How to meal plan like a boss! Top meal planning tips to help you stay consistent and organised

By Elle Humbert, dietitian, APD, owner of @happyapplenutrition and @ellehumbertnutrition

You know it’s coming when the clock hits around 4pm…

That dreaded question “what’s for dinner?” If this sounds familiar to you and you’re ready to be able to answer the family with clarity, then this blog post is for you! 

I’m going to be sharing my 6 best tips for meal planning. The good news is that it’s way more simple than you might think. No binders, dividers, recipe books or coloured sticky tabs in sight. Who has time for that, right?

Instead, I’ll show you how to make meal planning quick, easy and actually FUN.

This is one of the key small changes I help the mums in Mummy Body Makeover make. So they can improve health & wellness, gain confidence and stay accountable.

TIP #1: Set aside time once per week

Consistency is key when it comes to meal planning. The hardest part is just getting started but once you have my simple system in place, it becomes an enjoyable weekly task. Start with choosing a day of the week to do your meal planning. I recommend that this be later in the week such as a Thursday or Friday. That way, you have time on the weekend to shop for all the ingredients and do a little meal prepping before the week starts.

TIP #2: Use a shopping list template

Using a shopping list template is super helpful because it organises the items on your list into categories. This has two big benefits:

The first is that you can more easily navigate the supermarket, cutting shopping time down significantly. The second is to help balance your macros.

With all the ingredients listed under categories by food groups, it’s so much easier to see when the columns are imbalanced.

I suggest you have a column for the following groups:

• Protein
• Fruit and veg
• Dairy
• Bakery
• Misc. (such as cleaning and sanitary products)
• Drinks

Check out www.happyapplenutrition.com.au for my shopping list pad that can be shipped to your door!

TIP #3: Start with the protein and add based on portion sizes

When planning your meals, start with the protein aspect first. Protein is an important macro nutrient for health and weight loss as it aids in muscle growth and helps keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Try searching online for recipes based on the protein you want to use. For example “chicken recipes”.

TIP #4: See what’s in the fridge

Meal planning can get super expensive and leave you with mountains of food you had beforehand in the fridge and cupboards. Instead of starting completely from scratch, check what you already have.

I like to do inventory before I sit down to meal plan. That way if there is already some beef or chicken in the freezer, it can be used up in that week’s menu. This can save on shopping time and most importantly, money!

TIP #5: Shopping once per week

Is there anything more annoying than having to duck down to the supermarket to pick up supplies for dinner?

For many of my clients (and me), there is nothing worse! While meal planning takes a little time to sit down and do, it saves so much time throughout the week not having to stop past the shops or think of what to cook each night.

Pick a day of the week to do your grocery shopping. Saturdays generally work well no matter where you are in the world. Always shop with your list and stock up for the week ahead. While it may take a few weeks to get used to this new routine, it will be a game-changer for not only your health but time and money saving as well.

TIP #6: Buy online to save money

My final tip for today is to consider doing your weekly shop online. This is particularly helpful for the budget conscious shopper as it’s much harder to impulse buy as your browsing through the isles!

Online shopping requires you to search for the product and add it to your cart, keeping items that are not on your list out of sight. 

Another great benefit of shopping online is to save time as most recipe websites (see recommendations below) will allow you to add the ingredients list to your cart directly from their site! Pretty amazing, right?

If you’re stuck for where to find the right recipes that will not only nourish your family but do it in a ways that’s tasty and affordable, here are my go-to websites and blogs:

My favourite websites and blogs for healthy, family friendly recipes:

taste.com.au

jamieoliver.com

feelgoodfoodie.com

thermomix.com

delicious.com.au

Looking for accountability and support to achieve your health and wellness goals? Mummy Body Makeover coaching is an innovative community of mums achieving just that. Click here to book a chat with me, claim your FREE weight loss game plan and see if the program is the right fit for you.