Meal planning isn’t easy – especially when it comes to meal planning for healthy, sustainable weight loss. In our hectic, always-connected modern world, finding the time to do the simple things sometimes feels like an impossible chore. It’s so much easier to order out, or to pick up heat-and-eat convenience meals than to take the time to prepare a meal yourself. But it doesn’t have to eat up a large chunk of your time.
With a little forethought and practice, you can plan — and even prep — your meals ahead of time, so that even on your busiest day you’re still eating real food.
Why meal planning is so important
You already know that sticking to a healthy diet is one of the keys to successful, sustainable weight loss. But knowing that and figuring out how to fit it into your already-busy day might be another story. The idea of planning out all your meals for the week — especially if you’re new to cooking — can seem like an insurmountable obstacle.
It’s not, we promise. In reality, taking the time to meal plan actually makes your life easier. And it sets you up for success in a lot of subtle ways. It helps eliminate those last-minute decisions that often lead to takeout or unhealthy snacks. It saves time, reduces food waste, and ensures you always have something nutritious on hand — so you’re not scrambling when hunger strikes, reaching for the closest calories on hand.
So what exactly is meal planning? At its simplest, it’s deciding ahead of time what you’re going to make each day, prepping ingredients wherever possible, and organizing portions. It’s a roadmap for your dietary week. It isn’t about cooking every single meal ahead of time (though some people do like to do that); it’s about having a plan in place for each day so that you’re not wondering what you’re going to eat half an hour before dinner time.
If that still sounds a little overwhelming, don’t stress; you don’t have to dive in and overhaul your entire week right off the bat. Start out small, if you don’t feel up to an entire week yet. Focus on just one meal per day, or one day per week until you get the hang of it. We promise, once you do, meal-planning is a tremendous time-save and the end result is worth it.
Meal planning fundamentals
Before you plan anything, take a look at your schedule for the week ahead. That way you can opt for quick and easy meals on busy days, and save the more time-intensive options for those when you have more free time. You can also plan for meals that let you do most of the prep — chopping or slicing vegetables, etc. — ahead of time for busy days, so when you’re in a time crunch all you have to do is throw together some pre-prepped ingredients. The goal is to plan out nutritious meals that fit into your schedule, so knowing how much time you’ll likely have on a given day is important.
For example: You know Wednesday is going to be hectic and you’re not going to have much time to cook, so you plan for a stir-fry. To save yourself even more time, you peel and slice all your veggies on Tuesday, as well as slicing your meat. That means that on Wednesday, instead of spending 45 minutes on dinner, you spend 20 — less time than going to get take-out — but still have a delicious, nutritious, home-cooked meal.
Or you know Saturday too is going to be chaotic, so you throw a roast into the crock pot and let it simmer all afternoon, only taking a few minutes to peel and throw in vegetables later in the day. You’ve put very little time into it, but at dinner time you have a meal that eats as if you spent all day slaving over a hot stove. Then on Sunday, when you have more time, you can take two hours to make your grandma’s perfect lasagne, or tackle a new recipe you’ve been wanting to try out. Planning ahead gives you more time and more freedom, and making sure your meals line up with your schedule is the foundation.
Once you have an idea how much time you’ll have, you can find recipes — or slot in recipes you already have — that fit into the time you have allotted each day. That might mean a quick chef’s salad or tacos on a particularly busy day, while the next day you have time for something more complex like chicken Marsala. And once you have the time component down, you can focus on getting the right nutrient balance in your meals.
Nutrient balance is key to feeling full throughout the day and avoiding things like the post-breakfast slump. Whether you’re planning dinner, lunch, or even breakfast, make sure that every single meal includes a good source or protein — yes, even breakfast — fiber, and healthy fats; carbs are important too, but don’t overdo the portion size. The key word in nutrient balance is “balance,” and if you don’t know where to start, the MyPlate rules are a good basic guide.
You can also use your hands to remind you what each meal should include, and to help you to judge portion sizes too. A balanced meal should consist of a protein source the size of your palm, a serving of veggies or fruit the size of your two cupped hands, a serving of carbs the size of your single cupped hand, and a portion of healthy fat the size of your thumb from knuckle to thumb-tip. As long as you stick to this guide, you can be pretty confident that you’ve got a fairly balanced meal.
Finally, start with recipes you’re comfortable with. If you’re new to cooking, stir-fries, grilled meats, sheet-pan meals, and soups and stews are all fairly easy options. And if you’re a pro in the kitchen, use meal planning as a way to shake up your dinner plans so that you’re not eating the same old thing.
But how do you actually do it? How do you plan out your meals? It’s actually pretty easy.
Meal planning 101: How to do it
Meal planning really comes down to 4 simple steps:
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- Decide whether you’re planning for a whole week, or just one day.
- See how much time you have available to prepare each meal.
- Find recipes that sound good.
- Fill each slot in your menu with a recipe whose prep time matches up with the time you have free to cook in.
Easy-peasy. Can it be time-consuming? Sometimes; especially if you’re not an experienced cook and you have to seek out recipes. That’s why we recommend you start out small and build up to planning full weeks. And though it might seem a little overwhelming at the outset, once you have your menu planned, you can shop for your entire week’s groceries at once— saving time running to the supermarket multiple times per week.
Once you get the hang of meal planning, you’ll find that the time you spend on your menu is more than balanced out by the time you save later in the week, and by the security of knowing exactly what you’re going to make and when.
Time-saving meal-planning hacks for beginners: prepping, batch-cooking, and more
Prepping ahead of time whenever possible can make busy-day meals even easier — and it doesn’t have to be a chore. Pair that with simple options like sheet-pan meals or slow-cooker recipes, and cooking nutritious meals for yourself suddenly becomes a manageable thing, no matter how busy you are. Here are a handful of time-saving options to consider as you start planning your meals:
- Prep ahead of time. A good rule of thumb is to do what you can ahead of time, when you have a few spare minutes. Peel and chop veggies and fruits, put together salads, cook grains or dried legumes so that they only need to be reheated. You’ll be amazed at how much of a time-saver this can be.
- Get a slow-cooker. Slow cookers can be a godsend on busy days. Throw your ingredients into the one in the morning, turn it on, and let it make dinner for you. There are even lots of breakfast recipes that can be cooking while you sleep and waiting for you when you get up.
- Try out some sheet-pan meals. Like slow-cooker recipes, sheet-pan meals are about as easy as cooking can possibly be. Everything goes onto one sheet pan; pop it in the oven, set a timer, and let the oven do the work. If you’ve already prepped what you can beforehand, the actual time spent putting together a sheet pan dinner can be mere minutes.
- Don’t be afraid to include some no-cook meals. Salads (provided you’re including proteins), wraps, and sandwiches are all valid options. Just make sure that you’re striking the right nutrient balance. Have some veggies with your sandwich, instead of chips — and we don’t mean a single leaf of lettuce.
- Make a big batch. Another simple way to save time is to make a big batch of whatever you’re cooking and putting some aside for another day. Of course this isn’t suitable for every dish, but if you’re making soups or stews, casseroles or baked pasta dishes like lasagne, it’s an easy way to have some easy heat-and-eat meals that are actually good for you. Double your soup recipe, then portion out the extra; make two lasagnes and put one in the freezer for a day when you’re short on time.
Meal planning for success
Meal planning is one of the most effective tools for staying on track with your health and weight loss goals. By taking the time to plan, prep, and organize your meals, you’ll save time, reduce stress, and feel more in control of what you’re eating. Start small, stay flexible, and let meal planning become a habit that works for your busy life.
Learn more about Claya’s personalized wellness coaching for your weight loss journey.
