1- Plan meals for the week on Sundays – rather than wait until your are stressed out, just getting home from work or tending to the children, why not plan ahead and save some time and headaches. Every Sunday plan the meals you will have for the week, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Figure out what ingredients you have and what you may need and then do your grocery shopping for the entire week. You could even do some of the cooking on Sunday and just use leftovers for meals during the week.
2- Make meal prep time the night before a special event – set aside 15-20 minutes before you go to bed each night to prep for the following days meals. Put on some music and you and/or your family all together can make lunches! Also, you can get out all of the ingredients and do any initial prep work or any mixing/soaking as needed for other meals.
3- Get in habit of carrying a lunch and snacks with you – use a small lunch cooler and pack it every night before you go to bed. You can pack leftovers, soups, salads with chicken on top or other items. And, don’t forget to always carry nuts, cheese, yogurt, fruits or vegetables for quick snacks or times when you are late for a meal.
4- Get up 15 minutes earlier each day to make breakfast for you and/or your family – take the time to make sure you get a fresh start on the day and prepare breakfast for yourself and/or your family. Don’t forget to include some good fat for energy to help you through the morning. Conversely, be sure to avoid sugar for breakfast that will start you out with an energy spike, but is bound to come crashing down mid morning. Making a simple smoothie with coconut milk is an easy and delicious way to start the day!
5- Schedule meals as an appointment on your calendar – make meals a priority in your life and in your day. Don’t just leave it as an “if I have time task” (that usually never will get done, because we all know we never have time!) Make it into an appointment, just like a doctors appointment that you wouldn’t miss and that you can schedule other activities around. Buy a large calendar to post in the kitchen and if you have children they can see the meals planned and the time they are planned for.
6- Make double or triple batches of any recipes you prepare – why not only make a recipe once but have enough to eat for weeks to come. If you double or triple batches you can have leftovers that you can have for meals the next day or store in the freezer in handy one serving sizes for the future.
Remember – eating healthier means making time for and putting energy into meals and food preparation! Being prepared helps you to avoid unnecessary snacking or fast food stops!
