipe each week.
5. Plan Your Snacks
Prepare healthy snacks so they are available when needed between meals, such as whole grain or rye crackers, low-fat, no-sugar-added yogurt, fresh or plain frozen fruit, low-sodium cold cuts, unsalted nuts, and an assortment of salads.
Real Plans is a meal planning tool that makes healthy meal planning and shopping lists simple and quick, with settings tailored to meet family dietary requirements (food allergies/intolerances/preferences). This valuable feature has proven itself invaluable for many households!
6. Keep a Meal Journal
Tracking what you eat and drink is an invaluable way to establish healthy eating habits. There are numerous food journal apps available; alternatively, you could simply keep a written record using paper and pen.
Be sure to measure food or drinks, if possible, so as to accurately record portion sizes. Guesstimating can lead to either overestimating or underestimating intake. At the end of each week, review and analyze your food journal. This can help identify patterns that might not be serving you well—like frequenting an office vending machine for afternoon snacks.
7. Make a Plan for the Month Ahead
Preparing for the month ahead doesn’t need to be daunting. Start by reflecting back on last month, what went well and where there may have been obstacles, and how you hope to approach next month.
Make a meal plan using recipes using similar ingredients (chicken, vegetables, or fish) so you can prepare everything at once and feed your family on multiple nights. Perhaps plan a themed night (pizza, tacos, or bowls), or opt for family-friendly options like Meatless Mondays. Try eating your meals in the order that’s most advantageous to you—vegetables, proteins, and carbs in that order—this can help slow digestion and avoid sudden spikes in blood sugar.
8. Keep a Food Journal
Food journals can help increase awareness of your eating habits and facilitate positive change. There are various methods for keeping a food journal, from apps on smartphones and paper diaries to online programs—choose one that best fits you!
Be sure to include key details, such as the time and location of each meal, how much was eaten, and any distractions or emotions experienced prior to and after eating, as well as any distractions or emotions experienced before and after each meal. This can help identify unhealthy patterns such as preferring processed foods over fruits and veggies or overeating in the evenings.
9. Keep a Meal Journal
Staying on track with what you eat and drink each day requires keeping a diary or journal of what you eat and drink each day—whether that means using an app on your smartphone, a notebook, a meal planner, or scrap paper! Keep an accurate account of where and when meals and snacks occur as well as approximate portions and how they made you feel both before and after eating.
Keep a food journal to become more self-aware about unhealthy eating patterns. For instance, keeping track of what you consume every week might reveal that you overeat due to stress or boredom and can help create SMART goals that promote change.
