Meal Planning
Do you ask yourself this question everyday: “What am I doing for dinner tonight?” Then you rummage through your fridge to find leftovers, expired food and items from your last grocery run which you didn't end up using. If you're lucky, you might end up putting a plate together of mismatched foods, but is this what you want? There might also be times where you decide try a new recipe but in the middle of preparing it you realized that you forgot to buy one ingredient. Does this sound like you? Please read on.
Image by Ello
Meal planning is where you decide on what you are going to eat ahead of time. Planning your meals allows you to create grocery lists to include the ingredients you need to prepare your meals. It will also allow you to decide on which days to cook, and which days to order take out. Meal planning gives you the opportunity to start meal preparing. You can meal plan without meal prepping, but you can’t meal prep without planning. You can meal prep some or all of your meals if you wish, which is super helpful on days when you don't have time.
Meal prep also helps you manage your diet. It gives you a better understanding of what you're eating, track your nutrient intake or indicate if you're eating too much of the same types of foods. It might not seem like it, but eating regular meals and having a balanced diet is a chore that takes effort and coordination. Preparing lunch everyday is work, but it’s necessary for us to re-energize so that we can make it through our workday. If we don't do this, our bodies will shut down and we don't be as productive.
Meal planning allows you to:
Avoid having to figure out what to eat everyday
Stay within a budget
Manage your diet
Have the ingredients ready that you need
Image by Ella Olsson
How to Start Meal Planning
Start by creating a list of meals that you like. Then start ranking them on which take the longest to make. Plan to make the meals that take longer on days when you have more time. Strategically plan to make quick meals on busy days. There is nothing wrong with scheduling takeout days either.
If you’re interested in getting starting with meal planning, let us help you! Based on your culinary skills, preferences and dietary restrictions, we will suggest some recipes, and help you decide on which days to cook, meal prep, order in, and create a weekly grocery list for you.
You won't be confused at the grocery store trying figure out what you'll eat anymore. We’ll help you plan your meals so that you can focus on more important tasks. Contact us today to get started!
Until next time, stay balanced!