Many people are discouraged from eating healthily because the entire process requires cooking and planning all the time. Namely, if you want to follow a balanced diet, you need to determine in advance what to eat each day since you will need ingredients to prepare your meals. However, simple meal planning does not have to be complicated and difficult if you know how to do it right.
Tips for Simple Meal Planning
Let’s face it – simple meal planning isn’t the easiest thing to do. Luckily, there are ways to make it as easy as possible!
Believe it or not, healthy eating requires organization as well, so if you want to master it, you need to learn to be more practical. If simple meal planning does not seem like your thing, we are here to help you get a hold of it with a few simple tips.
- Create a Schedule for Each Meal at The Beginning of The Week
If you ask us, everyone’s approach to meal planning and prep has been chaotic in the past! That is, no one has nailed down the meal planning process from the first try.
We know how challenging simple meal planning can be because we have all struggled to figure out what we wanted to eat more than a day in advance. With how busy life gets, all of us tend to just decide on the spot instead of being organized in the kitchen.
That is why our first step to successful meal planning is creating a meal schedule with easy meal prep ideas. You should try to make a plan for all your meals at the beginning of the week. This will help you establish time for meal prep, and you will have enough time to get all the ingredients you need for the entire week.
At first, this might seem overwhelming but do not worry – eventually, you will learn to plan efficiently, and creating a meal schedule will become a piece of cake!
- Simplicity Is Bliss
You really do not need to whip up an entirely new recipe every night unless you want to. Just focus on some basic meal components.
Remember to aim for about 4 to 6 ounces of a healthy protein, some veggies, and a side of veggie-based or whole grain starch, such as brown rice, quinoa, or a sweet potato.
When we tried ways to simplify meals, we believed that coming up with a different dish would be difficult. However, as it turns out, you only need to learn how to combine healthy ingredients and nutrients properly, and you are done!
- Start Doing Meal Preparations in Advance
When we talk about simple meal planning, we refer to preparing chopped veggies and vegetables for dishes that require them. Some people do not really enjoy chopping food all the time, and that is what makes them lazy in terms of meal planning. But we have the solution!
If you are planning to use chopped veggies or fruits for a few meals – like apples for snacks or sweet potatoes and onions for dinner – it is a good idea to chop everything at once. Just set aside some time to do it.
You can keep your chopped ingredients in clear containers or zip-top bags in the fridge. When you are ready to put your simple meal prep plan in action, you can easily throw them on a baking sheet to roast or toss them right into a soup or salad.
See how simple meal planning can be? Once you make your plan, stick to it! Everything else will go spontaneously, and in no time, you will turn balanced eating into your everyday routine!
While simple meal planning can save time and reduce waste, having a well-organized, minimalistic pantry is equally important to simplify your kitchen routine. For practical tips and tricks, make sure to check out our article on How To Create A Minimalistic Pantry in your kitchen.
Follow MaKayla @makay.la27 for more inspiration on how to enjoy a simpler, more organized life.
