Avoid succumbing to unhealthy foods when hungry by having nutritious meals planned and prepared ahead. Our meal plans are based on recommended calorie intakes, making them flexible enough for individual needs.
An effective meal plan can save money, promote more healthful eating habits and aid weight control. Here’s how you can start creating one today.
Breakfast
Breakfast may bring up images of large plates of bacon and eggs, stacks of pancakes or omelets–foods which might feel too time consuming or heavy for them to prepare themselves regularly. But breakfast doesn’t need to be difficult!
An ideal meal should include protein, fiber and healthy fats – such as cereal with milk and bananas – which will not only provide your calories but will also keep you satisfied for hours according to registered dietitian Kristina Cooke.
To maintain proper hunger control, aim to eat small meals on a consistent schedule throughout the day. This allows your body to efficiently process food and reduces digestive discomfort. For maximum effectiveness and energy for daily tasks, snacks should be consumed every 3-4 hours as this provides optimal fuel.
Lunch
Most people should reduce their intake of saturated fat and salt while increasing intake of dietary fibre, fruits, vegetables and oily fish. Eating regular meals – particularly lunch – is vital in maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding hunger pangs. Packing lunch is usually cheaper than dining out or canteen dining and gives you greater control over what goes into your body.
Nutrition experts advise ensuring that lunch contains foods from multiple food groups to get all of the essential vitamins, minerals and fibre you require. Include protein sources (meat or tofu), whole grains and fruit or vegetables.
Try to enjoy lunch in a relaxed environment and at an appropriate time. Eating on the go can create havoc for your digestive system as it competes to digest food with moving the muscles needed for exercise, potentially leading to indigestion, pain or bloating. If time constraints force you to dine at your desk instead, a low-fat cheese stick and apple could provide relief.
Dinner
Planned dinner can make all the difference when it comes to healthy eating habits versus succumbing to fast food cravings. Stocking your cupboard and fridge with nutritious ingredients that can quickly become meals will help prevent that last minute pizza ordering moment!
Plan dinners around filling one-quarter of your plate with protein sources (like lean meats, poultry, or fish), one quarter with complex carbs such as quinoa, brown rice or oats and two thirds with fresh vegetables and whole grains like quinoa, brown rice or oats; tofu can also be an ideal way to provide both waistline- and heart-friendly proteins while remaining delicious and satisfying! For variety in your meals try switching up proteins, veggies and grains each week – also try swapping in recipes using lower calorie cream soup bases or including plenty of fiber; these can serve as great replacements when replacing higher calorie options in casseroles, pasta dishes and meat sauces!
Snacks
Snacking can be a challenging part of managing one’s calories, especially if they contain too much sugar and salt. But snacks don’t have to be limited to chips and candy alone: Instead, stock your refrigerator and cabinet with nutritious snacks that will help keep you satisfied between meals.
An ideal snack should combine protein and fiber. Combine a whole food source of protein such as lean meats, poultry, fish or dairy with fruits, veggies or whole grains that provide fiber-rich carbohydrates, such as fruits or veggies with string cheese as an example of pairing protein-rich sources with fibrous carbs such as fruit. Also avoid snacks high in added sugars and fat. To do so easily read ingredient labels of packaged food products that list only natural ingredients while limiting sugar, sodium, or fat intake and aim for 100 to 250 calorie per snack when selecting snacks from this category.
