Meal Planning

Do you plan your menu for the day or week?

Well, I'm sure it won't shock you that I believe planning is the key to success. Not just in weight loss but in life.


My favorite quote...

"If you fail to plan then plan to fail."

It's SO TRUE!


So....how do you get started?


1st~ MAKE A WEEKLY MENU!

I find making one for the whole week for our family is the easiest. I start by planning the meals I want to have for dinners. I pick 6-7 meals for the week & start to build my grocery list from that. Then I figure out what items we need for breakfast & lunches for the week. Always shopping in my pantry & fridge first. In these hard economic times I don't like to waste a crumb of food. So, sometimes that dictates what we may eat during the week too.

MOM TIP~ Get your kids in on the menu planning!
I get my boys to help me every week. There is a lot less waste if we plan meals everyone will eat.


BUSY WORK WEEK TIP~ Take in consideration if you have a lot of extra activities (ball games, dates, work meetings). You'll want to have a plan for those events too. This way you won't be caught with an empty tummy & hitting the drive-thrus.

Don't forget to put baggies (or storage containers) on the list...easy to use when prepackaging your own snacks. Make your own HEALTHY 100 cal packs!


2nd~ GO IN ARMED!

With my prepared grocery list in hand I hit the store. With a meal or snack in my belly. Never shop hungry.

If it's not on the list we don't buy it. Your best plan of attack at the grocery store is to shop mostly in the perimeter of the store. Only going down the aisles for a few items. The junk food is hiding in the aisles.

If you're trying to lose weight or eat healthier those aisles will be filled with temptation. It's best to stay away. Out of sight, out of mind.


CAN YOU HANDLE THAT?

REMEMBER...IF YOU DON'T BRING IT INTO THE HOUSE...YOU CAN NOT EAT IT!


3rd~ PACK FOR SUCCESS!

Time to unload the good healthy food you just bought. BUT WAIT! Before you put EVERYTHING away...here's what you're going to do...

Start prepping for the week ahead! That's right, it's PREP TIME BABY! Why put it off?


Here's a few things you can prepare for the week ahead of time...saving you time all week!

*Wash all your fruits & veggies so they become quick grab & go snacks!

*Prepare all your meats for the week (if you won't have time each night to cook), clean, chop & cook to your recipe specifications. Even having just the meat pre-cooked for the recipe will be a huge time saver.

*Prepare your OWN snack baggies. Say you have fruit & nuts planned as your morning snack...grab a baggie & throw in your desired amount of nuts & fruit. Now your set up for success! You'll have a healthy snack with built in portion control.
NOTE~1/2 oz to 1 oz of nuts is a normal portion size. Weigh it out...I'm sure you'll be shocked at just how much (or little in some of your eyes) it will be. :)

At the end of you prep time you should have a fridge stocked with cleaned fruits & veggies, Meats or meals ready to be used anytime you are & a pantry full of snacks that are portion controlled & easy to grab.


4th~ GET A COOLER...AND USE IT!!!

Unless you never leave your house you're going to find yourself out & hungry at some point. Instead of freaking out & possibly caving into fast food, PACK YOUR COOLER!

It's really simple...you made it that way if you've followed all the above tips. You just need to put the portion controlled foods into your cooler. Zip up & GO! :)


I'm all about making healthy eating easy. Yes, you will have to take one afternoon a week to do your shopping and prepping but you will find it makes life so much easier to do the work one day instead of seven.

I hope these tips help you ease into a healthy new lifestyle!


If you have any questions or tips you'd like to share then please comment. Don't forget to follow this blog for more health, fitness & diet tips. :)