When you think about meal planning or meal prep, what comes up for you?
Some people swear by meal planning, but more often than not, meal planning gets a bad rap. We’re here to make a case for meal planning as a form of self-care. It really is possible to enjoy not only the product of meal planning, but the process as well!
If your idea of meal planning is a long day full of shopping, hours in front of the stove, a huge mess to clean up after and container after container of the same boring, unseasoned foods, let us be the first to tell you- there is a better way! The path to meal planning joy is first understanding what meal planning is (and isn’t) and how it benefits you.
What is meal planning?
Meal planning is the action of thinking ahead about meals and snacks using a combination of scheduling, your inventory and food / nutrition preferences to create on-hand, nutritious, enjoyable foods. If you are someone who immediately cringes when meal planning comes up, either because it seems exhausting or you have done it before as a part of a strict diet, shifting how you perceive what planning meals actually is can invite a fresh perspective on the practice.
How is meal planning beneficial?
Are you familiar with the phrase “A failure to plan is a plan to fail”? Now yes, totally a harsh saying but there is a lot of truth in it. However, all or nothing thinking with nutritional strategies can be overwhelming and detrimental. So, while planning ahead can be an extremely useful tool it doesn’t have to be a rigid rule.
Meal planning can help you to be proactive, instead of reactive when you are dealing with a busy schedule. If you find yourself feeling at a loss for what to make, ordering out during your work week, feel you could eat more healthfully if you prepared more meals at home, find yourself going to the grocery store multiple times per week or skipping meals because there is “nothing in the house”, meal planning can be helpful to you.
Meal planning DOES NOT have one way or one look, and it is definitely not cookie cutter. It doesn’t have to look like eating the same meals all week long, stacked perfectly portioned containers in your fridge, or chicken, broccoli and rice on the regular. It can be a lot more flexible!
As with anything, simplifying the process will help you to become much more successful with it in the long term. You know we love flexibility around here, and with simplicity comes flexibility. I have found that breaking down meal prep into smaller steps makes it not only more manageable from a time perspective, but more enjoyable. That’s because each part of the process is its own individual piece to the puzzle. It’s so satisfying to organize your inventory, get creative or inspired by the options and what you’re craving, and then to execute the plan. And of course the best step … eating the amazing food you made!!
Here are my 4 go-to steps to simplifying meal preparation:
1.Check your inventory. You may have a ton of ideas sitting right in your house right now! Having an idea of what you have on hand will not only inspire ideas, but it will help you save time and money in the grocery store. Check your fridge, freezer and pantry to see what starches, fruits, veggies and proteins you have on hand. It might help to write these things down to keep them on your mind as you begin thinking of what meals you want to have over the next week.
2. Plan it out – what sounds good? Identify the times to shop and prep.
What sounds good? This might seem like a silly question, but I am a firm believer that you should eat foods that sound tasty and then focus on creating a nutritionally balanced meal around that. If you are making meals that aren’t sparking joy, chances are you won’t want to eat it for many days or you won’t feel truly satisfied with it.
Check the ingredients needed for the meals you want to make – if you have some on hand, they won’t need to be added to your grocery list! If you did not find any inspiration in your inventory check, having a list of go-to resources can be extremely helpful. Some of my favorites to go to are Budget Bytes, Real Food Dietitians, Skinny Taste or some of my favorite recipe books such as the Run Fast series.
BFSN tip: Are there meals you find extremely quick, easy and tasty? Keep those ideas in a notebook or Google Doc so you can reference them when you are feeling less than inspired to meal prep.
3.Create your grocery list and shop. Write down the ingredients you need to make the meals you are planning for. I personally find shopping and prepping on separate days works best for my schedule, and most clients I work with have shared the same insights. Writing this list is crucial to limit the possibility of you forgetting things AND this saves you a lot of time in the grocery store.
4. Plan the day to prep. Think about what YOU want. Do you want to do a big prep on the weekend and simply reheat throughout the week? OR, would you rather batch cook and prep a bit during your week? There is no right or wrong way to do it, only what you feel will work best for YOU! Once you identify the style that will work for you, you can go ahead and think about the time commitment needed and block out time on your schedule.
I have found that the key to success with meal planning and prep is to break it up into manageable parts, and to find the method that works for you and your lifestyle. It may take a little trial and error to find your sweet spot with meal prep, but it is so worth it in the end when you have the convenience of grabbing something at home that you prepared specifically with your taste, and your goals in mind. The time you put in on the front end with meal preparation is time saved on your busy days. I hope that these tips help you to develop a meal prep practice that is less cringe, and more enjoyment.
