Meal Planning and Prep Are Key to Eating Healthy
Meal planning and preparation in advance are key for eating clean and healthy. Busy moms and families can be successful with following a healthy lifestyle by just making the time to plan. Simple, inexpensive, delicious meals are doable for moms and women on the go. I’ve had those crazy, jam-packed days when I didn’t know when I was going to have time to cook, much less make it healthy! Taking care of the kids, the house, along with my job as a teacher made it necessary to plan ahead so that the fridge wasn’t empty and frozen pizza wasn’t the only option.
I’ve found that with the right tools, planning ahead and preparing meals can be easy and even fun! I’m going to share some of my favorite tools for meal planning and prep, and even some helpful tips for easy meals! Getting started is the biggest challenge, but once you get in the planning groove it’s really pretty simple. Over the years I’ve learned that advance planning and prep is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle!
What Is The Biggest Challenge to Eating Healthy?
- Getting started with meal planning and preparation is one of the biggest challenges. Often we just don’t know where to start with putting together menus for healthy meals and snacks for a week. That’s where having the right tools for success is so important! Also getting in the right frame of mind is important. You have to make the decision that this is really something you want for yourself and your family.
- Another problem or excuse we tend to make is that we don’t have the time. Again it’s a matter of planning in advance, making a grocery list, scheduling a day and time to do the shopping. Next you pick a day and time to prepare some foods to have readily available for meals and snacks. Don’t let it overwhelm you, just get started!
Why Do We Struggle With This?
- Let’s face it, changing the way we do things is hard. We get stuck in our routines and our lives are busy! And changing eating habits can be particularly challenging. We have our favorite foods and “go to” recipes that are just easy because we’ve made them many times. We know what foods our families like and want to eat. I completely understand, because I’ve been there and done that!
- Baking was something I loved, and always had something sweet made for my family on the weekends! I also had rich, high calorie casseroles and meals I liked to make. I grew up in a family environment where big meals and baked goods were the norm. And that’s the kind of cooking I did for my family.
- But when I found myself overweight, lacking energy, and just not feeling happy with myself, I decided it was time for change! Yes getting started was hard, and I wasn’t exactly sure how to start. So I started reading and researching healthy foods and diet plans on the internet. I found some tools to help me get started and made up my mind that I was changing my eating habits, and cooking healthier for the family.
My Favorite Tools For Meal Planning and Prep
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For me, getting started with planning healthy meals required finding the right resources. I went to the internet and did some research on healthy foods and diets.
- Losing some weight was a goal for my husband and I about 8 years ago, so I researched diet plans and found The South Beach Diet by Dr. Arthur Agatston. If you are looking for something for weight loss that basically revolves around eating healthy, I highly recommend this. Dr. Agatston originally created this diet to help his heart patients, but found it really helps anyone follow a healthy diet. The focus is on eating healthy carbs, proteins, and fats, and eliminating unhealthy fats. It goes through 3 phases, and the third phase is simply maintaining your healthy eating lifestyle. I continue to use my South Beach Diet Cookbook and cook our favorite “South Beach” recipes.
- As I began hearing more and more about clean eating, I wanted to learn more. Again I went to the internet to research more about following a clean eating lifestyle. I’ve been focusing on eating clean for over a year. I discovered the book, Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet, and Just The Rules, Tosca’s Guide To Eating Right. Tosca gives great information on clean eating, food lists, menus, and her clean eating recipes. Her personal story inspired me to want to clean up my diet even more!
- Another tool I use almost every day is my NutriBullet. I absolutely love smoothies and make them for breakfast and for afternoon snacks. This is such an easy blender to use and makes the best smoothies, and it’s also very inexpensive for the quality! There are so many great recipes using fruits and vegetables to meet different purposes and needs. My simple “go to” smoothie is to toss in some type of fruit like pineapple or frozen berries, some plain Greek yogurt, a little almond milk and ice! So easy and yummy!
- One of my favorite tools for an easy meal is my Crockpot. For easy prep and cleaning, it’s important to have a two piece unit in which the inner pot lifts out. I will put in a pot roast or chicken breasts and some veggies inside the inner pot at night. I keep it simple with just a little seasoning. Then in the morning I just grab it out of the refrigerator and put it on. That evening you have a delicious meal ready and waiting!
- I plan a salad for every day, and sometimes two. On prep day I’ll chop lettuce and fresh vegetables. I also buy bagged or boxed mixed greens. I’ll chop cucumbers, colored peppers, broccoli, wash cherry tomatoes, and boil a dozen eggs. Then I get my Rubbermaid Meal Prep containers and portion out greens with some veggies on the side. Then those salad containers are conveniently stacked in the refrigerator ready to grab and go!
- While I’m preparing salads, I have chicken breasts baking in the oven. I use a large rectangular baking sheet lined with tin foil for easy cleanup. I season the chicken breasts differently from week to week for variety. Those can then be chopped or shredded to be used on salads or for wraps. I’ll toss some veggies in the oven as well, such as zucchini, broccoli, or asparagus drizzled in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. I’ll also roast those on a baking sheet in advance, to eat along with the chicken and a side carb for a quick and ready meal.
- Stainless Steel pots are my favorites for cooking things on the stove. I love my Stainless steel stock pot. While baking chicken and chopping vegetables, I will cook some quinoa, brown rice, or whole grain pasta to have available in the fridge. I love glass Pyrex bowls with lids for storing these items. I also use these for storing veggies and washed fruits.
- A good cutting board and high-quality stainless steel knives are important for cutting up fruits and vegetables. I prefer to use a thick heavy plastic, nonporous cutting board with good grip handles. Also, I have boards in several sizes for different items.
- When preparing snacks I portion out almonds or mixed nuts in one fourth cup increments and put then in Ziplock Snack bags. I can toss those in my purse to carry with me. I also put baby carrots, sliced red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, grapes, and berries in bags for grab and go snacks. When we’re hungry, it’s so important to have something healthy that’s ready to grab.
- Breakfast foods are also simple to prepare in advance. Whole wheat muffins made with mashed banana, blueberries, or chopped apple are always a hit with kids. These are great to make ahead of time and are easy to grab in the morning. Egg quiche cups with chopped veggies or bacon can also be made the night before in muffin tins. Also, I love my griddle for making pancakes, and the batter can be made at night and stored in the frig. Whole wheat with blueberries or applesauce are favorites around here.
Common Questions About Meal Planning & Prep
How far in advance can you meal prep?
I generally prepare 3 days worth of meals to keep in the refrigerator. I don’t like to keep cooked meats longer than that. If I prepare more meals, I’ll freeze them and get it out when needed. Cooked vegetables and carbs can be kept up to 4-5 maximum. You will probably need to do some prep work again midweek. Some fresh fruits and vegetables will keep longer.
How do I even start making a meal plan?
Start by making a list of healthy foods you like to eat. As a beginner, start simple and plan 2 meals a day for two days. Start with lunch and dinner. Plan for a protein, vegetable, and carb, putting together combinations of foods you put on your list. Also plan snacks for those days.
The Last Thing You Need to Remember About Meal Planning and Prep
If the thought of meal planning and prepping is still intimidating you, just start small! You don’t have to prep a week of meals with lots of different foods and ingredients. just plan a couple of days of meals and snacks to start. We have our favorites meals and I basically buy almost the same foods each week. Then I just prepare or season things differently to change it up. Keep it simple and don’t get overwhelmed by it.
I believe in you and I know if I can do this, so can you! Please feel free to comment with your own tips or tricks, or ask questions. I’m happy to help you on your journey!
