4 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL MEAL PLANNING

"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail"

Here are some of the reasons why people meal plan:

- to maintain, lose or gain weight

- to accompany a workout plan

- to save money

- to reduce food waste

- to save time throughout the week

- to satisfy a desire to control everything

Whether you track macros, count calories, or are just trying to identify patterns or intolerance through food journalling, setting aside some time once a week to plan your next seven day's worth of food can be a valuable use of time.

Here are some of my top tips for getting started and developing a routine, to help to feel like a super organised human being.

EVALUATE

Think about how well last week's eating was. Ask yourself questions to help you plan the next week:

- What worked well and, more importantly, what didn’t?

- What is my budget this week?

- Where am I shopping i.e will there be access to a farmer's market or large supermarket?
- What are my goals this week; cutting sugar? When are workout days?

ADAPT

Take calendar events into account, be realistic and make things easier for yourself. If you know you’re going to be eating out one evening don’t put pressure on yourself to have a home cooked packed lunch ready for the next day. Think about scheduling in a lunch date with a colleague or heading to the new café you’ve been meaning to try. If cash flow is an issue, delve into your freezer for some tasty leftovers.

CREATE

Start with a template similar to the one below:

Find inspiration on social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, food blogs, and also cookbooks for recipes and healthy eating plans. Consider doubling up on some recipes so you have leftovers for lunch the next day. I like to start my week on a Sunday as I shop on Saturday, but do what works for you.

Write yourself instructions i.e  remind yourself to take something out of the freezer in the morning for the evening meal.

Tally up a shopping list to take with you to the supermarket. A top tip for avoiding the tempting treats in the middle of the supermarket is to stick to the outer edge and write your ingredients in the order that you'll come across them in the supermarket.

IMPLEMENT

Finally, make sure this document is accessible on any platforms you use often so you can easily refer to it and make adjustments where necessary. I have a folder on my Google Drive named 'Meal Plans' and will name all my plans by their starting date i.e. 'Week 1-7 Nov 2015'. Dropbox also works for this purpose.

I have personally benefited from planning my weekly meals over the past few months. I hope this post is helpful! If you want to see my weekly plans for some inspirations check out this page.