With today’s fast paced lifestyles, who has the time for healthy meal planning? You might be surprised to learn that it’s not hard to get organized and plan healthy meals that are easy to prepare, inexpensive and good for you. Whether you are trying to loose weight or just eat to improve your health, read on to discover how to develop healthy meal plans that save you time and money.
Organization is Key
Before you do your grocery shopping, take note of what you have on hand and what is advertised for sale that week. Not only can this save you money, but it can help you brainstorm ideas of what to prepare for this week’s meals.
Recipes are your best friend when it comes to planning healthy meals. You can print out recipes for all sorts of healthy dishes right over the internet, many of which can prepared in an hour or less. To keep organized, a three hole binder will store your recipes in order so you don’t have to hunt for them later. Once you know whats for dinner, you can make a shopping list with the ingredients.
Variety Keeps It Exciting
For those that think that eating healthy has to be boring, just remember that there are so many ways to prepare all of that healthy food that you will never get bored of eating the same old thing. If you love to cook, it’s an exciting opportunity to try new recipes and dishes.
When planning your meals for the week, opt for a variety of healthy choices and rotate different types of food throughout the week. Variety is also important in making your that your body is getting all of the nutrition it needs.
Healthy Cooking Methods
When planning your meals, select recipes that use healthy cooking methods like stir-frying, baking, steaming, and stewing. All of those methods of cooking preserve the nutrients in your food where as methods like frying and boiling can let vitamins and minerals escape.
To save even more time, have a look at healthy crock-pot recipes. Crock-pot cooking can be good for you and a big time saver too. Prepare your evening meal in the morning and when you are ready to eat, simply serve it.
Don’t Forget Snack Time
You’ve done your best to eat healthy, so don’t back down come snack time! The best way to avoid unhealthy snacking in between meals is by not keeping unhealthy snacks around. Instead, make sure that you have fresh fruits, veggies and other healthy snacks on hand. Including nutritious snacks as part of your healthy meal plan will make sure that you are prepared when hunger strikes.
By taking a little time in advance, you can prepare healthy meal plans for a week or more in advance. Planning ahead will save you time and money in the long run, thanks to your careful organization. Eating healthy will not only help you lose weight and look your best, but it will keep you feeling your best as well.
