With fitness becoming popular and health being so important, many people have started out on their journey to live a better and healthier life. One of the key areas to improving your health is diet, due to it being an essential part of the journey.
Eating healthy foods, the correct nutrients and macros is a daunting task for many beginners due to the massive amount of information given on it, but with a basic knowledge and a few simple tips to get you started, you will master it in no time.
There are many different ways to ensure that you are getting a balanced diet with the correct nutrients, with some being more advanced and some being simpler.
One of the best methods is by creating an effective meal plan that guarantees you are receiving all of the needed nutrients, whilst also giving you an easy-to-follow routine that can be altered easily.
What is meal planning?
Meal planning is the process of choosing in advance what you will eat for your meals over a certain period of time, most commonly for a week. It involves creating a plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The purpose of meal planning is to streamline shopping, save time and money, ensure balanced nutrition, and reduce food waste.
You should start off by deciding how many times a day you will eat, what times you will eat and for how many days the plan will cover.
Next you should look to find good recipes and meals that fit into your diet and provide you with tasty nutritious food that is easy to make.
After deciding your recipes, you should make a list of all of the ingredients needed so that when shopping, you know exactly what you need as well as the amount you need. By doing this, shopping becomes easier and quicker, whilst also costing less in the long run.
Once you have gathered your ingredients, the next step is to prepare the ingredients so that they are ready to be cooked straight away, this will speed up the cooking process, which can be very useful in a busy week schedule.
Follow the schedule and prepare your meals when required. If you are eating the same meal more than once, you can cook extra portions and store them for future meals.
By adopting a meal plan, you can eat better food, make healthier choices, save time and reduce the stress of meals.
But don’t be afraid to alter your plan midway through if necessary, finding meals you enjoy and having the ability to make them with ease is very important as it keeps you motivated to follow the schedule.
Why is meal planning beneficial?
Meal planning is very beneficial due to many reasons, some examples are:
- Time — Planning meals in advance can save lots of time during the week by reducing the need for multiple trips to the shops, and minimizing time required to cook and prepare the meals.
- Money — The cost of shopping always varies and can be daunting if done without any plans, so writing lists of what you require and how much of it you require will greatly reduce the stress of shopping, as well as the overall cost because it means you only buy the ingredients required, reducing food waste and avoid making impulse purchases.
- Healthier meals — By planning your meals, it gives you greater control over what you are eating and the nutritional content of the food. You can make sure that the meals you are eating are balanced and include a wide variety of healthy ingredients, which will lead to a healthier lifestyle.
Overall meal planning is a great and easy way to begin your fitness journey, or to just live a healthier life.
Best way to meal plan
There are many different methods of meal planning, some being more detailed, and some being easier to follow, but don’t worry, with a few basic tips and tricks, you’ll be meal planning in no time.
In this section, we will be going over some of the best tools and tips to effectively meal plan, whilst making it easy and enjoyable.
Tools for meal planning
There are many resources and tools for meal planning, such as a personal nutritionist, but the most efficient and cost-effective method would be to use an app or online planner.
Due to the increase in popularity of meal planning, there is a vast amount of meal planning apps and trackers that are easy to use and do the job perfectly.
Some great apps to use are:
Mealime:
Mealime allows you to customize your meal plan based on your diet, allergies, and the number of meals you want. It provides recipes, creates a shopping list, and cooking instructions. Mealime does not have a weekly planner, instead it is used to give you different recipes based on what you like.
Eat This Much:
Eat This Much is regularly seen as the best app due to its ease of use and ability to help with many tasks. It creates personalized meal plans based on your dietary goals, food preferences, and calorie targets. It provides you with different recipes, generates a shopping list and gives nutritional information on the food and recipes you have picked. It also takes into account your current physical profile, your goals and level of activity so that it can accurately provide you with the optimal way to reach your goals.
Cook Smarts:
Cook Smarts offers weekly meal plans with recipes that are customizable based on your diet and family size. It provides video tutorials, cooking tips, and ingredient lists to simplify the meal planning process.
Tips for meal planning
Meal planning can start off being daunting as there are many factors you have to think about before you start, however with a few tips and tricks, it becomes easily manageable, here are some tips to help you get started:
- Set some time aside for planning
Dedicate a specific day each week to plan, prep and decide your meals. This could be at the start of every week, but having a set time helps you incorporate it into your schedule and become a habit.
- Start with What You Have
Take a note of all the food you currently have in your cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer before planning your meals. This helps you avoid re-buying ingredients you already have, reducing food waste.
- Consider Your Schedule
Take into account your schedule for the week when planning your meals. Choose quick and easy recipes for busy days and save longer, more complicated meals for days when you have more time to cook.
- Plan for Variety
Try to pick a wide variety of meals by incorporating different types of protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates throughout the week. This keeps meals interesting and ensures you get a wide range of nutrients.
- Keep it Simple
While trying new recipes can be exciting, don't overwhelm yourself with complicated dishes every day. Stick to simple and familiar recipes for most meals and save the more advanced ones for special occasions or free days.
- Prep Ahead of Time
Prepare ingredients in advance whenever possible to reduce the amount of time cooking during the week. Wash and chop vegetables, and season meats ahead of time to save time on busy days.
- Batch Cooking
Consider batch cooking large amounts of foods like pastas, stews, and curries that can be used as multiple meals throughout the week. This saves time and ensures you always have something readily available to eat.
- Stay Flexible
Be flexible with your meal plan and allow room for changes. Sometimes you may not be able to stick to your plan, and you may need to swap meals or ingredients based on changes in schedule or unexpected events.
- Review and Reflect
At the end of each week, take some time to review your meal plan and reflect on what worked well and what didn't, what meals you enjoyed and which you didn't. By doing this you can carefully refine your meals. Use this feedback to change future meal plans and change your approach over time.
- Keep Recipes Organized
Make sure to keep your recipes organized, whether it's written in a notebook, recipe box, or digital recipe manager app. Having easy access to your favourite recipes makes meal planning more efficient.
By using as many of these tips as possible, you can make meal planning a simpler and more effective process that helps you save time, eat healthier, and reduce stress around mealtime.
Food Group percentage chart
Thank you for reading this article about tips and tricks for effective meal planning. We hope it helped and was useful. If you want to have a look at similar articles about health or even a completely different topic, make sure to check out our other articles here on the Superprof blog.
We also recommend you check out our premium service, which aims to connect students with ideal tutors based on their needs and location.
Did you like this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
