Nutrition Planning and Meal Prep

Meal Planning and Preparation –

Meal Planning and Preparation can make accomplishing your nutrition goals a lot easier, however, it can be really challenging for individuals who don’t always have the extra time in their day. Between work, kids/family obligations, and other life stuff going on, meal planning and food prep are not always a priority, but if we are serious about consuming healthier more nutritionally dense foods, then these steps are worth prioritizing. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2014), healthier food consumption; including more frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, has been found to be significantly associated with more time spent in the kitchen preparing, cooking, and cleaning up. In fact, eating more frequently out of the home has been associated with increased risk of obesity and poor diet quality (Raber et al.).

Meal Prep Benefits:

• Can be more cost-efficient – especially when feeding more than one person.
• If you are consuming nutritionally dense foods and eating moderately, then meal planning and prep will help with weight control.
• Can help avoid stress and increase feelings of accomplishment and pride that you made yourself (and your family) a healthy meal without hurried prep.
• If you are preparing healthy and nutritious meals, then this will contribute to a nutritionally balanced diet, that delivers amazing health benefits for both your mental and physical health!

Meal planning can be separated into tasks that can be done at different times of the week or they may overlap. The first task in meal planning is writing out dinners you would like to make for the week or longer (2 weeks; 1 month, etc.). When you follow the Lean Life Wellness program you will have access to my services, in creating a weeklong nutrition plan – tailored specifically to your budget, food preferences, and nutrition goals. I will also give you helpful tips for creating your own meal plan, to maintain your nutrition and wellness, moving forward.

After you write out what meals you want to make, next is the grocery list. This is also a service that I provide along with the meal plan (it is an optional service). You will need to put together a grocery list of all of the food items that you will need to prepare your meals. And do not forget some healthy snack options (fruits, veggies, protein, etc.). You can also make your own snacks such as protein balls, granola bars (limiting added sugar), homemade hummus or vegetable dip, etc. Now it is time to grocery shop. Check out the “Grocery Shopping and Food Labels” post for information to help you purchase the best food options, while also not over or underspending.

The last task that will help ensure that you eat the best foods for you and your nutrition/wellness goals is preparing foods for meals and if necessary, also cooking foods ahead of time. For example, if you plan to roast veggies or need to marinate and season your protein (chicken, beef, fish, tofu, etc.), do this in the morning before work, on your on lunch break if it allows you to be home, or even the night before. If possible, prep for multiple meals on one day (such as your day off). This might include chopping onions, mushrooms, celery, or any other produce items you might be using in your meals. Mince garlic and chop herbs. If stored properly, fresh herbs can last up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

I know it is easier said than done to meal plan and prep, but when we really want to do something and have an important goal to reach for ourselves and possibly also for our families to eat healthier, we can make the seemingly impossible possible. My job, if you choose to use my services, is to help take over some of those overwhelming tasks, as well as guide you in maintaining healthier lifestyle changes once you have reached your nutrition and wellness goals.

Check out the references below for further information on meal planning and prep, as well as healthy home cooking, and how these steps have been shown to contribute to better health benefits and better dietary adherence.

References:

[1] Monsivais, Pablo, et al. “Time Spent on Home Food Preparation and Indicators of Healthy Eating.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 47, no. 6, 2014, pp. 796–802, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.07.033.

[2] Raber, Margaret, et al. “An Evidence-Based Conceptual Framework of Healthy Cooking.” Preventive Medicine Reports, vol. 4, 2016, pp. 23–28, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.05.004.