You know the drill, you commit to healthy living in the New Year and by the third week of January you’ve already given up. Why? You either really didn’t want it or you hadn’t created a simple, doable plan to get you there. It’s really that simple!
Following are 7 tips for healthy meal planning:
- Write out your meal and snack selections and all of the ingredients needed for the week. Do this before you go food shopping. Poor food choices happen when we fly by the seat of our pants … and then our pants don’t fit.
- Have an array of non-toxic glass and stainless steel containers to store foods you prepare ahead of time. Mason jars are inexpensive and versatile.
- Select ingredients that can be used in different dishes. Quinoa, brown rice, beans and roasted vegetables are good meal boosters and will last several days in the fridge. You can create soup a stir-fry and simple side dishes with just these ingredients and a few of your favorite spices.
- Decide on a “default†meal for when life gets in the way of your healthy meal plan and be sure to have the ingredients on hand. How about gluten free pasta (there are some really good ones made from black beans and quinoa) with prepared organic tomato sauce? You can always add vegetables, garlic and spices to add a nutritional boost if you have them on hand.
- Cook once and eat twice. Unless you have the time to spend preparing fresh meals everyday, it will change your life if you cook enough for several meals ahead of time. Freezing leftovers is always a great option.
- If you’re like me, a life without dessert isn’t a life worth living but sugar is evil and will make us fat and sick if we eat it regularly. Once you’ve detoxed from processed sugar, fresh fruit or small amount of dark chocolate is usually enough to satisfy the most discerning sweet tooth.
- Don’t drink empty calories. Soda and sugar laden fruit juices and ice teas will derail your wellness goals and more dangerous are the sugar free options that contain chemical substitutes. Hydrate with filtered water and add fresh fruits.
A well-balanced diet of whole organic foods is one of the key components to achieving super immunity, all-day energy and weight management. It is worth the time and effort to create a healthy meal plan and repeat until it becomes easy and then add in a few new recipes to keep it enjoyable.
