Meal Planning and Prep: The Basics
Meal Planning and Preparation
Why should you meal plan and prep?
Failing to plan is planning to fail. When a plan doesn’t exist, we revert back to what’s easiest (our habit). What’s easiest doesn’t equal healthiest.
Here are some other reasons:
Save money.
Save time.
Eat balanced, healthy meals.
Eat an appropriate amount of calories.
Keep undesired and/or hard to resist food out of the house.
What is meal planning?
Schedule what will be served for food that week (or whatever time frame you want to or can work with).
The plan includes EVERYTHING from breakfast to dinner and any snacks in between for you and your whole household.
How to meal plan:
Choose your meal philosophy and the top guidelines for choosing your meals;
i.e. Lean proteins, fruits, veggies, and whole grains; Quick and easy to prepare; Makes leftovers; Budget-friendly.
From these requirements make a list of possible meals.
Do your research - look through cookbooks, get online and search
Foodnetwork.com; MarthaStewart.com/recipes; Cleaneatingmag.com; Cookinglight.com; Skinnytaste.com; Eatingbirdfood.com; Katheats.com; Cooksmarts.com; Fannetasticfood.com; MyFitnessPal blog
Try not to put anything on the list that any family member despises
However, when it comes to kids - have them try a little of everything
Your list may be seasonal to use different appliances
Start plugging meals in each open “spot”.
Selection will depend on the schedule for that day and how long it takes to prepare and serve that meal
Make your grocery list.
Check your pantry and refrigerator and see what’s needed
Shop for those items and only those items (no impulse buys)
What is meal prep (preparation)?
Anything you would do in advance to have food served and prepared by the time it needs to be ready.
This is different for everyone! (i.e. can be as simple as just grocery shopping or as complex as creating and storing entire meals)
Can be many different things:
Cutting, slicing, or spiralizing vegetables
Thawing, cutting or cooking meat
Pre-soaking or cooking beans or grains (rice, quinoa, etc.)
Preparing sauces or marinades
Measuring ingredients and setting them aside for later
The goal of meal prep is to facilitate the necessary steps to ensure you eat what is planned.
Helpful tips:
Shop for items/ingredients that can be used multiple times, i.e.:
Sliced bell peppers for lunches and for fajitas at dinner
Spinach for omelets and sandwiches
Purchase ingredients in bulk if you will be using them very often, for example:
Chicken breast, Beans, Grains, Eggs
Plan to use ingredients in different ways throughout the week, i.e.:
Brown rice for a side and then in a stir fry
Roasted vegetables as a side and then in a frittata
Chicken leftovers in a salad
Double recipes when possible and leave leftovers for later in the week, freeze the rest for another week
Have a standard day/time that you grocery shop so you know when your list needs to be competed. Also, if you follow a schedule you’ll always have a meal plan, fresh groceries in the house, and less wasted food.
Have the family help with the list of meals to choose from.
Plan ahead on when you will meal prep and try to combine as many steps as possible.
Assemble ingredients while roasting meat in the oven
Chop vegetables while cooking rice on the stove top
Divide and conquer - what can the family do to help with serving or preparing meals?
Set the table
Pour drinks
Unload the dishwasher
Repetition is ok! Weekday and weeknight meals should be treated as fuel. Indulge on the weekend when you have more time to relax and enjoy your food.
Plan fun in your meal plan - date night, family outings and events, etc.
Plan snacks that will keep you from getting hungry until your next meal - don’t forget about long drives/commutes, kids’ practices and games, work events or conferences.
Plan your “go to”’s WSHTF.
Restaurants that you might go to and “better” items to order
Meals you can keep in the freezer or staple items in the pantry
The more you meal plan and prep the more efficient you will become. At first this may seem daunting and tedious, but the more you will be able to get faster and overall it will be an easier process.
Next Steps
Start today! Take the attached meal planner (or another one you like) and write your meals and snacks in for the week. Look up or research any recipes you need to fill in.
Check what you have stocked in your house and make a grocery list of what you need to get. Go grocery shopping.
Stick to the meals on your list. Only go off the plan if you absolutely need to. Then, go to your back-up plan.
Don’t give up. Results are on their way!