Healthy Numbers Module 9
After this lesson you will be able to: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Understand the importance of meal planning. Use tips and tricks to streamline the meal planning process. Use your meal plan to plan your next trip to the grocery store. Create a meal plan and shopping list using tools provided.
The saying, “if you fail to plan, then plan to fail,” is never more true than when it comes to creating a healthier lifestyle. It is sometimes easier to start a weight loss plan and say you are eating healthy, but without putting the work into it form the beginning it will be over before you ever really got started. By creating a method of planning your meals you are putting work on the front end of the process to find rewards on the other side. People tend to be at one end of the spectrum or another when it comes to putting a plan in place. In this section you will explore the benefits of meal planning, find helpful tips to get started, and use a variety of tools to implement the plan.
There are three categories of meal planners: those who spend hours each week, meticulously planning their food; those who plan their meals but find the plan falling apart two days into the week; and those that scoff at the idea of planning. The driving focuses behind meal planning and where you may fall on this spectrum has a lot to say about your lifestyle. While everyone should find a method that works best for them, meal planning is vital for success creating a healthy lifestyle. There are many benefits to creating and sticking with a meal plan. Some of these benefits include:
Save time: One of the biggest complaints people have about meal planning and healthy eating is the time it takes. Few have hours to dedicate to creating an elaborate meal plan and that’s not what this section is for. Instead, setting aside one hour per week to lay out a plan will save you time in the long-run. You will save time spent running to the grocery store for items you don’t have for that night’s dinner. In addition, you will save time preparing your meal because you know what’s on the menu and what kind of prep is involved. Save money: Planning your meals can help you save money by allowing you to avoid purchasing excess food that may just spoil before you have the chance to enjoy it. You will also be able to see your food plan for the week and effectively use leftovers to maximize your food budget. Outlining the ingredients you will need not only allows you to avoid overbuying at the beginning of the week but can also cut down on those quick trips to the grocery store when you forget one items but end up walking out with several bags. Finally, you will save money eating out because you will have healthy meals prepared and no need to run out at the last minute for a grab and go drive thru meal. Add variety to your diet: Those who meal plan are more likely to eat a larger variety of all food groups. It is important to look at how your meals line up over the course of a week and try to spice it up a bit. Including numerous fruits and vegetables, different whole grain options, 1 to 2 servings of fish, and a variety of protein options throughout the week promotes a very balanced lifestyle. HealthyClip.com
Avoid chaos: Creating your meal plan based on your activities for the week can help eliminate some of the stress that comes with cooking. If you know that you are working late one evening or your children have tutoring and soccer practice after school you can plan a quick-fix meal or slow-cooker meal for that evening. Create a healthier lifestyle: Combine all these things and top the with the fact that meal planning will help you stick to your goal of creating a healthier lifestyle and there is no better reason to begin.
Sometimes the hardest part is getting started. This section will help you set the framework for your meal plan giving you several different idea to kick off your planning. Feel free to use all the ideas or choose just one or two to begin.
Brainstorm
Before you plan anything put pen to paper and come up five to ten of your go-to meals and ones that are easy for you to prepare. You know the ones, the ones you don’t need a recipe for and are a hit with (mostly) everyone at the table. You can use the outline below to help you get started.
Go-To Meals Recipe or Meal
Ingredients for shopping list
*If recipe needed, note the location (i.e.: Pinterest board, cooking magazine, etc.)
HealthyClip.com
Save new recipes along the way This is a habit may not come easy for everyone but sometimes people will waste so much time looking through cookbooks and pinning healthy recipes on Pinterest, just to find themselves cooking the same old thing over and over! Or the clutter of their recipe books is overwhelming and frustrating. You may need to create a system. One way to do this is a no-frills cookbook that takes about five minutes to set up. Creating a Personalized Cookbook (in a flash) Supplies Needed: A 3-ring binder, blank paper, and a pocket insert OR a notebook with a pocket in the front. 1. Place items in the binder with the pocket insert first, followed by blank pages. 2. In the pocket insert start collecting recipes try by either copying them on a notecard or printing them out. This is also a fun way to get the entire family involved. If your spouse or child find a recipe they want to make have them stash it in this binder and you can work it into the rotation later. 3. Each week choose 1-2 new recipes from this collection and add them to the meal plan. 4. If the recipe gets a thumbs-up then paste it to the blank pages behind the pocket insert, therefore building a personalized cookbook.
Start Simple Ideally you should plan breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the entire week but this can be very overwhelming. In the beginning plan dinner for the entire week, then gradually add other meals. Even if you cannot plan for the entire week, start with 3 to 4 days at a time. Think about meal planning as a muscle that needs training. It takes time to make your efforts stronger, and there is going to be a little pain along the way. However , the more you do it and by making it a gradual increase the more likely you will stick with the change.
Create a Rough Outline Some find it easiest to create a general pattern for the week allowing them to be more efficient in their recipe planning. This also is helpful if you have standing events in the evening to help you pick the food you need to prepare. For example, your dinner outline for the week may look something like this: Monday Piano lessons 5:45 Vegetarian dish
Tuesday
Fish dish
Wednesday Gym after work Pasta dish
Thursday Soccer practice 7:00 Crockpot meal
Friday Book club 7:30 Chicken dish
Saturday Baseball tournament Meal away from home
Sunday
Leftovers
Laying out your meals in this way will make sure you are sticking with the healthy plate defined in earlier sessions, but also promote a variety of nutrients. You can also make it interesting by allowing other family members to choose the meal for the day, and if they are old enough, allowing them to prepare the meal. Long-term success is about creating an environment conducive to health and change. While you may be the main nutrition gatekeeper for the house, getting everyone involved will relative some of the responsibility from you and teach others to make healthy choices too.
HealthyClip.com
Consider How Much Portion sizes are an important aspect when it comes to meal planning. Knowing how much you will be eating and consuming of a food will help you purchase the correct amount and not be stuck with tons of leftovers. This is important because as you learned in previous sessions, the larger a portion or container of food the more likely we are to overeat that food. Here is a quick reference of foods and their appropriate portion sizes. Food Dried fruit
Example Raisins
Amount 1 ounce
Measuring “tool” Golf ball
Fresh fruit – individual or sliced Whole fruit Fresh veggies – individual or cut Fresh veggies – whole Cheese
Strawberries, blueberries, diced peaches Apple, pear Broccoli, green beans
1 cup
Baked sweet potato Swiss cheese
1 medium 1-1/2 ounce
Milk
Almond milk, cow’s milk, soy milk
1 cup
Baseball
Yogurt
Strawberry yogurt
½ cup
Computer mouse
Cooked meat
Chicken, steak, hamburger
3 ounces
Nut butters
Peanut butter, almond butter
2 tablespoons
Cooked Beans
Pinto, kidney and black beans
½ cup
Added fats Oil
Butter, margarine Olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil
1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon
Salad dressing
Italian dressing, Caesar dressing
1 Tablespoon
Cold cereal
Breakfast cereal, oats
1 cup
Baseball
Rice
Brown rice, wild rice
½ cup
Computer mouse
Baseball
1 medium 1 cup
HealthyClip.com
2, 9-volt batteries
Deck of cards
Golf ball Computer mouse
Stamp
1, 9-volt battery
What you’ve complete up to this point are tools you can use week after week to get started. Now the most important part - moving from planning to actual implementation. Time to plop in those recipes and meal ideas into some type of schedule.
Get It in Writing This should fit into your lifestyle, you may want to roll your meal planning method into an existing habit you have. For example document your meals in your planner, allowing you to map out the week’s food while also viewing other commitments. You may also find that keeping a list or calendar on your refrigerator works even better for you. You will want to consider how many days you are able to successfully plan. One week at a time is recommended, however for some longer or shorter timeframes may do the trick. There is a sample calendar in the worksheet portion of this session to help you get started.
Create Your Shopping List Never go shopping without it! Too many times you enter the grocery store on a mission then temptation takes over. This is not just derailing your meal planning efforts but also your entire lifestyle. While all foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle, some need to be limited more than others. One way to limit those less-than-desirable foods is to not bring them into the house in the first place. This is where your shopping list comes into the picture. You can choose to create your shopping list at the same time you make your meal plan or later. A sample shopping list is included in the worksheet portion of this section. You will find more tips and tricks for your grocery shopping adventure in the next session. Bottom Line: Meal planning is an absolute when it comes to your success. Any method will work, just find what’s right for you and move forward with it! Action Plan: Review all the previous topics to ensure you are sticking within the recommendations of the lifestyle when creating a meal plan. Complete the worksheets below After creating your meal plan, go shopping and actually stick with it Attend our weekly hangout
HealthyClip.com
Day
Breakfast
Lunch
Monday Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
HealthyClip.com
Dinner
Snacks
Shopping Simplified Grocery shopping can take time, but being organized and prepared can help speed up the process. Use this list to help you on your next trip.
Our Family
HealthyClip.com
Understand the importance of meal planning. Use tips and tricks to streamline the meal planning process. Use your meal plan to plan your next trip to the grocery store. Create a meal plan and shopping list using tools provided.
The saying, “if you fail to plan, then plan to fail,” is never more true than when it comes to creating a healthier lifestyle. It is sometimes easier to start a weight loss plan and say you are eating healthy, but without putting the work into it form the beginning it will be over before you ever really got started. By creating a method of planning your meals you are putting work on the front end of the process to find rewards on the other side. People tend to be at one end of the spectrum or another when it comes to putting a plan in place. In this section you will explore the benefits of meal planning, find helpful tips to get started, and use a variety of tools to implement the plan.
There are three categories of meal planners: those who spend hours each week, meticulously planning their food; those who plan their meals but find the plan falling apart two days into the week; and those that scoff at the idea of planning. The driving focuses behind meal planning and where you may fall on this spectrum has a lot to say about your lifestyle. While everyone should find a method that works best for them, meal planning is vital for success creating a healthy lifestyle. There are many benefits to creating and sticking with a meal plan. Some of these benefits include:
Save time: One of the biggest complaints people have about meal planning and healthy eating is the time it takes. Few have hours to dedicate to creating an elaborate meal plan and that’s not what this section is for. Instead, setting aside one hour per week to lay out a plan will save you time in the long-run. You will save time spent running to the grocery store for items you don’t have for that night’s dinner. In addition, you will save time preparing your meal because you know what’s on the menu and what kind of prep is involved. Save money: Planning your meals can help you save money by allowing you to avoid purchasing excess food that may just spoil before you have the chance to enjoy it. You will also be able to see your food plan for the week and effectively use leftovers to maximize your food budget. Outlining the ingredients you will need not only allows you to avoid overbuying at the beginning of the week but can also cut down on those quick trips to the grocery store when you forget one items but end up walking out with several bags. Finally, you will save money eating out because you will have healthy meals prepared and no need to run out at the last minute for a grab and go drive thru meal. Add variety to your diet: Those who meal plan are more likely to eat a larger variety of all food groups. It is important to look at how your meals line up over the course of a week and try to spice it up a bit. Including numerous fruits and vegetables, different whole grain options, 1 to 2 servings of fish, and a variety of protein options throughout the week promotes a very balanced lifestyle. HealthyClip.com
Avoid chaos: Creating your meal plan based on your activities for the week can help eliminate some of the stress that comes with cooking. If you know that you are working late one evening or your children have tutoring and soccer practice after school you can plan a quick-fix meal or slow-cooker meal for that evening. Create a healthier lifestyle: Combine all these things and top the with the fact that meal planning will help you stick to your goal of creating a healthier lifestyle and there is no better reason to begin.
Sometimes the hardest part is getting started. This section will help you set the framework for your meal plan giving you several different idea to kick off your planning. Feel free to use all the ideas or choose just one or two to begin.
Brainstorm
Before you plan anything put pen to paper and come up five to ten of your go-to meals and ones that are easy for you to prepare. You know the ones, the ones you don’t need a recipe for and are a hit with (mostly) everyone at the table. You can use the outline below to help you get started.
Go-To Meals Recipe or Meal
Ingredients for shopping list
*If recipe needed, note the location (i.e.: Pinterest board, cooking magazine, etc.)
HealthyClip.com
Save new recipes along the way This is a habit may not come easy for everyone but sometimes people will waste so much time looking through cookbooks and pinning healthy recipes on Pinterest, just to find themselves cooking the same old thing over and over! Or the clutter of their recipe books is overwhelming and frustrating. You may need to create a system. One way to do this is a no-frills cookbook that takes about five minutes to set up. Creating a Personalized Cookbook (in a flash) Supplies Needed: A 3-ring binder, blank paper, and a pocket insert OR a notebook with a pocket in the front. 1. Place items in the binder with the pocket insert first, followed by blank pages. 2. In the pocket insert start collecting recipes try by either copying them on a notecard or printing them out. This is also a fun way to get the entire family involved. If your spouse or child find a recipe they want to make have them stash it in this binder and you can work it into the rotation later. 3. Each week choose 1-2 new recipes from this collection and add them to the meal plan. 4. If the recipe gets a thumbs-up then paste it to the blank pages behind the pocket insert, therefore building a personalized cookbook.
Start Simple Ideally you should plan breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the entire week but this can be very overwhelming. In the beginning plan dinner for the entire week, then gradually add other meals. Even if you cannot plan for the entire week, start with 3 to 4 days at a time. Think about meal planning as a muscle that needs training. It takes time to make your efforts stronger, and there is going to be a little pain along the way. However , the more you do it and by making it a gradual increase the more likely you will stick with the change.
Create a Rough Outline Some find it easiest to create a general pattern for the week allowing them to be more efficient in their recipe planning. This also is helpful if you have standing events in the evening to help you pick the food you need to prepare. For example, your dinner outline for the week may look something like this: Monday Piano lessons 5:45 Vegetarian dish
Tuesday
Fish dish
Wednesday Gym after work Pasta dish
Thursday Soccer practice 7:00 Crockpot meal
Friday Book club 7:30 Chicken dish
Saturday Baseball tournament Meal away from home
Sunday
Leftovers
Laying out your meals in this way will make sure you are sticking with the healthy plate defined in earlier sessions, but also promote a variety of nutrients. You can also make it interesting by allowing other family members to choose the meal for the day, and if they are old enough, allowing them to prepare the meal. Long-term success is about creating an environment conducive to health and change. While you may be the main nutrition gatekeeper for the house, getting everyone involved will relative some of the responsibility from you and teach others to make healthy choices too.
HealthyClip.com
Consider How Much Portion sizes are an important aspect when it comes to meal planning. Knowing how much you will be eating and consuming of a food will help you purchase the correct amount and not be stuck with tons of leftovers. This is important because as you learned in previous sessions, the larger a portion or container of food the more likely we are to overeat that food. Here is a quick reference of foods and their appropriate portion sizes. Food Dried fruit
Example Raisins
Amount 1 ounce
Measuring “tool” Golf ball
Fresh fruit – individual or sliced Whole fruit Fresh veggies – individual or cut Fresh veggies – whole Cheese
Strawberries, blueberries, diced peaches Apple, pear Broccoli, green beans
1 cup
Baked sweet potato Swiss cheese
1 medium 1-1/2 ounce
Milk
Almond milk, cow’s milk, soy milk
1 cup
Baseball
Yogurt
Strawberry yogurt
½ cup
Computer mouse
Cooked meat
Chicken, steak, hamburger
3 ounces
Nut butters
Peanut butter, almond butter
2 tablespoons
Cooked Beans
Pinto, kidney and black beans
½ cup
Added fats Oil
Butter, margarine Olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil
1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon
Salad dressing
Italian dressing, Caesar dressing
1 Tablespoon
Cold cereal
Breakfast cereal, oats
1 cup
Baseball
Rice
Brown rice, wild rice
½ cup
Computer mouse
Baseball
1 medium 1 cup
HealthyClip.com
2, 9-volt batteries
Deck of cards
Golf ball Computer mouse
Stamp
1, 9-volt battery
What you’ve complete up to this point are tools you can use week after week to get started. Now the most important part - moving from planning to actual implementation. Time to plop in those recipes and meal ideas into some type of schedule.
Get It in Writing This should fit into your lifestyle, you may want to roll your meal planning method into an existing habit you have. For example document your meals in your planner, allowing you to map out the week’s food while also viewing other commitments. You may also find that keeping a list or calendar on your refrigerator works even better for you. You will want to consider how many days you are able to successfully plan. One week at a time is recommended, however for some longer or shorter timeframes may do the trick. There is a sample calendar in the worksheet portion of this session to help you get started.
Create Your Shopping List Never go shopping without it! Too many times you enter the grocery store on a mission then temptation takes over. This is not just derailing your meal planning efforts but also your entire lifestyle. While all foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle, some need to be limited more than others. One way to limit those less-than-desirable foods is to not bring them into the house in the first place. This is where your shopping list comes into the picture. You can choose to create your shopping list at the same time you make your meal plan or later. A sample shopping list is included in the worksheet portion of this section. You will find more tips and tricks for your grocery shopping adventure in the next session. Bottom Line: Meal planning is an absolute when it comes to your success. Any method will work, just find what’s right for you and move forward with it! Action Plan: Review all the previous topics to ensure you are sticking within the recommendations of the lifestyle when creating a meal plan. Complete the worksheets below After creating your meal plan, go shopping and actually stick with it Attend our weekly hangout
HealthyClip.com
Day
Breakfast
Lunch
Monday Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
HealthyClip.com
Dinner
Snacks
Shopping Simplified Grocery shopping can take time, but being organized and prepared can help speed up the process. Use this list to help you on your next trip.
Our Family
HealthyClip.com
