It’s no secret that planning helps you organize your time and enables productivity. But did you know that meal planning makes grocery shopping easier, saves you money and allows you to look forward to healthy meals? There are many ways to incorporate meal planning into your week. With these 10 meal planning tips there’s sure to be at least one that assists you in meeting your weight loss and healthy eating goals!
- Spend time each week looking for new, healthy recipes.
When trying to stick to a diet, keeping things exciting and diverse is key to staying focused and committed to your plan. There are a lot of great websites that let you browse and organize recipes. Plus, there’s nothing like a cookbook to inspire a weekday dinner! Browse your own collection or check your local library.
- Create a place where you keep and save all of your recipes.
Keeping your recipes in a central location will help you find your favorite recipe quickly and easily. This can come in handy if you’re grocery shopping in a pinch!
- Cook foods your loved ones like to eat.
There’s nothing like the support of family and friends when you’re trying to accomplish something. Plan to cook and make your family’s favorite meals and tweak them to fit your diet. Not only will they appreciate the gesture, but they’ll also be benefitting from the healthy changes.
- Shop seasonal produce.
Shopping locally and seasonally ensures that you are getting the best tasting produce for your buck. Pick recipes that incorporate the freshest ingredients available. Plus, you’ll be supporting your local farmers, which in turn benefits your community!
- Keep a meal diary.
Track your progress and plan ahead in a meal diary! Meal diaries have shown to prevent mindless eating and are a great way to remember your favorite recipes or meal combos for the future.
- Start a weekly menu in your house.
Create a place in the home where the upcoming week’s menu is listed. This turns your home into a healthy restaurant! Also, by looking forward to the meals you have planned and already purchased in your fridge, you are less likely to order takeout or dine out.
- Check what’s on sale that week.
Groceries can add up, so planning meals around the grocery store’s weekly sales is a great way to get creative and save some money. You can even research and clip coupons online for your favorite retailers. Talk about convenient!
- Plan for leftovers.
Making a delicious meal on Monday night? Why not double the recipe and have the leftovers for dinner on Tuesday? Making additional servings can save you time, especially on days when you know you will be busy. Just make sure to portion out your food. We recommend storing leftovers by portion, so you don’t risk plating too much.
- Prep food once you get back from the store
Sometimes tasty, healthy meals take additional time to prepare. Once you get back from the grocery store, immediately start preparing the ingredients for your upcoming meals: cutting vegetables, slicing fruit, cooking meats, etc. By planning to spend this time after shopping, cooking on weeknights will become a breeze.
- Make a list of everything in your fridge.
The fridge can quickly become crowded and makes finding your ingredients and leftovers a challenge. Every time you add something to the fridge write it down on a list. That way you know when the food was prepared and when it needs to be eaten by. Tip: store your leftovers in clear containers, so you can easily spot the dish.
Planning your meals in advance can help you make better decisions throughout the entire week. It also allows you to track and maintain the recommended caloric intake during the HCG diet. In addition to incorporating these meal planning tips, consider calling the Complete Medical Weight Loss Clinic to schedule a visit and determine if our program’s diet plan, prescription appetite suppressants, and optional injections will help you reach your weight loss objectives.