As a busy woman, I know how hard it can be to stay organized when it comes to healthy eating. Making time to plan meals, shop for ingredients, and prep food often falls by the wayside. Before you know it, you’re hitting the drive-thru after a long day because there are no healthy options ready-to-grab at home.
I used to constantly struggle with this until I created a meal planning and prep system that actually works with my lifestyle. Now I’ve got healthy and delicious dinners ready every night, and it only takes about an hour of meal prepping each week.
If you want to stop scrambling every evening and start feeling more in control of your eating habits, here are my top 7 tips for effortless meal planning and preparation.
Meal Planning Tip #1: Pick a Consistent Meal Prep Day
Clear some time on your calendar every single week when you know you’ll tackle meal planning and prep. I like to use Sunday afternoons. Put it in your schedule and treat it as a standing appointment with yourself that you won’t cancel or skip.
Meal Planning Tip #2: Find Recipes You’re Excited to Eat
Don’t just default to bland “diet” foods. Choose nutritious recipes that reflect your tastes so healthy eating doesn’t feel like a sacrifice. I scour food blogs and cookbooks to curate fun, nourishing meals I genuinely look forward to whipping up. Getting enthusiastic about what’s on the menu is key.
I also created a recipe book which has all of my favorite go-to recipes organized into categories. It’s worked so well for me, I created recipe books for my young adult children as well. Find out more about the Recipes Organization Printables HERE.
Meal Planning Tip #3: Mix Up Protein Sources
Chicken and tilapia again? Boring! For balanced nutrition, make sure your meal plans incorporate a variety of lean proteins like eggs, beans, lentils, tempeh, turkey and seafood. Rotating protein sources keeps things interesting!
Meal Prep Step #4: Shop Smart
Shopping with a list based on your meal plan saves so much time and stress. I organize ingredients by recipe so my cart reflects exactly what I need, minimizing impulse purchases. Depending on your preferences, shop for the whole week or just 2-3 upcoming dinners.
Meal Prep Step #5: Prep Produce
Washing, chopping and storing vegetable slices, salad greens and fruits prevents takeout temptations during busy weeks. I spend about 30 minutes prepping mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, grapes—whatever produce is on the menu gets a quick chop and then goes in my designated “meal prep containers.”
Meal Prep Step #6: Cook Entrées in Advance
Devoting 60 minutes to oven-roasting chicken, simmering a veggie chili or baking salmon fillets allows for quick weeknight dinners. Make every entrée 2-4 servings so extras can be frozen. Let cooked dishes cool completely before transferring meal-sized portions to airtight containers and freezing up to 3 months.
Meal Prep Step #7: Don’t Forget Breakfast!
Having grab-and-go morning bites like egg cups, chia pudding or overnight oats ready prevents me from hitting up the coffee shop and derailing my goals. I wake up, enjoy a nourishing breakfast, and don’t think twice about unhealthy choices when hunger strikes mid-morning.
The Takeaway
Consistent planning, strategic shopping and weekly batch cooking removes so much stress around food. Now I’ve got healthy, homemade meals always waiting in my fridge/freezer – and you can, too! It may take an hour or two of upfront effort, but discovering a meal planning method tailored to your needs pays off tenfold.
Ditch takeout, save money and feel amazing by fueling your body well. You’ve so got this!
I hope these easy tips help you take control of mealtime madness! Let me know in the comments if you give this system a try or if you have any other favorite tricks for staying on top of healthy planning and prep. I’m always here to chat more about wrangling wellness routines into busy schedules without losing your mind. Meal plan on, friends!
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