Taking time to plan healthy meals can help you stick to a healthy eating style. If you’re new to planning meals, start with one of the tips below and then work up to more.
Map out your meals
- Outline meals you plan to eat for the week and use it as a guide. Be sure to list beverages and snacks, too!
Find balance
- If you have veggies, dairy and protein at one meal, include fruit and grains in the next to cover all 5 food groups over the course of a day.
Vary protein foods
- Choose different protein foods throughout the week. If you have chicken one day, try seafood, beans, lean meat or eggs on other days.
Make a grocery list
- Start by writing down all of the ingredients for the meals you plan to make. Just be sure to cross off items you already have on hand.
Love your leftovers
- Prepare enough of a dish to eat multiple times during the week. Making leftovers part of your plan can save money and time.
For more meal planning tips, see the tips on Create a Grocery Game Plan.
