Plan Your Meals, Change Your Life!
Can you believe it’s almost September? Our casual summer is winding down, and, for many of us, back to school time means a busier schedule with more stress. That makes this a great time to start planning out your meals in advance for the week. Planning your meals can greatly reduce the stress in your life in two ways—first, by saving you time either in last minute shopping expeditions or trips to the take out place down the street. Plus, when you eat nourishing healthy home cooked food, you increase your resistance to stress and are less likely to eat foods that just make the situation worse (hello caffeine and sugar!). Here are two things to keep in mind for making healthy eating easier:
#1: Plan your meals according to how many nights you want to cook
Instead of planning 7 nights of meals, getting overwhelmed and diving headfirst into a pizza, how about starting off with three? This way, you can make large quantities and have a plan for your leftovers. No, putting them in a huge Tupperware container with a plate on top because you can’t find the lid is not a plan. Instead, take the time to separate out individual servings and freeze them for this week’s lunches or future dinners.
For Example:
Night One: Vegetable Chili with cornbread. After dinner, pack up 2 containers of leftovers, keep one in the fridge and freeze one.
Night Two: Baked Potatoes with Vegetable Chili on top
Over the weekend: Nachos made with the chili from the freezer
#2: Have a high protein refrigerator staple in the fridge.
Protein is what keeps us satisfied and keeps us from grabbing tons of food, yet it is typically the last thing we reach for when we are really hungry. In my meal plan, I include a high protein fridge staple, like hummus or pate that you can enjoy when you come home and are really hungry. Having healthy food in the fridge will help you to make healthier choices when you are super hungry.
Example: Snack planned ahead of time:
Black Bean Hummus on Red Pepper Slices and Homemade Corn Chips
Snack in the moment:
Peanut butter spread on anything crunchy–even the broken ends of the old, stale crackers in the back of the pantry. Wait, am I the only person who has done this?
To make your snacking a bit saner, enjoy the following recipe for Black Bean Hummus, one of my most requested high-protein fridge staples from my meal plan:
Black Bean Hummus
Makes about 1 ½ cups
Black beans are high in fiber and the cilantro is a cleansing herb. This spread is delicious!
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15-oz can black beans, lightly drained
2 teaspoons tahini
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Olive oil (as needed)
Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, using olive oil to thin if needed.
If all of this meal planning stuff sounds great but you are still overwhelmed, my Weekly Meal Planning Service simplifies the process of eating healthier. Every week, you receive four healthy, plant-based recipes and an organized shopping list. Best of all, you can try it for just $19.95 for three months which is like getting an entire month free! Check it out here.
Enjoy! ~Chef Jenny
Chef Jenny Brewer MS, CNS