You know those days when you just don’t feel like cooking? Or maybe you’re tired of eating the same old thing? Or perhaps you want to pre-plan your meals for the week and save time?
Whatever your reason, meal planning is probably something you need to try. Meal planning takes a little forethought and organization, but it’s worth it.
Once you get into the swing of it, it creates less stress for so many reasons! Here’s how to start meal planning.
Get Organized
Before you start planning and preparing healthy meals, you’ll want to get organized. This includes labeling your containers, labeling the calendar with your meals, and making a shopping list.
If you don’t get organized, it’s easy to forget things, you’ll forget which day you’re supposed to shop, and you’ll spend more money than you need to. Next, you’ll want to figure out how much you eat.
The calories in your meals and snacks can vary depending on many different factors, like how much you weigh, how active you are, if you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, etc. The best way to figure out how much you should eat is to track it for one to two weeks.
For example, if you normally eat 1,000 calories a day, you’ll want to count how many calories you eat every day. To figure out your daily macros, multiply the number of calories you eat by your weight in pounds. Then, divide that number by the total number of calories in one serving of your meal.
Decide What Meals You Want to Make
Once you know how much you should be eating, it’s time to decide which meals you want to make. These meals can be used throughout the week when you’re meal planning.
When deciding on which meals to make, make sure they’re healthy and nutritious. Also, think about how many people you serve, not just how many people are eating that day.
If you have a large family or have a lot of people coming to your house for dinner, make sure those meals are healthy and nutritious enough for the whole family. Contact athleticsfitmeal.com if you’re having trouble starting your meal planning journey.
Track your Meals and Snacks
Now that you have your calendar, it’s time to track your meals and snacks. Make sure to start tracking your food intake as soon as your meal planning calendar is done.
This will help you track what you’re eating and the calories in each meal. You can do this by hand, but tons of apps can help you out. Once you start tracking your food intake, you’ll want to start tracking your exercise. This will help you stay consistent.
How to Start Meal Planning 101
If you’re still wondering how to start meal planning, don’t forget to check out this guide again. Meal planning is a great way to save time, increase your health, and save money.
Don’t forget to check out our other healthy meal plans for need-to-know tips and tricks.