Healthy Meal Planning & How to Get Started

|One of my goals for 2019 in the 'life' category is an extension from my goal from last year of creating a healthy lifestyle for myself and family, which is to create maintain a healthy meal planning schedule.

Often times, life can seem so busy that it seems so much easier to grab a bite to eat on our way, or that we don't have the time to plan ahead and make our own meals, but I have found that setting the intention to do anything in life can greatly increase your ability to create and maintain a goal such as healthy meal planning.

What are some of the benefits of healthy meal planning? This list is almost endless!
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• reduce stress in your every day life
• improve your overall health and well-being
• have fun with your meals and try new dishes
• reduce food waste, which can help save you money
• create more time in your day/week to spend with your loved ones

Consider the benefits of having a plan for your meals.. how could this change your every day life? If you are interested in getting started, or perhaps you are already meal planning but want more tips and tricks, read on!

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Healthy Meal Planning & How to Get Started

Okay, so you're interested in learning more about this whole meal planning idea.. but you have no idea where to start. Don't worry! You're not alone. When I first started seriously considering meal planning last year, I felt a bit nervous because I had never really set the intention to actually sit down and plan this out. 

This year my meal planning game has been uplifted by a generous holiday gift I received - an Instant Pot! I'm super excited to explore some more specific meals using this tool, but it's not necessary for you to create your own meal planning schedule that works for you and your family.

To start, one of the first things I did was talk to my partner about the idea of meal planning. We sat down together, talked about the fact that we wanted to lower our food cost, waste less food, and work on a plan together.. success! This is an important step if you want to get your partner, family or even a room mate on board with your healthy meal planning goals.

Next, I did a stock inventory.. I checked all of our cupboards, fridge and freezer and wrote out everything we already had on hand.. right down to the spices. This can be helpful to know what you already have on hand and you can even start meal planning around the ingredients you already have.

Finally, decide how many meals you want to create your healthy meal plan around. Since we mostly work evenings at the moment, it was important to plan dinners to-go most nights and to have options for a lighter breakfast and hearty lunch, since we wake up later in the day. Once you figure out how many meals you are planning for, it's time to create a weekly (or monthly) plan for your groceries and the meals you will be preparing each day.

If you are serious about starting meal planning just get started! You won't regret it.

Here are a few healthy and nutritious meal options with bread that you can make yourself the next time you're in the kitchen:

​Avocado Toast
This can be a great breakfast or afternoon snack, and can literally take a few minutes to prepare. To make: buy (or bake) some healthy whole-grain bread, toast for crispiness, spread some nut butter and finish by adding some seasoned mashed avocado and a few spinach leaves.

Rosemary Olive Oil Quick Bread
Not only is this bread low in carbohydrates, it also smells divine, like you have just stepped into a greenhouse filled with herbs. This recipe can be made quickly and a great last-minute meal idea for the next time you're considering ordering in. Pair this low carb bread with a healthy frittata and your whole family will be happy. 

Wholewheat Pizza
Homemade pizza was one of my favourite meals as a kid, although back then it probably wasn't the healthiest version it could have been. Now there are so many different options of making a delicious, and healthy version of a pizza. Start with making a wholewheat pizza dough, bake this off, and add your favourite healthy toppings (I suggest a light tomato basil sauce, pitted olives, artichoke hearts in oil, and spinach.. yum!).

Naturally Sweetened No-Sugar Pumpkin Bread
​If you're looking for an alternative to the traditional banana bread to go with your afternoon tea, check this recipe out! Pumpkin has a ridiculous amount of health benefits and the fact that this recipe is sweetened naturally just seals the deal for me! Serve this delicious bread at your next afternoon gathering with friends and check out their amazed reactions at how tasty it is!

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Health-Related Resources:

• Healthy & Nutritious Meal Options with Bread
• How to Manage Your Gut Health

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