Connect with us

Diets

Living A Healthier Life: Creating Meal Plans

Published

on

Healthy meals are often overlooked by people on the go. Whether you’re a busy parent or overworked professional, there’s a good chance you may opt for quick rather than healthy, but you don’t have to. Through meal planning, you can have healthy meals every night of the week, even on the busiest nights. Let’s take a closer look at how to live a healthier life with meal plans.

Consider Your Schedule

For the most part, you probably know what days are going to be worse than others. This is when you need meal planning the most. Instead of hitting the drive-thru, you can have a meal ready to go home or at least a meal that requires very little work. For example, some people enjoy cooking meals on the weekends and freezing them for the busy days of the week. If you don’t care for freezing foods, you can also choose slow cooker meals that can cook while you’re at work.

Discover Quick and Healthy Side Dishes

The main course usually isn’t a problem. Grilling a piece of steak or chicken is quick and simple. What isn’t simple are side dishes. This will require experimenting until you find side dishes that are quick, healthy, and tasty. Once you do, you can easily work them into your meal plans. For example, you might enjoy brown rice, steamed broccoli, or side salads.

Cook Once, Eat Twice

Another great tip is to reinvent your leftovers from the night before. This is another great tip for the busy nights of the week. For example, the first night you might have roasted chicken. The next night, you could shred the leftover chicken and toss with leftover brown rice, feta cheese, black olives, and fat-free Italian dressing for a quick main course salad.

Keep the Theme Night

A lot of families enjoy having theme nights. Just because you’re trying to eat healthier doesn’t mean you have to give these up. For example, if your family has taco night, look for healthier ways to cook tacos. You might use extra lean ground beef or chicken breast. Look for recipes online that are healthier versions of your family’s favorite foods. Remember that not every recipe will be a winner. Once you do find recipes the family loves, make sure to organize them in a way that they are easy to find for future meals.

Meal plans not only to make your life easier but can also make your life healthier. Instead of reaching for something high-fat, be prepared with a healthy plan. A good meal plan will help you and your family eat healthy, even on the busiest nights.