Meal planning is a great tool for healthy eating. I find that when I don’t have a plan for our week’s meals, we tend to eat more junk and fast/convenience type of foods. Having a plan will help you not only control your food budget, but also help you eat healthier! Here are some basic tips to get you started:
*Keep it simple: plan your meals with foods you can afford, foods that are available in our grocery stores, foods you enjoy eating, and foods that are convenient for you. Make a list of those foods, check the ads for sales, look at ways you can batch cook or combine ingredients for various dishes.
*Start small: choose a single meal to plan first and then go from there. Break it down day by day. I like to have several meal options for 3-5 days/week. I can decide what I want that day, but have things prepped for various options. I also allow 1-2 days of eating out/take out. You can figure that into your plan! There is no right or wrong way of planning. You can have an exact plan for each meal/day or you can have the options and then decide from there (more of a relaxed approach). I also start planning with my protein, then add in my starch, then my fruit and veggie to complete the plate….paired with a glass of milk or yogurt tub.
*Make it a habit: maintaining good health is all about habits you can stick with! If this is too dreadful of a thing, you won’t stick with it so be flexible, be realistic, and make it work for you and your family!
*Breakfast Ideas: grab and go options are great if you are on the run. String cheese and wheat thins, Greek yogurt and banana, peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread.
*Lunch: leftovers are a great option. Make extra the night before so you have leftovers to enjoy. Be sure to include your produce!
*Supper: batch cook some options such as pork loin, taco meat, shredded chicken, bbq meat, chili, etc. These options can be incorporated into several different meals or eaten for leftovers. You can also keep things simple such as eggs and toast, salad with the fixings, stir fry, etc.
Meal planning is a great tool to help you make healthy choices….if you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to consider it!
-Kelsey
