Time to Plan Meals for Next Week
One thing that has changed for many of us this year is how we eat. Maybe for the best, maybe for the worst. If you’re worried about stress, it probably wasn’t good. But then again, many of us have moved on to preparing more meals at home to avoid restaurants, or simply because there are fewer social events to go to.
In keeping with our topic of exploring our health-related habits , why not take a look at your meal planning this week? (If you don’t know what you are going to eat next week, this might be a hint that you could use a little structure.)
There are many powerful approaches to meal planning, and to be honest, I don’t always manage to do well with those that seem ideal on paper. So let’s take a look at a few possibilities:
- Plan a few homemade meals, buy ingredients and live off those foods and nothing else for a week.
- Choose one meal a day, or even once a week, that you eat together. (Maybe Saturday dinner.) For the rest, search as usual.
- Buy frozen or prepared food ingredients that you can combine as you go. For example: frozen burger patties, a slice of cheese, and half a bag of frozen vegetables.
- Sign up for a cooking box or grocery box and cook what you are given.
- Sign up for a box or ready-to-eat meal delivery service.
When I asked on Twitter about healthy habits during quarantine, several people answered questions about meal planning. One person uses a local food service; another signed up for CSA.
Personally, I enjoyed the Imperfect Foods boxes; I can either choose what I want or let them surprise me. I use recipes from Skillet (of course) or Budget Bytes to combine them into meals without the hassle.
Your assignment: plan for yourself three meals a day this week
Take a moment to think about how you would like to eat next week. I recommend that you think ahead of time about having at least three meals a day, but you can do more if you like. Do you want to cook at home or not? Eat more vegetables and lean protein, or just open the can and know that you end up with something delicious and satisfying ? (Remember that it’s up to you to decide what health means to you. Keeping your mental health in mind is as important as anything else.)
I recommend reading Claire’s guide to pandemic meal planning , which includes identifying what you love and hate about meal planning and meeting your own specific needs. If anything is wrong, we also have a nutritional guide for when you’re depressed .
We also have a guide on what to do when meal planning never works for you , and reflections on why you should sometimes be a little selfish about your plans . You don’t have to force yourself to eat a whole pot of stewed lentils if you honestly prefer breakfast for dinner or indulge in your favorite takeout restaurant. Make a plan and do your best to stick to it, and let us know how it goes.