How to Plan Successfully

Have you run out of meal ideas? Do you feel like you’re always eating the same things? Have you had enough of mulling over new ideas? Do you often end up eating at the restaurant out of laziness or convenience?

Maybe you should question the way you plan your meals. Here are some tips to help things run smoother on a daily basis. Don’t hesitate to ask your family to participate.

• Look for weekly special offers in flyers and plan your meals accordingly;

• Make an inventory of what’s left in your refrigerator and your pantry and think of what you could use to plan your meals for the week;

• Create your own menu according to your schedule and the time you can dedicate to cooking. Plan meals that require little preparation and cooking to save time;

• Cook ahead of time as much as possible. Some dishes and side dishes are perfect for this purpose, such as soups, sauces, stews, etc. You can also divide a large dish, such as lasagna, into small servings that you can freeze and use in case of unexpected events;

• Double the recipe! When you cook meals, make it a habit to double the recipe. Often, it does not require any more time, in fact it will help you save time to prepare lunches;

• Make your recipes versatile! We don’t always think to do this; for example, if you prepare chili, save part of it to turn it into a spaghetti sauce for the same week;

• Now, take a look at your overall menu and make sure it’s not over-budget. If you need to, make a few changes, such as substituting a meal dish with a vegetarian one;

• Make your grocery list in the same order as the aisles of your supermarket to make sure you don’t forget anything.

I hope these tips will help you organize your meals and make better choices.

Enjoy shopping!

Marie-Eve Nadeau, P.Dt.

How to Plan Successfully is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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