An effective meal plan can take the guesswork out of grocery shopping and meal preparation. This one-week plan was tailored specifically for someone needing about 1,200 Calories daily.
Meal planning can help you to meet your health goals by making sure all meals and snacks are nutritious, helping you to decrease excess weight while managing blood sugar levels more effectively.
Breakfast
Focus on having a balanced breakfast of protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates to give yourself lasting energy for both body and mind. This will provide lasting fuel.
Protein sources include lean cuts of meat and poultry, beans and legumes, eggs and unsweetened dairy products like yogurt. Complex carbs are found in whole grains, starchy vegetables and fruit – aim to include at least two of these per day in your diet for optimal digestive health!
Nuts are another nutritious food choice, perfect for breakfast or snacking throughout the day. Add them to oatmeal, cottage cheese or smoothies – and choose unsalted varieties without added sugar, salt or oils! Iced green tea contains both caffeine and L-theanine for an calming and focused morning start!
Lunch
Lunch can be one of the hardest meals to plan healthy. Between work and family obligations, it can feel impossible to find time to create anything more satisfying than a quick sandwich or unsatisfying granola bar for lunch.
At times, making healthy lunches needn’t be complicated or time consuming if you use some staple ingredients and plan ahead on weekends. (Think: making rice for instantaneous meals; or baking sheet-pan batches of vegetables to use in salads and sandwiches.)
These nutritious lunch ideas will keep you feeling full until dinner time! Packed with protein, fiber and heart-healthy fats to manage appetite and promote satiety.
Dinner
Dinner can often be the hardest meal to plan healthy. When feeling unprepared and hungry, it can be tempting to grab fast food like pizza from a drive-thru window; but you can avoid these unhealthy choices by creating an effective healthy meal plan in advance.
Meal planning ensures your cabinets and refrigerator are stocked with nutritious ingredients that can quickly be turned into delectable dinners. When shopping, aim to bring home veggies, protein, whole grains and some healthy snacks as staples.
If meal planning seems daunting, why not download a dietitian-approved meal plan as a starting point? Dietitan meal plans provide inspiration and motivation while supporting healthy living through nutritious eating plans. Just be sure not to restrict yourself too much.
Snacks
Snacks play an essential part in any healthy meal plan, helping reduce hunger between meals while at the same time being an additional source of calories and fat if they’re not planned accordingly.
Healthy snacks should combine proteins and carbohydrates to keep you feeling satisfied for as long as possible, such as an apple with peanut butter, carrot sticks with hummus or whole-wheat crackers with cottage cheese.
Be sure your healthy snack choices are low in total, saturated, trans, sodium, sugars and cholesterol by consulting the Nutrition Facts label.
Limit unhealthy snacks like French Fries, Burgers, Chips, Doughnuts and Candy Bars by placing them out of sight and reach, such as in the back of a freezer or on high shelves. Also avoid prepackaged crackers or cookies which often contain double the recommended serving sizes.
