How to make Meal Planning Easy
As I’m writing this, we are in the midst of figuring out our schedule this week with remote learning and Fall activities. Everything is different this year and even though we have LESS obligations, it does seem like we are even busier. EVERYTHING takes longer than it used to (yes, I am THAT person who will wait in line at Trader Joe’s for 15+ minutes just to get in!). And even though everyone is home all day, we are BUSY. I certainly don’t have time to create elaborate meals - simple is the key right now and the less time I can spend cooking during the week, the better!
One area I’m constantly working to improve is my meal planning/prepping. I recently read the book Best Self: Be You, Only Better by Mike Bayer and while the book title sounds kind of corny - the general premise is THIS: find out what qualities and actions are in alignment with the person you strive to be and do your best to BE that person. It was EYE-OPENING. And it isn’t always about looking for new solutions…quite often is about getting BACK to habits that have served us well that we have drifted away from, even if we have to find a NEW way to implement them.
I have learned that when I am thriving, when things just seem in flow - its when I’m setting aside about 45-60 minutes over the weekend to PLAN our weekly meals. So this week after feeling stressed and anxious over almost everything, I realized the first step to feeling in control was to get back to those meal planning habits.
My eating plan is super flexible and does NOT require planning and prepping (heck, you could eat out for 3 meals/day and still stay on track!) - BUT my SANITY does require getting into this groove again. The MOST important piece of the process is figuring out what works for YOUR family. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve downloaded a free meal plan, taken one look at the recipes and decided “NOPE” simply because the recipes are so far out of left field compared to what my family enjoys - meal planning is NOT a one-size-fits-all. The women in my Nutrition Bootcamp that have the greatest success are successful because they follow the game plan + find healthy options that work for THEIR family.
So, of you’re feeling like you just need a little more organization to your meals this week, I wanted to share a very SIMPLE tip that has served me well when it comes to Meal Prep….the rule of THREE’s!
Each week, I choose 3 items from each food group to stock up on. With a few fresh ingredients and a pantry stocked with the basics, it is EASY to cook meals using similar ingredients and never get bored. Sometimes I grab actual recipes and other weeks, I just use my basic seasonings to throw together tasty meals. When you have a well-stocked spice cabinet and pantry, it is easy to pull together a quick + healthy meal - here’s one way to look at your grocery list for next week without being overwhelmed:
Lean Proteins:
3 items to COOK - ground beef, chicken breast, salmon
3 easy on-the-go items - hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, beef jerky or sticks
Fiber-Filled Carbs
3 cooked entree carbs - sweet potato, quinoa, brown rice
3 fruits - apples, clementine, fresh or frozen berries
Veggies
3 veggies to cook with meals - broccoli, cauliflower rice, asparagus
3 veggies to have raw for quick snacks - grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, baby carrots
Healthy Fats
hummus
avocado
cheese
homemade salad dressing
Eating the same foods a few times per week does NOT have to be boring - and you’ll save yourself so much time! I’m so thankful for my eating plan that makes it soooo easy to plan and feel successful - cheers to getting back into the groove guys - I hope you found this helpful and if you have ANY questions, just drop a comment below!
***BONUS TIP - use your FRESH meat/produce at the beginning of the week - save your FROZEN food for the end of the week!
