The key to healthy living is to follow a balanced diet, filled with nutritious food, not in excess, and at a regular times. Think about the last time you ate something processed. Were you rushing to a meeting? Or ducking down to get a snack because you realized at 3pm you hadn’t had lunch yet? Or did you get home after a long day and realized there was nothing prepared for dinner? In any of these examples you may have though” I should have meal planned!”

Preparing effective meal plans means allocating time to be creative, so that you can make a meal plan that has interesting, yet nourishing recipes. As a busy professional, you may not have much time throughout the week to scout for recipes, so the best way is to have a recipes folder or a recipes board where you can drag and drop recipes that interest you and you will make for the following week.

You can start a calendar and plan your meals according to it. Another useful tip is to check the supermarket brochure to give you ideas for your meal plans.

The Advantages of having a Meal Plan

Here are a few benefits of having meal plans in place

1. Time and Money saved

You save time and money, because you are buying in bulk all the necessary ingredients for the week, and therefore, avoid emergency trips to the supermarket for the odd ingredient in a last-minute meal. You also save on home-cooked meals, using wholefoods, versus eating out at restaurants regularly.

2. Stress is reduced

There is nothing more frustrating than standing in front of the fridge after a long day, anxious about what to cook for dinner. If you are a busy executive, a proper meal plan will reduce your stress levels.

3. Wastage is eliminated

Meal plans usually factor in leftovers as well, ruling out the possibility of leaving food neglected at the back of the fridge turning all the colors of the rainbow.

Tips for developing a Meal Plan, and Meal Preparation

Here are a few useful tips on creating feasible meal plans:

Be realistic. Ensure that you plan for tasty and interesting food, which will support weight-loss or weight-maintenance.
Develop a recipes board, or a have a folder that can be easily accessed
Maintain a tight inventory of your kitchen
Dedicated a time once a week to creating the Meal Plan
Plan your meals wisely and only order what you need so there is no wastage
Plan your menu according to time constraints, especially if you are a busy professional
Create your shopping list only after you have your meal plans in place

Points to take into consideration when developing a meal plan

Five helpings of fresh fruit a day
Six small meals a day rather than two or three heavy meals
At least one day with only vegetarian food, high on salads
Non-vegetarian meals should consist of lean meat such as chicken, or fish.
Red meat like beef and mutton should be avoided, or consumed only once a week
Avoid mindless snacking on junk food like burgers, pizzas and soft drinks
Include generous helpings of lentils and legumes in the recipes, as these are foods with high fiber and low glycemic index, which will keep you fuller for longer ad maintain blood sugar levels to help you avoid sugar cravings.

Lastly, be mindful of what you eat and the effect that the food has on your body. Mindful eating means paying full attention to the actual experience of eating, making you more conscious of the hazards of unhealthy eating. Meal Planning will help you be more mindful of what your food intake looks like for the week.

How to Create Meal Plans You’ll Actually Stick to as a Busy Professional