If you're trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, meal planning can be a game-changer! Not only does it make sticking to your nutritional goals easier, but it also saves you time and reduces daily food-related stress. In this article, we'll explore eight time-saving tips for easy meal planning. This will ensure you can stay on track with your fitness goals.
1. PLAN ONE WEEK AHEAD
Start by creating a meal plan for the upcoming week. Look at your schedule and identify busy days and evenings. On those hectic days, opt for quick and easy meals or heat up pre-prepared dishes you've cooked in advance.
2. DISPLAY YOUR MEAL PLAN
Keep your meal plan visible by placing it on your phone, fridge, blackboard, cabinet, or wall. This will serve as a constant reminder of the delicious and healthy meals you'll be enjoying throughout the week, keeping you motivated and on track.
3. CREATE A GROCERY SHOPPING LIST AND
USE A DELIVERY SERVICE
Grocery shopping can take forever if you aren’t organized. Plus you can wind up with way too much food that ends up going to waste later in the week. Organizing your grocery list will solve both of these problems. Create a grocery shopping list on your phone and update it weekly as needed. Stick to your list to avoid impulsive purchases and ensure you have everything you need for your planned meals. Also check if your trusted supermarket has a delivery service or you can use a service like instacart.
4. ORGANIZE YOUR FRIDGE / PANTRY
You can not fall into temptations if they are not at home. Organize your pantry and fridge, in such a way that you don't even have to think about what you're going to eat, it's ready, it's easy!
5. BATCH COOK ON SUNDAY
Use your weekends wisely by batch cooking the whole week meals.
Portion them up, stick them in the fridge, or freeze them in airtight containers so you have readily available ingredients for weekday meals.
Saving you valuable time during the week.
6. USE A SCRAPS BOWL WHEN YOU COOK
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It saves time during cooking and when you go to clean up. When you’re chopping veggies and cooking your meals, it’s easy to make a mess. If you can have a large bowl to throw scraps into as you go, it will be much more efficient. Think about it: you’re peeling and slicing carrots. You have a scraps bowl you can peel over so you don’t have to pick up the scraps later. It’s a handy way to save some time on clean up and going back and forth to the trash can. It keeps your cooking area a lot more organized too.
7. FOOD PROCESSOR FOR EFFICIENT CHOPPING OR STORE-BOUGHT TIME SAVERS
Use a food processor to chop staple ingredients such as onions, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, and cabbage. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge for easy access and quicker meal preparation. Consider investing in glass containers for maximum freshness and sustainability. If not, most grocery stores offer convenience items that save tons of time. For example, you can buy broccoli florets instead of a crown of broccoli, or choose shredded carrots instead of whole carrots that you have to shred yourself. Cut down on food prep is a big time saver.
8. MAKE HEALTHY SNACK BINS
Healthy snack bins are quick to put together and save you time during the week. Put one bin in your pantry and one in your refrigerator. Fill each bin with healthy snacks that you can grab quickly to eat throughout the week when you need some fuel. Healthy store-bought snacks or fresh fruits and veggies are great options for the snack bins. Here are some ideas that are quick and easy to put together
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Carrots and hummus
Apples with cinnamon
Celery sticks with dates
Brazil nuts with dried mango
Cashews and dried cranberries
Banana with almond butter
Brown rice cakes
Hard-boiled eggs
Sweet potato chips
Almonds and dark chocolate
Yogurt
Fruits
Nuts in general
or even a Fit-bar
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Pick your favorite snacks and enjoy!