5 steps to better meal planning

5 steps to better meal planning

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SALT LAKE CITY — Meal prep is all the rage, but is there good reason for this rage?

Yes, there is. Taking a bit of time at the beginning of the week can set you up to save time, money and your sanity during the busy week. Here are five easy tips to make your meal plan work for you and to simplify the process.

1. Consider your constraints

This is probably one of the most important steps in meal planning. You need to know your specific barriers to cooking or preparing healthy meals. By identifying these constraints, you’ll be able to work within those constraints and be more prepared to actually eat better. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Interest in cooking
  • Experience with cooking and with food
  • Budget
  • Time
  • Whether you’ll use prepared/prepped foods or homemade foods
  • Your target trouble times (start here)
  • Work/on-the-go constraints

2. Plan out your week of meals

Know your calendar and when you’ll have time to cook. That way you’re more likely to follow through on your plans.

3. Meal Prep

Go ahead and actually prepare foods or meals ahead of time.

  • Determine your methods: Will you prepare individual foods ahead of time (beans, veggies, grain), prepare whole meals (breakfasts, lunches, dinners), prepare and freeze (individual or whole meals) or a combo of these.
  • Multitask (chop and assemble while cooking), remember food safety
  • Prep veggies at once for 3-5 days

4. Meal prep hacks

  • Dry oatmeal
  • Layered salads
  • Use your muffin tin
  • Smoothie bags (for the freezer)
  • Crock pot meals (frozen ahead of time)
  • Cook up plain meat or seasoned meat for the week
  • Freeze meals or individual foods

5. Shop smart

Planning out your grocery trip can help you save time, money and extra trips to the store.

  • Focus on what’s in season/ on sale
  • Frozen produce
  • Beans, eggs for protein
  • Spend the time to prep produce, soak dried beans, make lunches
  • Remember to not shop hungry or bored because you’re more likely to buy more than what you need and fill your cart with foods that aren’t necessarily the healthiest.

Now that you know how to meal plan and prepare to make eating healthy a snap, you're ready to save time, money and your sanity. If you'd like another tool to help you meal plan like a pro, sign up here to download a meal planning e-book.


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