Lately, all the rage seems to be about meal planning and meal prep. However, no matter how good your intentions are, many end up abandoning the practice within a month or so. This is mainly due to not finding the right practice for you and your routine! If you know that Sundays are busy, don’t plan on doing a full week of meals that day. Additionally, if you know that you can’t eat the same meal for lunch five days in a row, find a way to switch it up! Here are some overall tips to help you get inspired, organized, and more!
Meal Inspiration
Despite the large variety of food that exists, it is easy to get into a rut of chicken breast and veggies, a wrap, a turkey sandwich, etc., which can get exhausting. Spend some time every week looking up recipes! Pinterest is a great way to save recipes you want to try, and it has a ton of meal planning tips. If you are cooking for more than one, ask for any input on food—they might have the perfect recipe!
Get Organized
Meal planning does require some degree of organization, so it is important to think about what system works best for you. Essentially, you will need to write down the meals you’ll be having each day, and the ingredients involved. Many do a week-by-week plan, as it is difficult to plan a month ahead. Make sure your grocery trips are organized as well, and never go hungry! Also, in your plan, if you are cooking for one, you may have some leftovers, which can make planning even easier.
Just Do It!
You have your calendar, your recipes, and your ingredients; now what? When you get back from the grocery store, prep as much as possible. You can cut up fruits and veggies, pre-cook chicken breasts, prep sauces, and more. This way, you will be more motivated to finish the job when you come home from work. More often than not, the bulk of the work will be done, and you will just have to heat it up and add some seasoning!
Meal planning is a great way to stay healthy and keep your diet on track. An organizational system, Tupperware, and great recipes are really all you need to get started!
Courtesy of: Kitchn
