We have come to the end of our journey on meal planning together! How are you feeling? As you begin to practice this more, it should help you to form a new habit where this is built into your schedule and makes your life much easier. But if you need any further convincing, let’s look at some of the top reasons why meal planning can help you achieve a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.

More Nourishing Food Choices

One of the most significant benefits of meal planning is that it can help you make better food choices for you and your family. People who plan meals tend to consume more nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, and are less likely to consume unhealthy processed foods or fast food. Research even shows that meal planning is associated with a healthier lifestyle and lower rates of obesity. When you plan out your meals in advance, you are in charge of what you eat, which can help you make better food choices.

The more you start to prepare foods at home, the more you’ll notice how take-out or prepared food choices affect your body. For example, after a few weeks of cooking at home you may start to notice that the take-out dish you used to love is just too salty or oily for you anymore and now you prefer more fresh, whole foods options. Or perhaps you used to always eat the full take-out portion, but now you’re learning that your body feels better when you only eat half a portion and save the other half for lunch tomorrow. You’ll gain many new insights into your body, what portions work for you, and what food choices work best to fuel your body and leave you feeling great and energized. 

Meal Prepping: There’s No Right Or Wrong Way

Do what makes life easier! If you have time on Sunday mornings and prefer to batch cook stuff to keep in the fridge for the week, then do it. If you would rather chop and pre-cut a bunch of stuff to make cooking go quicker, that works great too.

The whole point of meal prepping is to simplify your life. If meal prepping becomes a rigid and restrictive process for you, then you need to think about the reasons why you are doing it.

However, I do think it’s helpful to have a few things from each food group slightly prepped for the week.

For example:

Grains: cooked quinoa, roasted potatoes

Protein: canned sardines, grilled chicken, frozen bison burgers

Vegetables: roasted veggies, pre-cut raw veggies, frozen spinach (can easily be added to soups, stews, omelets)

As you see from these examples, meal prepping can be as involved or simple as you want it. Having a few things at the ready ahead of time will save you time, money, and help you better honor your food cravings.

Better Time Management

Meal planning can also save time in the long run. By planning out your meals for the week ahead of time, you can reduce the number of trips you need to make to the grocery store, and minimize the need to make decisions about what to eat each day. This can be a significant time-saver, particularly if you have a busy schedule.

Instead of having no plan, feeling stressed comed dinnertime and making a convenience choice you’ll most likely regret afterwards, meal planning allows you to take the guesswork out of what the day holds in terms of food choices. Now, when 5 pm rolls around and your family starts asking, “What’s for dinner?” you don’t have to start stressing because there’s a plan! 

Keep it Flexible

The beauty of meal planning is to have stable foods on hand so you can have nourishing choices at the ready.

If you don’t feel like anything you made, that’s ok.

I think the biggest concern is food waste. Instead of wasting, can you freeze it for later? Most foods freeze well for months. Or will someone else eat it (roommate, spouse, kids)? There’s usually someone around who will eat it!

Or try to repurpose the food for another meal. Pre-cut a bunch of raw veggies but don’t feel like hummus and peppers? Why not make a sheet-pan fajita dinner with shrimp and the peppers?

One of the biggest takeaways is that not every meal will be perfect or the exact thing you want to eat.

Meal prepping is supposed to make your life easier. If it becomes a stressful or rigid thing, then assess your intentions.

Remember - there is no such thing as perfect eating and there’s no perfect way to meal prep either.

Cost Savings

Meal planning can also help reduce food expenses. By purchasing only what you need for your planned meals, you can reduce the amount of food you waste and save money on your grocery bill. You’ll start to notice a trend with your weekly grocery bill so there will be no more hidden surprises to your food budget.

Additionally, meal planning can reduce the need for takeout or restaurant meals, which can be expensive. You can even do an exercise where you calculate how much money you are spending monthly on take-out and going to restaurants. For most people the amount spent is shocking!

Improved Mental Health

Finally, meal planning can have a positive impact on your mental health. By reducing the stress and anxiety associated with meal preparation, you can improve your overall mood and sense of well-being. Additionally, meal planning can provide a sense of feeling in charge and empowered by one's food choices, which can help reduce feelings of anxiety or guilt related to food.

Meal planning is a powerful tool that can help you achieve a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. By eating more nutritious foods, saving time, reducing food waste, saving money, and improving your mental health, you can achieve your health and wellness goals with greater ease. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced meal planner, there's never been a better time to start incorporating this powerful strategy into your daily routine.

What’s been the biggest benefit and challenge of meal planning for you? Leave a comment.