- Do you plan your meals ahead of time?
- Do you grocery shop in bulk?
- How do you take the guesswork out of eating well?
The meal plans in my challenges are developed so that you are nourishing your body every two to three hours with balanced, delicious meals and snacks. The beauty of this program is that by having small, frequent meals, your body never has the chance to go into starvation mode, which makes it easier to make nutritious food choices. Here are some other suggestions for how to make this nutrition plan work for you:
Plan your meals for the week in advance.
Set aside a day to plan out your meals for the week. Be sure to take into account any special events, meetings or potential conflicts that might make it hard for you to eat a nutritious meal and plan accordingly.
Pick a day to do your shopping and cooking for the week.
Many people pick Sunday to do their shopping and cooking, in preparation for the work week ahead. This way you will be prepared for the week with pre-made meals, which takes the guesswork out of what to have for lunch or dinner, especially when you are frantically running out the door in the morning.
Buy in bulk.
You can buy frozen, skinless chicken breasts, cans of tuna, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruit, all in bulk and at discount prices. Stock your refrigerator, freezer and pantry with these nutritious foods to remove temptation. You can’t give into your cravings if there is nothing in your pantry that is not on your nutrition plan.
Make the most of your leftovers.
Plan your meals so leftovers from dinner can be packed and eaten as lunch the next day. Chop up your chicken breast from the night before and add it to an omelet for breakfast or slice it and serve with mixed greens and veggies as a tasty salad.
Eat breakfast for dinner. And vice versa.
Get creative. Add chicken, rice and vegetables to a breakfast omelet. Or skip the eggs all together and have chicken with broccoli for breakfast. Break out of traditional thoughts as to what constitutes breakfast.
Start cooking with nutritious recipes.
Find a few recipes that you like (and that are easy to make) and make those staples in your meal plan. The less time you have to spend thinking about meals, the more time you have to focus on your health and fitness goals.