When you are trying to start a new habit, especially with food, it is very important that you set yourself up for success in every way possible. AKA make it as EASY for yourself during the busy times of the week, so that when you’re tired and hungry, it’s as simple as picking that item out of the fridge, heating it up and getting to unwind. It needs to be as easy as picking up the phone and ordering take out!
Planning ahead is how you can care for yourself in the best way possible. The first week will likely be the most difficult, because you have to do some more planning, but after that things become repetition and easier.
First Step: Making the Plan!
Sit down with yourself and ask yourself some critical questions:
- What days of the week do I have the least time to prepare food?
- What meal of the day is when I’m the busiest?
- What meal of the day is the most difficult for me to consistently eat well at?
- What are healthy items I really enjoy?
- What is a good snack that I enjoy?
For me, I know that breakfast is an easy thing for me to make on my work days. My work days are my busiest days, lunch is when I’m the busiest and will frequently eat late or skip a meal if I don’t have something already ready. I enjoy well seasoned grilled chicken breast, broccoli, chard and the Costco stir fry veggie mix. A good snack for me is a whole piece of fruit or an RxBar.
After you’ve identified when and what will be the most helpful, then we work backwards. We will use the following example: your busiest days are Monday through Friday. You need breakfast, lunch and snack ready so you can throw them in a bag as you head out the door. If this is the case, then your meal preparation needs to be on Saturday or Sunday.
Second Step: Get a Calendar
I can’t stress enough how much this helps. Having something you visually see in or near your kitchen is key to keeping you on track! It can be paper, dry erase, chalk, whatever. Just GET a calendar.
Write out the following on the calendar:
- 1-2 breakfasts you will have Monday-Friday
- 1-2 lunches you will have Monday-Friday
- Dinners for every night of the week
- When you will go grocery shopping
- When you will meal prep, plan for ~2 hours
The secret is this doesn’t just keep you on track, but it also eases mental fatigue and decision making when you’re tired mid week. (And more prone to just eat “whatever.”) Setting aside dedicated 10-15 minutes on a less busy day to plan allows you to make good decisions for the week and reduce stress for future you.
If you have a significant other or family, it’s important to include them on the dinner plans for the week or the meals that you will eat together as a family. This way everyone in the house knows what the plan for the week is and can help getting that frozen item out of the freezer a few days early or marinading some of the chicken so it’s ready to grill. It’s also important that if your goal is to eat healthier, that the whole family is working with you to achieve that. This in itself can be a whole other topic of discussion, but it’s critical to share your goals with the people that you love. Hopefully you get support in meeting those goals, but even if there is some resistance, you can communicate what you are planning on doing so that they can plan for themselves accordingly.
To be continued…
Coach Sarah, FNP-BC, MSN