Start Meal Planning in 3 Steps
Autumn might be my favorite time of year to begin a new routine. There’s something about the transition from summer to a more “serious” time of year with the start of the school year. I’ve been out of school for many years, and even now, the period between Labor Day and the autumn equinox still feels like a new beginning. In that spirit, I offer you a 3-step guide to starting a meal planning routine that stands the test of time.
You might be intrigued about the efficiency meal planning offers, about the security of its rhythm, or about the accountability of its structure. All are great reasons to consider meal planning. If you have specific nutrition goals, planning is key.
I'm an advocate, with over a decade of experience, for planning meals in advance. Whether you choose to actually make meals in advance is up to you. Here’s a tried and true strategy to get started.
GET STARTED
Set a date with yourself each week to meal plan. This is an important date, and you don’t want to miss it. Set a calendar reminder or a phone alarm. In the beginning, you may need 30 minutes for the following steps, but with time, you’ll be tackling them in 5 minutes or less!
THE 3 STEPS
THINK
Think about what you will eat. Start by focusing on just one meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner.) I recommend choosing the meal you’re either most likely to skip, where you fall into the trap of not-so-great choices, or the meal you stress over the most.
If you don’t know where to start, keep it simple! Here are some ideas of meals you might want to plan for; high protein breakfasts, a meal plan for fertility, a meal plan for pregnancy, and nutritious soup recipes.
2. WRITE
Write it down! What ingredients will you need to source ahead of time?
For example, this is what writing it down might look like for a week of breakfasts.
ADVANCED OPTION: Repeat steps 1 and 2 for other meals so that you have a plan for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
3. PLAN
Plan to shop. If you like grocery shopping and can fit it into your schedule, simply figure out when this trip will happen so that you have all the ingredients at the right time. That said, convenience is one of the biggest barriers to not eating well. Consider placing a grocery delivery or pickup order to remove any resistance to get the ingredients you need.
Ready to start planning meals? In your meal planning date you’ll: think about your meals, write it down with an ingredient list and then plan to grocery shop. This planning strategy date with yourself will pay off all week long, and it gets easier and easier each week that goes by. I say there aren’t many silver bullets in nutrition, but effective meal planning sure is one of them.
Download and print a meal planning template
