"Failing to plan is planning to fail." Not very many people enjoy hearing me tell them that because it puts all the responsibility of a person's success or failure on that individual's own shoulders. I can't help it though, because it's a motto that I strongly live by. I know that if I want to be successful at anything I do, I need to plan it out. Not to be a control freak, or to cause myself stress, but to set myself up for success.
Baby steps... If anyone is making steps toward a huge and drastic goal, such as breaking an addiction to sugar.... I suggest cutting back first. Because sugar addiction is REAL and will drive you nuts! But I've already covered that in my blog post about Food Addiction. Having baby steps toward ANY goal is the best way to start because it gives you real-life, tangible things you can do to work toward your goal, which can be a scary process. True growth only takes place outside of our comfort zone, so going slowly with baby steps is a great way to adapt and prepare for the changes that would normally frighten you off and the doubts that gnaw away at your subconscious.
That is why, when it comes to getting healthier, I tell people to meal plan! Now, just like everything you do in life, it's not going to look just like someone else's. It can, if you google meal plans and you print one out and stick to it verbatim.... but most people don't do that, and for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps your budget won't allow salmon for the week, maybe you're vegan, or perhaps you are allergic to nuts.... whatever your reason, know that I am not looking to give you a specific meal plan. I am just trying to instill in you how much meal planning will help.
Step 1 is to create a menu and a correlating shopping list. I search the internet, using Google, Blogs, Pinterest and more to find recipes that I want to make. I plug it into my menu, and then add all the ingredients necessary to my shopping list. Some weeks, this is all I manage to get done. If this is all I do, this is still helpful for SO many reasons:
♥ Save Time: Having a menu saves time because you always have a meal to cook and you know you already have all the ingredients.
♥ Save Money: You only buy what's on your list, therefore, all your ingredients will be used in a recipe that is on your menu - no wasting food because you bought it at the store but got home and didn't know what to make with it.... or worse... forgot about it and let it go bad in the back of your fridge.
♥ Save Stress: No more worrying about what's for dinner or if you have everything you need.
If I manage to have the time and energy, Step 2 is the actual Meal Prep! This where you prep as much as can be done, for the coming week ahead. Now, there are some things I ALWAYS meal prep. Breakfast Burritos and Mason Jar Salads. Because no matter how much I plan... there will be days where Bobby has to work a crazy amount of hours and I won't even see him, so having something he can grab and go in the mornings, or something quick and premade to throw in the oven makes all the difference to him, and keeps me in good housewife status without pulling my hair out! LoL I wrap them in tinfoil because we don't own a microwave. But if you wanted to nuke them, just wrap them in plastic wrap! I just use whatever veggies I have on hand or felt like buying that week, throw it in with some eggs, and wrap them up with salsa, and BAM... all done. SUPER easy. They can be as healthy or as UNhealthy as you make them, depending on the ingredients, so just be thoughtful. Here's how it looks when I'm about to prep burritos and salads:
Just in case you need some tips.....
Mason Jar Salads are simply a great staple to always have in your fridge. This way, when you want something to eat but look in your kitchen and see nothing but INGREDIENTS, here you have a ready to go, nutritious and filling meal that will fuel you all day and require NO work in the moment... trust me - the first time you get hungry for you don't know what and open the fridge to see a mason jar salad just waiting for you, you will hear angels singing. *chuckles*
A more thorough step 2 would be meal prepping as much as you could... cooking your meats, slicing and chopping all veggies, portioning out veggies and fruits that you plan to snack on, as to avoid over-eating. Having tupperware containers and ziploc bags on hand is a lifesaver! Even if you don't COOK everything, but have it portioned off, pre-cut and chopped, then cooking dinner is the LEAST of your worries - it's the prep that takes time!
And before you moms come at me with "I don't have TIME for that!" Just let me you... all my kids get the ingredients out and ready as I read them off my list... then the older ones get to choppng, dicing and slicing while the little one helps me portion fruit and veggies... "Put 10 grapes in each of these bags so we have snacks ready for the week!" as I prep the meat. There is NO reason why you can't get this done, AND involve the whole family too! Involving the kids and having them participate not only makes life easier for you, makes them more responsible, but it gives them first hand knowledge of what healthy food looks like, how to prep and plan to be healthy themselves, and gets them working together. There's really no down side to this!! Sometimes I make an assembly line... I start by getting the container, putting in the meat, the little one places fruit, the boy places in veggies and the oldest closes it up and stacks it in the fridge. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
If you don't know where to start, just go to friendly google and search for meal plans. Find one that speaks to you, and tailor it to suit you and run with it! Tell me how it goes! If you need any help at all, please feel free to message, comment, or email me! I am MORE than happy to help you set up a system that works for you!
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