If life feels to be busier than ever lately or feels hard to catch up and stay ahead on your to-do list, you are not alone. In fact, it’s one of the most common complaints I hear from my clients.
If you are like me, you probably have some time carved out on the weekends to plan for the coming week -- the grocery list, your upcoming errands, housework, and appointments. However, no matter how much we plan, sometimes an unexpected turn of events can derail our day and throw us off track.
That could be caused by a kid getting sick, or in my case- my dog, or perhaps work ran late, you had to unexpectedly deal with some family stuff, or a random invite that you couldn’t turn down appeared.
But planning is still important.
“If You Fail to Plan, You Are Planning to Fail”
— Benjamin Franklin
Whatever it might be- even with the best intentions, the weekend planning session doesn't work out, and we begin the week without our detailed plan of action. Specifically, when meals aren't planned out for the week ahead, this can lead to a drive-thru-filled week as we grab for quick and easy options when we run out of time.
We know that doesn’t set us up for success with our health and weight loss goals, but sometimes convenience and ease take priority.
I don’t want you to give up your health goals just because life is busy- because looking ahead, you can’t be sure that is going to change anytime soon.
That's what inspired me to create what I like to call an Emergency Meal Plan.
There’s three simple steps to get going in the right direction. And after a few weeks, you’ll be that much further ahead.
Step 1:
Start by making a list of your favorite easy meals. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Add it to the list if you like it, and it's simple to throw together. Once you have a list of your favorite meals to draw from, you can begin to plan. Plug in a few meals (let's say Monday and Wednesday) and then a corresponding meal (on Tuesday and Thursday) that can make use of the leftover ingredients.
If you don’t have staples that you like and are easy- I have lots here on my blog, and I’ll link a few below for you.
Step 2:
Make a grocery list once you have your meal plan in place. This includes everything you need to make each meal that you don’t always have on hand at home. Be sure to add a few easy grab-and-go snacks, as well. Plan a trip to the store over the weekend or the beginning of the week. With a detailed list, it'll also be much quicker moving throughout the store. And these days, with options like grocery pick up and delivery, it's as simple as submitting an order (that’s what I do!)
Step 3:
Go ahead and staple together the grocery list and the meal plan to use later. Having the list of favorite meals on hand helps to keep things interesting. The following week when you plan and shop, keep those lists together. Over the next weeks, you get to slowly accumulate lists and plans that can be pulled when you're in a pinch.
After a few months of diligently sticking to a meal plan, you'll be thrilled to have a folder that lists your favorite meals and snacks on one side, and an array of delicious, healthy, and easy meal plans with grocery lists on the other side.
It can feel like all we do is plan, cook, put it away, clean up… and then do it all over again. But I have found that I can streamline the entire process with a little planning so that I actually look forward to mealtimes. By spending more time in the kitchen and less time in the car grabbing take-out, I feel better mentally, physically and my stress levels decrease dramatically.
Bonus tip- make a double batch when you DO cook so that you can keep some in the freezer for even easier meals on busy days.
Once you work to ‘get ahead’ on this process, you won’t ever have to wonder what’s for dinner tonight.
Sound good? Let me know how it goes!
For even more healthy ideas and recipes - sign up to my Nutrition and Wellness Library.
