Plan-less Meal Planning

Sometimes when we make the decision that we are going to start eating healthy, we dive right in, instead of getting our feet wet and acclimated to the change. Thus: Plan-less Meal Planning.

They say when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. But planning takes time, and our desire to jump in often leaves us overwhelmed by looking for healthy recipes and concocting elaborate grocery lists, to which we respond by a) buying more food than we can utilize, or b) dropping everything and going out for Pizza. Now there’s a plan that’s doomed to fail!

So, I’m here to provide some ridiculously easy to follow tips that will take the planning out of planning.

Step One: Remember What You Need

Healthy meals are basically comprised of three “groups”:

• lean protein
• healthy carbs/starches
• vegetables

Step Two : Know What You Like

Figure out which type of each group you enjoy. For example(s):

• Lean Protein – boneless skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey, chicken sausages (watch the sodium count on these), fish/shellfish (tilapia, salmon, mahi-mahi, tuna, catfish, crab, scallop, shrimp, etc) …
• Healthy Carbs/Starches – Sweet Potatoes, Brown Rice, Whole Wheat Pasta, Quinoa, beans, yellow squash…
• Vegetables – Zucchini, Asparagus, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Peppers, Beets, Spinach…

Step Three: Keep It Simple

• Buy enough of each to last you JUST until your next grocery run AND
• If you don’t want to think about planning lunch each day, buy enough to make and have leftovers to have the next day
• Don’t buy a huge variety (or if you do, be sure to buy smaller amounts).

Step Four: Keep It Interesting

Chicken for dinner every night sounds easy in theory but can get boring really fast.

• Keep it interesting by purchasing 1-2 other lean proteins to change it up throughout the week
• Stock up on all the flavors of Mrs. Dash that you enjoy. It’s sodium free and there are so many options these days to keep it from getting boring
• Bake your protein with a jar of salsa, fat free Italian dressing, or low-sodium or otherwise healthy soups. It will keep the chicken moist and your tastebuds interested!

There are also several ways to prepare a starch. Take sweet potatoes for example. You can take the time to bake them, nuke them in the microwave for a few minutes, eat them whole or mashed, cut them up and sautee them in a pan, etc… You don’t need a recipe to do those things! The same goes for veggies – enjoy some veggies raw, or bake, sautee, or steam them.

Step 5: Give Yourself a Break

• Incorporate ONE recipe per week that will result in leftovers to be eaten for dinner on another night. One less night to plan for? Awesome!
• Pick one night to dine out so you don’t have to cook. Don’t let it throw you off the wagon though – make healthier choices. You don’t have to eat a salad for dinner, but half a deep dish pizza won’t help either.
• And last but not least, go easy on yourself. Getting to a point where “planning” and executing healthy meals every night takes very little thought is not an overnight process!

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Got any tips for quick and easy ways to make food more interesting without having to whip up a recipe? Share them in the comments! In the meantime, I will be working on a TFG Approved recipe post for Deviled Chicken Breast. With only 4 (easily measured and most likely on-hand) ingredients to the “sauce” you will love this recipe that is ready in about 10 minutes!!! Stay tuned!