Meal Planning tips for busy people
I believe meal planning is key for healthy eating and saving money! When you have something always in your fridge and freezer you are less likely to order a takeout. Here are some top tips for meal prep
- Set 2 days a week to make batches of food. Things like soups, lentil dhal, noodle curry soups are dishes, which you can make big batches of and have over the next few days or freeze. Find time in your diary to prepare quick nutritious meals
- Make sure that each dish contains food from each group. For example 1 handful of starchy carbs like sweet potato, 2 handfuls of vegetables like carrots and peas, a palm sized portion of protein like tofu or chicken and a thumb sized portion of healthy fats like olive oil
- Once a week plan all your meals for the week and write a shopping list. This will save you money and reduce food waste as your know when you are going to use all the food. When doing this try to get a lot of veggie meals in there, which is good for your health and the planet. Use legumes, eggs, and tofu as the protein source. For example crispy sweet chilli tofu is something quick you can make and a tasty way to get your veggies in
4. If your food is freezable freeze into individual portions sizes so when you are extra busy you have homemade food waiting for you5. Invest in a slow cooker! This can be really useful if you want to leave food cooking when you aren’t at home. Stick some veggies and protein in and leave it for hours and enjoy when you come home. Plus there is only one pot to wash up6. Buy frozen fruit and veg which is more convenient than fresh fruit and veg. This is also good for smoothie making in the morning. Buy lots of different fruit and vegetables to increase diversity in the food you are eating. This is also beneficial to diversity your gut bacteria7. Spend once a week to make a big batch of energy balls or healthy snacks which you can freeze and enjoy throughout the month. This is also key to balance your blood sugar levels to avoid that slump in the afternoonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrFa3Nl55mw&t=60s8. Roast a chicken one day and make lots of meals from it. For example, chicken salad, chicken soup and tacos!9. One day a week make a big batch of overnight oats, which you can have over the next 4 days. Add fruit, seeds, plant based or dairy milk and nut butters. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!10. Plan 2 oily fish dishes to get your omega 3 fats. This could be smoked salmon on crackers for a healthy snack or a meal with sardines. If you don’t like oily fish take an omega 3 supplements and incorporate chia seeds and walnuts into your breakfast.If you want to make things even easier than let me do the meal planning for you! The will be personal to you and will give you all the micronutrients you need plus a shopping list! Call me 07581419909 to find out more