Shana Howell Fitness: Meal Planning Made Simple

Do you want to eat healthier? Maybe you made a New Year's Resolution to clean up your nutrition but now, three weeks into the year, you're overwhelmed and reverting back to your old ways?

You're not alone!

The #1 thing I hear from every person I work with is that eating clean is "too hard".

I used to agree. I don't particularly like to cook and looking over the complicated meal plans with recipes that would take too long to make and had me shopping for ingredients I'd never used before had me running for the nearest freezer section for something, ANYTHING, that would be easier!

BUT...ever heard the saying, "you are what you eat"??? What you eat has a significant effect on how you feel...and I knew I wanted to feed my body with food that wouldn't leave me feeling sluggish, foggy and heavy. I wanted food that would nourish, energize and fill me up with everything I NEEDED.

And that's when I decided I needed to find a solution that worked for ME.

I couldn't be the only busy mama out there that would rather do just about anything than spend more time than absolutely necessary in the kitchen! So I started small and eventually came up with this list of tried and true tips that helped me stay on track with my nutrition, my budget and my schedule!

Tip #1: Plan ahead

It may sound like common sense, but it's something a lot of us forget to do. Pick a day of the week that works best for you (for me, it's Sunday) and take 10 minutes to look over your calendar. What do you have going on? Is there a night when you'll be out late? A morning you have to get up super early? Do you have a play date scheduled for Wednesday? Whatever it is, write it out and plan your meals accordingly so you have TIME to make them and can have grab and go items on hand when you don't!

Tip #2: Pick your meals for the week & write it out

To avoid over complicating my meal plan, I eat the exact same breakfast, snack, lunch and snack for an entire week. This helps me to budget (buy stuff that's on sale), it helps me to spend less time in the kitchen (I can make everything for the week at once, in bulk) and it helps me to have all my meals pre-portioned and ready to go when my week gets crazy! Every week I mix up my meal plan so I don't get bored.

Next, pick your dinners. For busy nights, think crock-pot meals.

(*Bonus tip - make DOUBLE dinner some nights and use leftovers as lunch for the next day to really save on time and meal prep!)

Then, sit down and write it all out! There are plenty of free templates like the one below online! That way every morning you can see your plan and stick to it!

Tip #3: Prepare your meals in one day

Pick a day (usually it's the same day I sit down and meal plan/grocery shop) to prep your meals for the week. That way everything is done, portioned and ready to go! You can get awesome food containers HERE that will make not only prepping, but grab and go a breeze and, bonus, they stack nicely in your fridge if you're a neat freak like me!