When it comes to the mental load of apparent, the last thing anybody wants to do is add to it. It’s actually one of the main reasons that people choose not to meal plan their food; They think that it’s just one more thing to add to their to-do list.
The thing is, this is 1 chore that you really should be putting at the very top of your list, because it makes a 15 minute yakisoba recipe far easier to make. Being able to plan your lunches and your dinners for the week is going to put you in good stead to know that you don’t have to go to your local coffee shop to grab a muffin in the morning. Instead, you’re going to be bringing nutritious and vitamin-filled lunches with you to work, and even when you’re exhausted after work you’ll just have to defrost and reheat something to eat that you’ve already precooked. It’s one of those situations where you will be very thankful for your past self for doing this job for you! So, why should you meal plan?
- You will improve your nutrition. When you plan in advance you will aim to have nutritionally well balanced meals throughout the week. Every single one of your dinners will have the right amount of veggies, protein and greens. Planning your meals ultimately allows you to take bigger control of your own personal nutritional needs so if you’re looking after your body right now, you’re in control of what goes into it. Whether you want to stick to a low salt diet or you want to only eat whole grains or vegetables, you are able to plan for it.
- You can choose to make healthier choices. Meal planning gives you a chance to make those healthy choices that you’ve been looking to make. It’s very easy to exceed that daily calorie and sodium intake, but when you are the person cooking all of the meals, it’s so much easier to stop at the grocery store and pick up those last minute things. When you’ve meal planned, you’re not going to be shopping hungry and therefore you’re going to be able to say no to those snacks because you’ll be strong enough to do so.
- You will be eating much higher quality food. Homemade meals are almost always more fulfilling and more nutrient dense than a quick already made option. In fact, most microwave meals are very high in sodium which is not good for your heart or for the kidneys in your body. You get to choose your own recipes and make everything from scratch and then prepare it for a few days worth of food, which means you get to have high quality every single day.
- It’s a money saver. Meal planning gives you the chance to use up all of the ingredients you would usually throw out. You also create meal plans that allow you to use what you have currently in your cupboards to save you having to go to the grocery store over and over again. You then only have to do your shopping with absolute purpose, rather than shopping on a whim.
