Meal Planning 1,2,3

One of our dietitian subscribers, who runs a weight-loss center, writes, “we really need help with how to plan meals - most of our customers dash out to get something to eat every time they get hungry and they are not planning meals or making good choices.” Okay - glad you asked! We came up with three easy steps for those who want to start planning. First a note about the importance of planning. No one plans to fail - they just fail to plan!?Planning saves time and money and it puts you in control of what you eat. Most “grab and eat right now choices” for folks are loaded with fat, sugar and sodium. Here are 3 steps to start meal planning. The first step is to plan just 3 or 4 dinners; if you eat more meals at home you should work up to planning up to 6 or 7 dinners for the week: 1) Plan 3-4 dinners - Write down 3-4 healthful dinners that are easy for you to make. Considerations: a) Make extra to serve for the next night’s dinner or lunch. b) Base meal ideas on existing ingredients you have on hand such as frozen chicken. c) Are there store specials such as buy-one-get-one-free pasta you can use? 2) Check supplies. Write down what you usually eat for breakfast and lunch and make a list of what you need to prepare those for a week. Check other staple items and household supplies. 3) Make a list of what you need and go to the store. Putting your list in the order of the store, e.g. produce, grains, dairy, meat, helps shopping become faster and less prone to buying things you don’t need.