So far my nutrition challenges have consisted of 1) Eating at least 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, 2) Drinking at least 64 oz. of water each day (additional for exercise), and 3) Eating at least every 3-4 hours. The next challenge should help tie these all together. As with most things in life, having an idea of what to do is a good start…but having a plan or strategy of how to do it will help you to succeed. So, Nutrition Challenge #4 is planning ahead for meals and snacks.
When we have a plan, we set ourselves up for success. Without a plan we are left with only our good intentions…and are likely to get caught up with, and thrown off by events of the day. When building a plan for healthy eating, start with the principles already discussed in previous challenges and build an outline your eating patterns. For example, if you are aiming for a minimum of 7 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, decide where in the day you plan put them. You may choose to start each day with some type of fruit as part of your breakfast and include fruit in your morning and afternoon snacks. Add to that 1 to 2 servings of veggies at both lunch and dinner, and you’ve reached your fruit & veggie challenge goal!
Once you have a basic pattern for content of meals and snacks, you can plan your daily or weekly menus by simply choosing specific foods that fit this pattern. For instance, if your breakfast consists of a fruit, a starch and a small serving of protein – you can build any of the following combinations to fit this pattern:
- berries, yogurt & granola
- banana & a bagel with nut-butter
- oatmeal with raisins, nuts & milk (or soymilk)
- apple, eggs and toast
Get the idea?
For most of us, breakfast is generally not adventurous or dynamic. We tend to have a few staple breakfast choices that become a part of our morning routines. Lunch may be a bit more varied, but typically not by much. So for these 2 meals and for your snacks, try to come up with at least 3 menus for each. Dinner is usually the most varied meal of our day, and the one that should have the most planning. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but is best if planned ahead of time. I recommend you choose one day a week to plan your dinner menus for the week. Some people choose to plan 7 meals for 7 days…I am more likely to plan 4 meals and plan on eating leftovers the other nights. Do what works best for you, your personality, and your family. Planning meals a week at a time, then shopping accordingly you are more likely to have healthy meals, less likely to spend money on take out, and will likely have a much healthier diet.
Humans are peculiar creatures: if we’re out of ice cream we don’t think twice about leaving the house…but if we’re out of broccoli, we ain’t budging! Set yourself up for success by planning ahead and having the healthy foods you need on hand.
Click here for tools to help with meal planning and shopping.
