7 Ways Meal Planning Can Change Your Life! · Faithful Workouts

I think you all know by now that I love to cook. I have heard from many of you and know not all of you share the same passion. Some of you have confessed that you dread coming up with dinner ideas each night and others have mentioned that the thought of heading to the grocery store can be overwhelming. I believe I just might have the solution to your mealtime dilemmas.

Meal Planning! You have probably heard of meal planning before but may not understand exactly what it is or why people take the time to do it. Meal planning is simply the process of planning out your meals and recipes for the week ahead and then doing the necessary grocery shopping for those meals in one trip. I feel fortunate that I have a lot of opportunities to cook for my family, for dinner parties my husband and I often host, and for many of the retreats I plan. Over the years, I have been putting meal planning into practice and have come to understand the incredible value of it. I typically have a full calendar (as many of you do) so to make my days work, it is key to have all of my meals planned out, recipes on hand, and the ingredients at my fingertips. I don’t always have time to think of ideas on the fly or to run out and grab missing items. Imagine ending YOUR long day with a clear idea of what’s for dinner AND having all the ingredients you need readily available to make it happen.

I am excited to share a two-part blog series with you to explain meal planning. In this post, I will take you through the many benefits. My next post will include strategies on how to actually implement a successful meal plan.

Let’s start with the undeniable benefits:

1. Save Time and Reduce Stress

This is very appealing to me since I often have crazy days. Think about the relief you would feel as your day wraps up knowing exactly what’s for dinner. No more last minute pressure or scrambling through your fridge and cupboards to piece together a meal. This kind of certainty definitely reduces the stress and chaos of my evenings.

2. Control Over Nutrition

This is my favorite! When you plan your meals, you gain control over what you’re eating. This hopefully means you make healthier choices and focus on better nutrition. You can plan a balanced diet and search out recipes that incorporate your favorite fruits and vegetables, healthy proteins and whole grains. You can make a conscious decision to stray away from ready-made processed foods. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new and exciting dishes. This is a big step toward a healthier you!

3. Save Money

Meal planning helps you cut back on spontaneous grocery shopping and eating out. With recipes laid out and a clear list of what you need, you’re less likely to make impulse purchases and only buy what you need. Also, when you have the ingredients for a delicious meal on hand, you are less likely to eat out or have a fast food meal delivered. Over time, this saves you money, which is always a welcome bonus.

4. Reduce Food Waste

How many times have you thrown away spoiled ingredients or leftovers? I have really cut back on my food waste with meal planning. It has helped me stay on track with the amount of food I buy and helps me plan to use my leftovers both of which reduces waste and saves me money.

5. Variety and Creativity

Contrary to what you might think, meal planning doesn’t mean eating the same meals every week. In fact, it allows you to be more creative in your cooking. Try out new recipes, experiment with different cuisines, and look forward to a variety of meals that keep you excited. Check out hundreds of delicious and healthy recipes from our Faithful Workouts website by clicking here.

6. Family and Social Benefits

Meal planning encourages togetherness. I suggest you include your family or roommate(s) in planning some of your meals. It can be a fun, bonding experience and it guarantees that everyone likes what you’re serving!

7. Time-Efficient Grocery Shopping

When you plan meals, you will take fewer trips to the grocery store and shopping will become a lot easier because you go to the store with a list in hand, making your trip more efficient and less time-consuming. No more wandering the aisles which also reduces the chances of unhealthy and impulse buying.

I get why you might think taking the time to plan meals is just one extra task, but I hope I have convinced you that spending a little time upfront to plan your meals for the week can actually save you time and, as I mentioned, make your week less stressful as well as healthier. Although I have focused here on dinner only, you can adopt the meal plan idea for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and it’s a skill that anyone can learn and apply, regardless of how much you like to cook or how good you are at it.

Stay tuned for my next post on tips to successfully execute your meal plan!

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