Are you always busy but want to have a healthier diet with appropriate vitamins from Supplement First rather than always opt for takeout from your local fast food joint? Then you’ll greatly benefit from meal planning and meal prepping. These are excellent skills to possess as they can improve the quality of your diet and help anyone reach specific health goals while saving time and money.
But where can you start? It sounds intimidating, but it gets easier with these tips.
- Start small
You’re probably here because you never made a meal plan before or just got back after a hiatus. Again, it’s intimidating, but just like any other positive change in life, you’ll find it easier when you take baby steps. Start small rather than carry the “go big or go home” mindset. This way, you slowly build confidence and ensure this new habit will be consistent and sustainable.
You can start small by planning out a few snacks or meals for the next few days. Over time, you will learn what planning strategies work for you and you can begin building your plan by adding more meals.
- Look at the food groups
No matter how long you meal prep, you must ensure all the food groups are represented in your meal plan.
The healthiest meal plan will emphasize whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats, and quality protein. The foods to limit are refined grains, excess salt, and added sugars.
When considering recipes to cook for meal prep, think of those food groups. Also, if you have any vitamin efficiencies that require supplementation from Thorne Research at Supplement First, add those to your meal plan as well.
- Start organizing
Good organization is a critical aspect of successful meal plans. Organized kitchens, pantries, and fridges will make menu creation, groceries, and meal prep hassle-free since you already know what you have and where everything goes.
Organize your kitchen and start purchasing high-quality storage containers for your ingredients and cooked meals. It’s best to consider glass containers, which are eco-friendly and microwave-safe. Moreover, ensure that you purchase containers made for their intended use, may it be for freezing, microwaving, and the like.
We highly recommend keeping a well-stocked pantry with whole grains, legumes, canned goods, oils, baking essentials, and other healthy ingredients. Don’t forget herbs and spices, which can add so much flavor to any meal and make it more enjoyable.
- Make time
The best way to integrate meal prep into your lifestyle successfully is to prioritize it. That means making time consistently. Not to worry, as you don’t need to invest hours of your time daily. Meal planning can take as little as half an hour a week, though you may need a few hours during a day off to cook and pre-portion your meals and snacks.
Wrapping It Up
These tips will definitely help get you started on whipping out yummy meals for your health and wellness.
