Week 6: Meal Planning
Today marks week 6, which means we are halfway through the challenge! Are you on track to where you want to be?
Challenge: Make a meal plan for one meal each day this week (5 days). Bring it to your check-in.
Today we are also starting a 3-week series of information to help you make healthy choices at home more often. This week we will cover meal planning, next week we’ll look at methods to enjoy or favorite meals without the guilt by make small tweaks to recipes, and we’ll wrap up the 3-week series with meal prepping.
Meal Planning
Waiting until the end of the day to decide what you want to eat can, more times than not, lead to eating out or making unhealthy food choices. I know if I get home from work with no plan for dinner, I won’t have any thawed protein and I may not have all the ingredients to put a meal together. I’ll end up calling in a to-go order somewhere nearby where fruit, vegetable, and whole grain options are few. To top it off, the portions will be much more than I need, and I’ll end my day feeling a little regretful about not taking the time to plan a healthy meal.
If you don’t already plan your meals for a week at a time, I encourage you to start. It’s a pretty simple process.
Step 1: What do you want to eat this week?
You don’t have to have all five food groups in your planned meals. You have all day to eat from all five food groups. However, dinner should have at least three of the food groups. When I plan my meals for the week, here are some methods I use to fill my menu:
Meatless Monday- having at least one planned day a week where my protein doesn’t come from an animal source helps me get protein variety in my diet, along with the benefits of reducing saturated fat intake. Beans are usually a staple in this meal.
Find a day for Fish- it’s recommended to have two servings of fish a week. Try baking or boiling instead of frying. Here is a helpful list of heart healthy fish to try. One great thing about fish is how quickly it thaws, just in case you do forget to take it out of the freezer.
Pick Poultry- skinless poultry I slow in saturated fat and is a crowd favorite. Countless options for a variety of dishes here. Again, avoid frying.
Leftover day! Enough said.
Step 2: Make a grocery list
Once you know what you want to eat and have the recipes picked out, it’s time to make the grocery list. I’m a list maker, so I write down everything I think I might need to buy, and then I scan my cabinets just to be sure. There are some websites and apps where you can type in items you have in your cabinets and refrigerator and it will generate recipes to make based on what you have on hand. To be honest, I haven’t tried this, but if it seems like it might help you, try it!
Step 3: Go grocery shopping
Think about your week ahead. Are you going to be ridiculously busy? You might opt for some convenient forms of foods like frozen or canned fruits and vegetables, or already prepared fresh fruits and vegetables like carrot chips. These convenient items are typically more expensive because you are paying someone else to do the work. If spending a few more cents or dollars can ease some of the stress that can come with preparing a meal at home, it might be worth it. If you do go for the canned products, make sure the canned vegetables say ‘no salt added,’ and the fruit is packed in 100% fruit juice or water.
If you have the time, shop for fresh produce that is in season. These foods will taste amazing! Have you ever had a strawberry in December versus a strawberry in June? Big difference.
Lastly, to save money at the store, compare unit prices. In the example below, the name brand is actually the better buy because it costs less per unit (oz.) than the store brand.
Step 4: Group ingredients for meals together so they are ready to go when it’s time to cook.
When I unload my groceries when I get home, I like to group the ingredients according to my menu as much as I can. This way I don’t have to hunt them down when it’s time to cook. If you are someone who can’t stand a little clutter, this might not be the strategy for you.
Step 5: Make a menu and put it somewhere visible
This can be a legitimate chalkboard or dry erase menu that adds to the décor of your kitchen, or as simple as a piece of paper on the fridge. The important thing is, it’s a visual reminder that you have made plans to prepare healthy meals at home this week. Here’s a helpful document from USDA to help start meal planning.
Go the extra mile- a little extra planning can save you even more time by planning to use leftover ingredients from one meal in another, or double cooking one night to reduce cooking time another night. These techniques can also save you money!
Example- On Tuesday you are using ground turkey in a dish. Your meal for Thursday also requires ground turkey, so you cook both helpings at once on Tuesday to save time Thursday.
Question: What did you like or not like about meal planning?
If you’ve never meal planned before, I hope you find this helpful. If you find it frustrating or it just isn’t working, talk to your check-in coordinator or give us a call. We’d love to help you make this healthy living strategy work for you. Don’t forget, you can also submit questions through the blog or the Facebook page!