Your Guide on How to Meal Plan Like a Pro

Nutrition cannot be overemphasized when it comes to fitness and leading a healthier lifestyle in general. Eating foods with the right nutrients is central to any fitness goal; hence, the saying, “You can’t out-train a bad diet.” 

One way to foster a great nutrition culture is meal planning. When the meal with the perfect balance of nutrients is ready and accessible, the chances that you’ll eat just anything are much lower. 

There are many other benefits to meal prepping. Let’s explore all of them and learn how to meal plan like a pro. 

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Why Should I Meal Prep?

It Helps You Pick Healthier Food Options 

When you plan your meals, it’s easier to eat whole, natural foods. Eating on a whim, on the other hand, usually means that you have to prepare the food right before you eat, which increases the chances of ordering fast food or eating processed food. 

It is Time-Saving 

Making your meals ahead of time means you don’t have to cook every day, or at least before every meal. Preparing your food in bulk helps you get more done in less time. 

Meal Planning is Cost Efficient 

Planning your meals means you spend less money eating out. Cooking in bulk also allows you to make better use of ingredients and minimize food waste. 

Usually, meal prepping also means you buy things in bulk. This way, you can save money by getting discounts. You can also save money on transportation or gas as you don’t have to go to the grocery store so frequently. 

Portion Control Is Easier 

Portion control is incredibly important for weight management and eating in a calorie deficit. When you portion your food ahead of time, you are more likely to eat the appropriate amount than when you cook or get food when you’re hungry. 

Meal prep also makes spreading out your meals easier. Spreading your meals out during the day could give you the illusion of eating more food during a calorie deficit and prevent you from getting so hungry that you derail. 

You Can Get Better at Cooking 

Meal prepping forces out the chef in you. After practicing cooking week in and week out, you’ll learn a lot more about how to make meals to suit your taste. You’ll also discover new recipes and techniques for making food come out better.  

It Reduces Stress 

Knowing that your meals are ready to go can reduce daily stress and fatigue. You won’t have to think about what to eat every day, as your meals are already prepared. 

You Have Complete Control Over the Quality and Taste of Your Food 

Ever eaten a meal at a restaurant or diner and felt like you could have made it better? Meal prepping allows you to avoid scenarios like this since it gives you complete control over all the variables in your meals, from the quality of the raw foods to the taste and texture of the complete meal.

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How Do I Create a Meal Plan?

The first step in creating a meal plan is to assess your needs. Are you trying to eat more healthy foods or more protein? Do you have any food allergies? It is also important to consider the foods you like. 

After you decide what food items and meals you want to include in your meal plan, the next step is to check your schedule and determine how it blends in with your meal plan. What days will you have time to cook? If you’re cooking meals to eat throughout the week, what day in particular will you have time to make that much food? 

The answers to these questions will help you choose the meals to eat on certain days. For example, on days you don’t want to cook, you can set your meal plan to include repurposed meals with leftovers. 

If you are not familiar with how to make the meals you’d like to include in your meal plan, you’re in for a learning curve. However, there’s nothing to worry about. You can use online recipes and other resources, such as YouTube tutorials, to learn. In no time, you’ll perfect your skills. 

At this point, you need a meal template — some kind of table on which you can insert your meals and the days you’d like to eat them. A spreadsheet tool or a table drawn on paper would help with this. As you type or write down your meals, ensure to add variety. Include different protein, carb, and fat sources, and don’t forget vegetables. 

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Time-Saving Tips For Efficient Meal Prep

Meal prepping can save you a lot of time. However, if you don’t plan your grocery shopping and cooking effectively, you could spend the whole day in the kitchen. Here are some tips to help you avoid this.

Create Your Meal Plan

Creating your meal plan means you know exactly what you’ll eat and when. Making these decisions beforehand eliminates the time you might have used to figure out what to eat. 

Again, after figuring out what to eat, you may still have to make or get it, and this takes even more time. Having a meal plan prevents all these. 

Always Make a Grocery List 

When you walk into the store with a grocery list, you’ll likely go ahead and buy what you have on the list. However, without one, spending time window shopping and buying other things you don’t need would be more tempting. 

Additionally, having a grocery list helps you avoid the foods you don’t want to eat, especially if you’re trying to follow a diet. Aside from helping you save time and sticking to a diet, make your grocery list to help you avoid overspending. 

Cook in Batches

This involves cooking large portions of versatile food that can be used in multiple dishes. For example, you could cook a large portion of chicken breasts, quinoa, or rice at the same time. Because these foods can be mixed with a variety of other foods, you can now mix and match. This is a much easier approach than cooking separate dishes, especially when you’re trying to up your protein intake. 

Use More Niche, Effective Tools 

Some tools, such as slow cookers, rice cookers, pressure cookers, and even air fryers, may work much faster than normal stoves, allowing you to finish your cooking quicker. Additionally, using multiple tools allows you to perform different tasks simultaneously. This way, you can finish cooking everything around the same time. 

Prep Your Ingredients in Advance

It’s best to prepare your ingredients as soon as you’re done shopping, as this will save time and reduce the chances of being overwhelmed during the actual cooking. 

Cooking multiple food items at once can easily become tiring. To prevent this, perform tasks like washing and chopping vegetables, pre-mixing seasonings and sauces, and marinating meats long before you have to do the actual cooking. 

Portion Your Food in Small Containers 

As you arrange your food to store in the refrigerator, it’s best to keep them in containers that store enough food for one meal. This way, you can simply whip the food out, reheat it, and eat it. This way, you don’t have to portion again and track your nutrients. 

Keep Your Kitchen or Cooking Space Organized 

This may sound simple, but there’s a reason it’s a sacrosanct rule for chefs. When cooking large quantities of food in a disorganized space, it’s more difficult to focus if you want to finish in time. So, if possible, clean up as you go and ensure you tidy your workspace before you start meal prepping. 

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Budget-Friendly Strategies For Meal Planning Success

Buy Your Food in Bulk 

Staples like rice, pasta, beans, and lentils are cheaper when bought in bulk, and they don’t need to be refrigerated. They can stay for long periods without getting damaged. Focusing on buying these types of foods in bulk will help you save some money. 

Plan Your Shopping Around Sales and Discounts 

If it’s not too much of a hassle, you could check stores’ sites, apps, and flyers to see when they have sales or discounts and plan your shopping around them. Many stores have sales on animal protein like beef, chicken, and eggs, and you can capitalize on this. 

Use Seasonal Produce 

Seasonal produce is usually cheaper and fresher. When a food item is in season, its supply will likely outweigh its demand because you can find the produce everywhere. Hence, its price won’t be too high. Another reason to use seasonal produce is that it is easy to get. Using produce that you have to go far to find may not be cost-effective. 

Use Your Leftovers 

You can always repurpose your leftovers into another meal. For example, the leftovers of a roast chicken dinner could be part of a chicken salad lunch. Planning meals with your leftovers also means that you get to save some of your already-prepped food, making your meal prep last longer. 

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Overcoming Common Meal Planning Challenges

Here’s a warning: meal prepping isn’t a walk in the park. Nonetheless, it’s worth the effort because it not only gives you a sense of satisfaction but also gives you control over your nutrition, not to mention the cost benefits. Additionally, there are ways around the various challenges that people may face while practicing meal prepping. 

One common challenge is the lack of time. Many people can’t find the time to cook due to their busy schedules. If this is you, your best bet is to use simple recipes and kitchen gadgets like a slow cooker and rice cooker to save time. 

Another issue people have with meal prepping is boredom. However, you can alleviate this by changing up your recipes from time to time to change the taste of your meals. Using themes to meal prep is also a good idea, especially if you also meal prep for your family. Taco Tuesdays, for instance, sounds like fun. 

Again, managing meals around dietary restrictions can also be quite tasking, especially if you’re also cooking for friends and family. Your best bet is to use versatile base ingredients that can easily be adapted to different needs. Dishes, like bowls or wraps, where individual components can be customized are advisable. 

Unforeseen changes in schedule can affect your meal prepping. Life gets unpredictably hectic sometimes, and every day isn’t perfect. On those days when you can’t stick to your pre-arranged meals, having a backup option in your pantry, like canned beans and pasta, would go a long way. It’s a nice feeling to check your pantry and whip up something when necessary. 

Lastly, many people are simply not motivated enough to take their nutrition into their own hands,  even if they want to. If this is you, start small. You can make food in very small quantities in the beginning so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Celebrate your progress, too, no matter how minor. Taking note of how far you have come will motivate you to keep going. 

Final Thoughts

Mastering meal planning can transform your daily routine, improve your nutrition, and even ease a strain on your pocket. By embracing the strategies outlined in this guide to meal planning, you can overcome common challenges like time constraints and meal boredom. 

Remember, the key to successful meal planning is flexibility; allow room for adjustments based on your weekly schedule and personal preferences. Start small, maybe by planning just a few meals a week, and gradually build up as you become more comfortable with the process. 

Some kitchen gadgets, like rice cookers, that could make cooking easier may be expensive, so you may need to make an initial investment. However, you don’t have to buy them all at once. Ease your way into things. As you unravel the benefits of meal prepping, you’ll find that your investment will pay off. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I create a healthy meal plan?

You can create a healthy meal plan by first deciding what types of food you want to include in the meal plan. After that, you have to check your schedule and determine the best days to eat. When you have decided what you want to eat on certain days, you can go ahead and make your meal plan. 

What are the 4 steps in the meal plan?

The four steps to making a meal plan are assessing your dietary needs and preferences, determining the foods you want to add, deciding what days to eat certain meals, and finally, creating the meal plan. 

How do I start a monthly meal plan?

To start a monthly meal plan, you should first assess your dietary needs and goals and gather recipes that suit these needs. Then, you must create a meal planning calendar to dictate what you eat on specific days. It is also advisable to create days where you repurpose leftovers to avoid food waste.

This article has been reviewed by our editorial board and has been approved for publication in accordance with our editorial policy.

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