Meal planning doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming. Follow these five tips to help you succeed with meal planning this year.

Start small and be consistent

• Find a time to sit down and think through your week.
• Plan meals around your schedule (kids sports, meetings, etc.)
• Plan accordingly – crockpot meals, leftovers, quick meals.
• Don’t plan a labor-intensive meal if you don’t have time.

Strive for balance

• Plan meals that incorporate a variety of different nutrients and focus on creating a colorful plate.
• Fruits/vegetables (1/2 plate) – choose greens, oranges, blues, reds, purples, and white varieties
• Protein (1/4 plate) – choose lean or lower fat protein options such as fish, chicken, turkey, lean ground beef, eggs, or beans/lentils.
• Grains (1/4 plate) – choose whole grains to increase fiber intake such as whole grain bread, brown rice, or quinoa.
• Dairy – choose low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt products

Grocery shop or order online and do grocery pickup

• Note what you have at home to avoid purchasing unnecessary ingredients
• Keep a grocery list and jot down ingredients for weekly menus to avoid forgetting something

Budget

• Plan meals around foods that are on sale by looking through store ads
  • Bell peppers on sale? Make fajitas, stuffed bell peppers, or stir fry. Chicken on sale? Make grilled chicken, chicken tacos, or white chicken chili.
• Buy in bulk to save money and freeze the extras.

Write your menu down

• Use paper, your phone, a whiteboard, or even a meal planning book to log your menu
• Create a meal idea/recipe box and make notes to make meal planning easier in the future.
• Plan a couple of weeks or even a month of meals and then rotate them.
• Use them nights to help with the planning process. Monday – meatless meal, Tuesday – Mexican night, Wednesday – salad night, etc.

Michelle Graves, RD, LD, CHWC
Hancock Wellness Center – McCordsville
mgraves@hancockregional.org