Meal Planning—4 Tips On How To Get Started

Introduction

Meal planning.  I know what you’re thinking, who has time for that?  Time is one issue and cooking is another! Oh, groceries are needed too.

In this blog, I’ll give you four tips for meal planning, especially for beginners.  Despite what you may think now, you’ll learn how to plan your meals that will save you time, money and lower your stress.  Most importantly, you’ll learn that the more you eat at home, the more you’ll improve your health.

But first, I must mention how eating out could be interfering with your attempts to get healthy.

Eating out

Eating out doesn’t need any meal planning, except for a decision of what you want to eat and where you want to go.  If you’re looking to improve your health or drop a few pounds, it’s time to add up how often you eat out in a week.  This includes all meals whether you eat out or order takeout.

Restaurants cook for taste, not for health.  Meals from a restaurant contain higher amounts of salt, fat, and calories. Check the comparison chart for home vs. eating out.

Shift from eating out to cooking at home

Need a little help with eating out less and more at home?  Meal kits are a brilliant way to bridge the gap by helping you to cook more at home and eat out less often.  Learning to cook at home supports your creativity in the kitchen.

Today, meals can be delivered to your front door.  All you have to do is assemble, cook, and eat.  The upside to a meal-kit delivery system is convenience, eating in, and experimenting with ready-made recipes and cooking.

The downside is the expense (the price you pay for convenience) and limited meal selections.  While meals delivered to you may be portioned, they’re not all considered healthy, but you still control the ingredients and learn to cook.

If you eat out more than three times a week for dinner and can afford this option, it’s a skillful way to make the shift to meal planning.

Cooking at home

Cooking at home is the healthiest option because you control what goes into the dish.  But the reality is you don’t always have the time to cook and may not want to on some days.  Creative meal planning depends on how much time you want to spend in the kitchen.  You don’t have to cook every day to benefit from the efforts!

Why cook at home?

1. It’s healthier.  You control the ingredients at home.

2. Fewer calories.  You control the portion sizes at home.  Restaurants tend to over plate and it’s very easy to eat it all in one sitting.

3. Saves time.  It might be convenient to eat out, but it doesn’t save time. Plus, you can’t eat in your comfy PJs! You could prep a meal, eat and clean up by the time you are served a meal at a restaurant. Online ordering and delivery will save time, but not money or calories.

4. Saves money.  You spend way more money when you eat out than if you were to grocery shop for the ingredients and prepare a meal at home.

5. Less temptation for dessert.  Eating out usually leads to ordering dessert even when you’re stuffed.

Pro tip: Eat out less, cook more at home.  Do your best to only eat out no more than 2-3 times a week.

4 tips for meal planning made easy

Tip #1: One meal at a time

Start by planning one meal at a time.  Most people struggle with dinner, but your challenge might be breakfast.  For the newbies—choose the meal you struggle with the most for planning and aim for 3 meals a week.

Tip #2: Plan ahead

Mealtime can be very stressful if you’re making meals without any pre-planning or ingredients!  Your pantry or fridge may be low on food, or it may be too late to thaw out meat if you don’t plan in advance.

Start by thinking about the basic food groups.  Begin with protein.  Create a list of options you like from that group; like chicken, red meats, fish, other seafood, and legumes (beans).  You may want to include nuts, eggs, and soy-based foods, depending on your preference.

Next, move on to carbohydrates: potato, rice, pasta, and whole grains.  Add to the list as you experiment with other grains that you might not have tried, such as quinoa or barley.

Once proteins and carbohydrates are listed, add vegetables, preferably non-starchy types, such as broccoli, green beans, and carrots.  Add to your list other veggies you’ve never tried, such as beets or Brussel sprouts.

Tip on vegetables: Try roasting vegetables you usually don’t eat.  You may find you enjoy the taste once you’ve changed the cooking method.  For example, if you don’t like Brussels sprouts, consider drizzling some olive oil and roasting them in a 425-degree oven until browned.  Give a toss every 10-12 mins.

Once your lists are created, consider what spices, herbs, and other extras, like sauces, you can add for variety.

Recipes

If you need help with what to make, do a quick search online for easy recipes.  Keep it simple in the beginning if this is new to you.  You’ll still need to create your grocery list for the ingredients.

Tip #3: Grocery Shopping

Once you have your list, it’s time to go grocery shopping.  Look at your schedule and plan a day and time for shopping.  Be realistic about your time because you don’t want to rush.

Pro tip: Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry or stressed.  You’ll end up buying more than necessary and not the healthiest of options.  To save money, shop from your list.

Online Shopping

Advantages

While we’ve seen an increase in shopping online for products, grocery shopping is no exception and will continue.  There’s no doubt online shopping saves time and is convenient, but the disadvantage is not being able to read the labels or choose your meats, fruits, and vegetables.

Disadvantages

Some limitations include substitutions, expiration dates, and the quality of goods.  Food substitutions may not meet your needs especially when it comes to allergens.  If you’re concerned about allergens or food sensitivities, let your in-store shopper know beforehand.

Expiration dates and quality of produce along with choosing which cut of meat will be at the shopper’s discretion.  If you find a shopper you like and learns your personal preferences, ask in advance to request that shopper.  Another possibility is an independent contractor if you can afford it.

Special diets: If you’re on a special diet, say a gluten-free diet, create a list that includes the carbohydrates that work for you.

For example, brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta can take the place of wheat pasta.  Gluten-free bread, which is usually in the frozen section of the supermarket, can replace wheat bread.

Those who follow a lactose-free diet would need to make substitutions for dairy products, especially ice cream, yogurt, and cheese.  Some alternative sources are soy, rice, coconut, and almond-based products.  When looking for milk alternatives, be cautious about buying flavored dairy-free milk, such as vanilla and chocolate, since these contain higher amounts of added sugar.

Tip #4: Prepping & cooking day

Think about which day of the week and what time you’ll prep and cook your meals.  For me, it’s a Sunday, later in the afternoon.

Batch cooking

Consider batch-cooking to promote healthy meals and to save time for future meals.  You can freeze the pre-made meals and use them for days when you don’t have time to cook.  Less stress and less mess!

Batch cooking is cooking in bulk—doubling or tripling the ingredients when you’re cooking.

Consider making one basic recipe or meal that can be turned into several different dishes throughout the week or the next couple of days.

Once cooked, portion out into smaller dishes and refrigerate or freeze.  When ready to eat, reheat.

Leftovers can be used for lunch the next day.

For special occasions or events, bake some healthier snacks in advance, such as a batch of homemade muffins or cookies, rather than store-bought items.  These can be stored in the freezer and taken out as needed.

Pro tip: Eat the leftovers within 3-4 days if stored in the refrigerator.

Crockpot or Instant Pot

Making meals in a crockpot is simple.  There are plenty of recipes online for ideas on what to cook.  One-pot cooking saves time so you can get other chores done while the food is cooking.

Healthy last-minute meals

When time is a factor, but you want a quick healthy meal, keep wholesome & nutritious food options on hand.

Be sure your pantry and freezer are stocked with frozen veggies that can be cooked in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Have your favorite meats or fish pre-portioned that can be grilled or baked while you’re boiling water for whole-grain pasta or another favorite carbohydrate.

Pro tip: Eat your carbohydrate last.  This way, when you start to feel full, you’ll have protein and veggies eaten to keep you satisfied.  They also take longer to digest which means you won’t feel hungry too soon after eating.

Quick meal ideas

There are plenty of websites, blogs, television shows, and books for quick meal ideas—if that’s what you think will help you transition to cooking more at home.  That said, not all quick meal ideas are healthy options.

The pre-packaged meals found in the frozen section at the grocery store may be portioned well, but they’re made with too much sodium.  It’s ok occasionally but not regularly to eat, especially if you’re trying to decrease your salt intake.  Consider adding some veggies or a pre-made bagged salad if the portioned entrée is not enough to keep you comfortably full.

Pro tip: Always wash bagged salads even though they claim to be triple washed!

When selecting frozen vegetables, go for the ones without creams and sauces.  The same goes for frozen fruits.

Breakfast Ideas

Boil some eggs in advance or while cooking dinner and take them with you to work when you’re short on time. Prepare homemade pancakes, waffles, and muffins, then freeze them individually. Take them out of the freezer as needed, then microwave or toast them. Try whole grain toast with your favorite nut butter or avocado. Yogurt and fruit are another quick breakfast idea.

Lunch ideas

Consider packing food from home (leftovers from last night’s dinner that you can heat up).  It’s less expensive and healthier than eating out.  Bag a sandwich or a wrap with a piece of fruit and some hummus with your favorite veggie.  Pack a salad from home instead of buying one.

Dinner ideas

A balanced meal for dinner is a protein source, starch (carbohydrate), and vegetable.  You don’t need a recipe when you cook each separately.  This keeps it simple and easy.

Snacking

A popular question I’m often asked is, “What can I eat as a snack?”  My answer is always “fruits and vegetables” since they’re the two food groups that are lacking in our daily diet.

Nuts, yogurt, and cheese are some other choices if you crave something different.

Tip to help increase fruits and vegetables

It’s easier to choose fruits and vegetables if they’re readily available and portioned in containers or baggies for a quick grab-n-go out of the refrigerator instead of cookies or chips.  I know it’s not the same, but it will fill you more than chips or cookies.

Pro tip:  Eat the fruit or vegetable first, then have a few chips or a cookie to satisfy your craving and keep you from feeling deprived.  

Conclusion

Good nutritional habits aren’t developed in one day or destroyed in one or two unbalanced meals.  To improve your health, start with one meal at a time.

Plan in advance to save time and appreciate less stress throughout the week.

Homemade is healthier and safer because you control the ingredients when you grocery shop.

Meal prepping doesn’t have to be difficult or take very long with a little planning.

When choosing foods, whether for a meal or a single snack, ask yourself if there is a healthier choice that will satisfy you emotionally and physically that will support your efforts to develop a healthier you!

In optimal health,

Lisa