Something I’m trying to be more diligent about in 2015 is meal planning. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat as I am. You work full-time, have endless to-do lists, and can barely remember to simply relax – let alone plan healthy meals. I have one simple tip for you – prioritize your time. Let’s face it. There’s never going to be a time when you have 30 hours in the day, endless money for a personal chef (well, maybe some day!) and a grocery store inside your home. You have to make healthy eating and meal planning a priority. So that might mean waking up an extra hour earlier on Saturday to brainstorm meals for the week or keeping a detailed notebook with all your favorite healthy recipes. Do whatever works for you. 

Today I’m sharing 15 effective meal planning tips from some of my favorite healthy living bloggers. I hope these tips inspire you to make healthier decisions. Have fun meal planning!  

1. “Try and prep foods in large batches that can be used in different ways. For example, prepare numerous servings of quinoa. It can be used throughout the week in several meals – add it to salads or into wraps for a little more protein, mix it into soup to make it more substantial, or serve it as a side dish at lunch or dinner. Hard-boiled eggs, steel cut oats, granola and homemade hummus are some other examples of foods I’ll make in large quantities to use in different recipes throughout the week.” – Leslee from Her Happy Balance

2. “Don’t wait until Sunday afternoon to do groceries (unless you go to only one store and take just an hour). I plan my meals on Friday, go grocery shopping on Saturday and have plenty of time on Sunday. I also use a template for meal planning.” – Dixya from Food,Pleasure & Health

3. “Keep it simple. Chopping some fruit and veggies and cooking protein is a big help for the week.” – Lauren from Breathe Deeply and Smile

4. “Clean your cooking area, cooking equipment, and storage containers BEFORE you start prepping!” – Deanna from The Live Fit Girls 

 5. “Give yourself an easy day (or two). Make sure you have dried lentils or a spaghetti sauce on hand. I have little kids and some days get too crazy to cook.” – Christy from Stained with Style

6. “Use technology to your advantage. Find an awesome app that keeps your recipes in one place, makes the shopping list for you, and is easy to use! Has my meal planning down to minutes.” – Madeline from Food, Fitness & Family

7. “Try to center your dishes around foods that have some similar ingredients. Instead of making a steak, chicken, and fish dish for the week, go for 2 recipes centered around chicken and 2 centered around fish (or whatever your heart desires). Similarly, instead of making recipes that each require 5 different types of vegetables, find recipes that have some vegetables in common. This cuts down the prep time and grocery list!” – Lizzy from Fit Lizzyo

8. “Cook and shred chicken in the crock pot! Makes it easier to weigh and portion out!” – Candice from Hungry Mother Runner

9. “I don’t often cook fancy recipes. Instead I buy a few different veggies and proteins to make each week that I can throw into a meal with some rice or pasta. Using sauces in the fridge, I can create tons of different meals!” – Clare from Fitting It All In

10. “Write down your meal plan and post it. Make sure you can see it and your family as well. This will help everyone know what’s coming up and get everyone involved.” – Alexa from Simple Roots Wellness

11. “Try to use produce that is in season- it tends to be cheaper, fresher and more delicious! I am thinking about getting a fruit and veg box on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. This is a great starting point when meal planning as you’ll know what goodies you’re getting the week before and can plan accordingly.” – Charlie from The Runner Beans

12. “By in bulk, invest in well made containers, and set aside a day each week to plan your snacks and meals ahead of time. Also, portion sizes in sandwich baggies for snacks on the go.” – Caitlin from Eat Run Lift Repeat 

13. “Start small, something like hard boiled eggs for the week, then let it grow as you figure out what you like and what’s realistic for you to prep.” – Rosi from Perfectly F.I.T.T.

14. “Check out your schedule for the week and plan around that. Make one new recipe each week to keep it fun and cook in bulk for the rest of your meals to make it easy!” – Kasey from Veva Health

15. “Simply spiralize some zucchini, yellow squash, daikon radish, carrots, etc. etc., steam for three to four minutes, and then toss in a large pot with all your sauce fixings for ten minutes. You can then portion out your Monday to Friday dinners in Tupperware and top with a protein of your choice right before you eat them. Healthy, delicious meals without a lot of effort!” – Erin from Her Heartland Soul

Talk To Me:

• What is one of your effective meal planning tips?
• When do you grocery shop?
• Do you buy in bulk?

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