Are your clients struggling to find the time to eat well and exercise regularly? Maybe they’re motivated but having trouble making it happen. This is where meal planning can help. Spending less time on figuring out and preparing meals means more time to work out. Not only that, but planning ahead makes the healthy choice the easy choice. Here are some top tips to share.
Make a list of favourite dinners. You don’t need to plan every meal and snack. Skip the overwhelm and just plan out dinners – it’s the key pain point for most people anyhow. Try planning for two to three days to start.
Do a quick nutrition check. Review what’s in your favourite meals and see how you could improve them. Aim to fill half the plate (or bowl) with veggies and fruit, one quarter with quality protein, and one quarter with whole grains. Do you have a variety of proteins, veggies, and grains? Adjust the ingredients as needed, then write a shopping list.
Cook once and eat twice. One of my favourite time-saving tricks is to prepare extras of certain ingredients and use them in a different meal the next day. For example, extra roasted veggies are great in a nourish bowl, on a pizza or blitzed into hummus or soup. You can also freeze extra portions or leftovers for easy reheating.
Aim to have about 10 meals on rotation each season. Add variety to your list with online recipes. Maybe you need a couple of fish or chicken dishes, or you want to try veggie-packed nourish bowls or a tasty recipe that features protein-rich eggs or tofu.
Use your list to plan each week’s meals. Consider what’s on sale, what’s in season, and how much time you have to cook. Be flexible – you don’t have to stick to the plan but it can make eating well easier and faster.
Time-saving tip: Frozen veggies are just as nutritious as fresh but don’t need washing or chopping. They’re also a healthy option in springtime, while we wait for more local produce to come into season. Try adding frozen veggies to your meals and smoothies.
