The best healthy habit for this summer? Meal planning. Plan your meals before the week begins, plan your meals before you go grocery shopping, plan your meals before you plan to eat out! Meal planning is an incredible tool that can set your work week up for success. If you’re not sure where to start, let me help you. This meal planner is $10 and sticks right to your fridge. If you’ve never planned a meal before, that’s ok.
Here are a few tips…
Alyssa Justice, RDN
- Start by planning the meal that you feel is the most difficult for you. Whether it’s finding time for breakfast before work, realizing you eat out for lunch every day because you forgot to pack it, or relying on freezer meals for dinner, choose one to plan for the week and work your way up from there.
- Now that you’ve chosen which meal to plan, start by thinking about what you’d like to make and how much time and energy you have. You don’t have to cook a full meal every single day. Maybe meal prepping on the weekends is more your style to help you prepare for the week or you get off work early enough to come home and cook a meal for you and your family. Think about timing and what is realistic to you. You’ll never accomplish something that feels too out of reach. We love this Blueberry Chia Pudding recipe from our blog that is perfect if you’re needing some ideas for meal planning breakfast.
- Build a healthy plate when you plan your meals. Make sure to fill half of your plate with fruits and/or vegetables, ¼ of your plate with protein, and the other ¼ of your plate with whole grains. Here’s an example: Fill ½ of your plate with a fresh green salad and seasonal Homegrown Organic Farms peaches, fill ¼ of your plate with 3-5 oz of grilled salmon, and fill the other ¼ of your plate with quinoa. A healthy and balanced plate is the way to go.
- Look through cookbooks, scroll through Pinterest, or text a friend who loves to cook to start getting your creative juices flowing. Write down the meals you’ll make for the week in your meal planner, or even just in your phone on the notes app. This will help you build your grocery list.
- Use leftovers to your advantage! You don’t have to cook a different meal every single time you are ready to eat. Cook a little more than you need so you can have multiple meals ready to go.
Some Additional Helpful Tips...
Alyssa Justice, RDN
- Prep staples ahead of time! If you can prepare enough chicken breast for the week, you can add it to salads, wraps, sandwiches, etc. This can make eating healthy a lot easier and quicker! Also try prepping things like grains or cutting up fresh fruits and vegetables into snack or ready to cook sizes.
- We all have so many decisions to make throughout the week that sometimes we develop decision fatigue, which means you’ll be tired of making decisions at some point during the week. This can lead to choosing food that is quick, like fast food or convenience snacks. Make healthy eating convenient and prep ahead of time, you’ll thank yourself later!
Now that you’ve planned your meals, you’re ready to head to the grocery store! Don’t forget to write a list that has all of the ingredients you need to execute your meal plan. This will help you save time and money once you hit the grocery store.
Showing up for 1-2 hours on the weekend to meal plan, meal prep, and grocery shop will do wonders for your health. You will save money, eat healthier, and feel better! Happy meal planning!
Grocery Shopping Tips...
Alyssa Justice, RDN
Don’t shop hungry. I think we all know this one, but sometimes forget to implement it. Shopping hungry can make you feel the urge to buy more food than is on your list. It may even push you to buy something that isn’t the healthiest option, but sounds really good at the moment. Eat a small snack before heading into the store, it’ll make your grocery shopping trip so much smoother!
Stick to the perimeter of the store. Typically the perimeter of the grocery store is where you’ll find all of your fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, and perishable items that are healthier for you. After you’ve shopped the perimeter, head to the center of the store and be sure to stick to your list.
Seasonal produce. Try incorporating seasonal fruits and vegetables into your diet! The more recently food was grown, the greater its nutritional quality. This summer we are loving Homegrown Organic stone fruit and blueberries! Click here to see all in season produce.
Read nutrition labels. Nutrition labels are extremely helpful to read in order to understand the nutrient content and healthiness of the food you’re choosing to buy. Look for minimal ingredients, no trans fats, limited saturated fats, limited sodium, and opt for items that have a good amount of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. If you’re confused about this, feel free to book a meeting with a Wel Dietitian. We can educate you to build your confidence in choosing healthy food for you and your family.
Stick to your list. You made your list at home with the intention of eating healthy and having your meals prepared for the week! You’ll be encouraged when you get home that you stuck to it and you even saved a few dollars along the way.
Frozen fruits and vegetables. These are packaged at peak freshness which means they are very nutritious and great options for you to have, especially on busy nights. Stock up on your favorites and pull them out when you’re in need!
Canned fruits and vegetables. These are also canned at peak freshness! Choose vegetables that are low in sodium or fruits that are packaged in 100% juice, not syrup.
Showing up for 1-2 hours on the weekend to meal plan, meal prep, and grocery shop will do wonders for your health. You will save money, eat healthier, and feel better! Happy meal planning!
We hope that you found this conversation on heart health to be educational and gave practical ways to incorporate something new into your routine. In case you missed our series last year, head over to the rest of our blog posts. Check out our Recipes page to try some heart healthy recipes featuring Homegrown Organic Farms fresh fruit. Stay in the know with all the organic happenings over on Instagram and give the team at Wel a follow for more wellness and nutrition tips. If you have questions to ask a nutritionist, leave a comment below!
