Meal planning for a healthier lifestyle
What is meal planning?
Meal planning involves cooking a large amount of food ahead of time to be eaten later Most people plan meals meant to be eaten during the week. Meals can be stored individually in containers such as bento boxes or into individual components to be assembled later. Meals may be chilled in the refrigerator or frozen for long-term storage.
Meal planning may involve preparing healthy snacks. For example, fruits can be peeled and portioned in advance. Making trail mix from scratch or preparing overnight oats are also part of meal planning.
Why meal plan?
Time Saver
The most common obstacle to eating healthy is not having time to cook. With meal planning, majority of meal preparation and cooking is done over the weekend.
Soups and stews are easy one-pot dishes for meal planning
Selecting the right combination of dishes to prepare and having the right equipment can speed up the cooking process. For example, refrain from preparing multiple dishes that all need to be cooked in the oven. Similarly, avoid recipes that will occupy all the stoves on your stove top. Use the kitchen equipment you have available efficiently to reduce total time cooking. For example, if I’m cooking a vegetable stir fry on the stove top, I might choose to bake fish in the oven.
Multi-tasking may be a challenge to novice cooks. Use a kitchen timer to keep track of cook times. Ideally, have a plan before starting to cook to minimize accidents in the kitchen.
If you’re new to meal planning or a learning to cook, you can expect food preparation and cooking to take some time. You speed and efficiency as a cook can increase with practice and experience. Practice and ample preparation are keys to success.
Investing in kitchen equipment and tools that speed up cooking can shave time off cooking time. For example, a programmable electric pressure cooker can quickly cook meals. These cookers need little attention so it can make multitasking easier.
Weight Management
Meal planning can be a great tool for weight management because it aids in portion control and reduces dining out. Meals cooked at home and portioned out can reduce overeating. Portion sizes in restaurants are large and are not typical of what the recommended serving size is for most foods. According to the FDA, a serving of pasta is 2 ounces or 1/2 cup while restaurants typically serve more than that amount.
Image source: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/just-enough-food-portions
Portion vs. Serving Size
Portion: how much food you decide to eat in one sitting.
Serving size: how much food is listed on a product’s Nutrition Facts label or food label.
The FDA recommended serving sizes are based on the average amount that most Americans eat/drink of the food/beverage.
Recently, the FDA updated their serving sizes for some foods and drinks because the average amount that Americans are consuming have increased over the years.
Home cooked meals are generally healthier than restaurant food or fast food because you can control how much salt, oils and sugar are added during cooking. Most restaurants prepare their dishes using a lot of oils, salts and sugars to please the palate of a wide audience. Often times, restaurant foods are over seasoned or use premade sauces than are often high in extra calories. Individuals who want to lose weight may get better results with eating home cooked meals for these reasons.
Studies support the idea that meal planning aids weight management. One study compared the effect of meal planning versus exercise planning (1). The study found that meal planning lead to more weight loss compared to exercise planning. Interestingly, the study reports that most people used exercise to compensate for a poor diet. However, utilizing exercise in this way did not result in better weight loss outcomes.
This study and many others show that diet and nutrition combined with regular exercise has a greater impact in weight management than exercise alone.
““The current study found that greater meal planning frequency, on average, across the course of the program was related to greater weight loss.””
Healthy Eating
Red and orange vegetables are good sources of vitamin C and vitamin A.
A study on meal planning found that people who participated in meal planning have a healthier weight that those who did not. Those who meal planned ate a variety of nutritious foods and made healthier food choices (2).
Aim for color in your dishes to ensure that you getting vitamins and minerals that are essential good health.
Budget-friendly
Home cooked meals are more economical than dining out. Depending on where you shop for groceries and how much food you need per week, purchasing in bulk often leads to more savings. Check out weekly ads and purchase on sale items.
Seasonal and local produce/products are often better priced than out of season produce. Additionally, produce in season are often tastier than when out of season.
Make use of frozen or canned* produce/products for extra savings with the added benefit of reduced cooking time. For instance, canned beans are convenient, and are a great source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Some produce are more affordable frozen or canned especially when out of season. Produce that are not locally produced may only be available frozen. Acai berries and passion fruit are a few examples of produce typically available frozen. Both are great additions to smoothies.
*When purchasing canned goods, opt for no sodium added or sodium free. If your canned goods have sodium added, rinsing beans or vegetables under running water can reduce sodium.
Are there disadvantages to meal planning?
Boredom
The goal of meal planning is to prepare meals that will last for a period of time, usually the weekday or the whole week. This could mean eating the same food 5 days a week. For some people, eating the same meal can be tiring and monotonous.
A strategy to reduce boredom is to vary some aspect of the meal. For example if a stew was made for dinner, you can eat it with a different side each time - bread, rice or another type of starch.
Using sauces, dips or sides can add variety to the same meal. For example, cook protein foods (e.g. meats, fish, poultry) with little seasoning. Then add flavorful add-ons during meal times such as premade sauces*, hot sauce, chimichurri, or salsas. Add sides such as pickled vegetables, fermented vegetables like kimchi or sauerkraut. Toppings like cheese, sesame seeds, seeds or nuts are other ways to make meals more interesting.
*Note: Premade sauces can be a hidden source of extra calories, sugar and sodium. Use the nutrition label as a guide in selecting sauces that fit your health goals.
Sauces, toppings and side dishes can brighten up your meals
Storage
Storing prepared meals in bulk or in individually portioned containers require cold storage. Although individually portioned containers offer convenience and are ideal for weight management they require more fridge space. Storing food in bulk saves refrigerator space but will require some assembly during mealtimes. Some foods like soups and stews can be stored long-term in the freezer.
Take Away
Meal planning is a great tool for eating healthier and weight management because of home cooked meals and portion control.
Meal planning can reduce food waste and may save money in the long run.
Developing cooking skills and planning ahead of time leads to successful meal planning.
References:
Hayes JF, Balantekin KN, Fitzsimmons-Craft EE, et al. Greater Average Meal Planning Frequency Predicts Greater Weight Loss Outcomes in a Worksite-Based Behavioral Weight Loss Program. Ann Behav Med. 2021;55(1):14-23. doi:10.1093/abm/kaaa021.
Ducrot P, Méjean C, Aroumougame V, et al. Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality and body weight status in a large sample of French adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017;14(1):12. Published 2017 Feb 2. doi:10.1186/s12966-017-0461-7.
