We are all so busy in our day to day lives, it’s hard to fit anything else in, right? Have you ever thought about meal planning, but just never took the time to do it? Have you ever said to yourself, how do I start meal planning when I already have too much to do? So, you just keep on winging it from day to day and hoping things will slow down soon.
The thing is, your life probably is not going to slow down significantly any time soon. And, the ruth is that if you start meal planning, it might just make your life a little less hectic and stressful. Who doesn’t want that.
But, I get it, it is another thing that you have to remember to do. The good news is that you’ll save yourself some time each day because you won’t have to think, “what’s for dinner” and come up with a quick answer or wonder if you even have what it takes to make it. You’ll already know because you took a few minute to plan it out already.
Getting Started with Meal Planning
First of all, do you have meals that you make on a regular basis? If the answer is yes and you are happy with these meals, then your job will be super easy. You can just come up with a list of your meals and drop them in a calendar. It can be a digital or physical calendar, whichever works for you. If you don’t have 2-3 weeks worth, you might want to look for some more recipes or ideas to make sure you have a variety. I personally rely on Pinterest for almost all of my recipes.
If you don’t have your go to meals or you’re not happy with what you’ve currently been eating, or maybe you’re trying to incorporate some healthier meals, then starting your meal planning might take a little extra time. But, don’t be discouraged because with the extra effort and time in the beginning you’ll save yourself time, stress, and your health down the road.
Make sure you’re getting all your macronutrients in with each meal. Making a list of proteins, non starchy veggies, and grains/starchy veggies will allow you to quickly put healthy meal plans together. You can just pick something from each list and there’s your meal! Don’t forget to choose a variety throughout the week too. Eating the same thing everyday not only gets really boring, but you’ll also miss out on some of the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Eat the rainbow? By the way, healthy fats should also be included in your meal planning.
The next step
After you’ve created your plan for at least a week, it’s time to take action. Whether you’re working from recipes or not, you’ll need to look at each meal and see what ingredients are needed. Now it’s time to make your shopping list. If you go to the same store to buy your groceries every time, you’ll probably know the layout of the store and where to find everything. I find it helpful to make my list in the order that I’ll go by it as I walk through the store. For me it’s starting in the produce aisle, where most of my food comes from.
Getting all of your ingredients in one shopping trip saves so much time and probably some money too. I don’t know about you, but I tend to pick up at least a few extra things each visit, especially if the kids tag along. Less visits means less extras, right? Less trips to the store saves gas money too. Plus, you don’t have to waste time trying to remember if you already have all the ingredients you need for each meal as you move through the week. Less to think about means less stress too!
Hopefully by this point you’re not still asking “how do I start meal planning?”. You should be well on your way to planning. But, if you’re still unsure about what healthy meals should include, I’d love to help. Feel free to reach out to me and we can chat about it.
