Why You Really Ought To Pre-Plan Your Meals
Go ahead and Google “pre-plan meals”. This is what you will
find: “meal planning can help you to stick to your diet,” “A little
pre-planning can save you time and energy,” “The key to pre-game meals .. is
how you eat throughout the course of the whole day,” “pre-plan healthy meals
for busy parents.” The single act of pre-planning meals is great for everyone:
busy parents, people with food allergies or restrictions, those who are
training for sports, and those of us who are simply trying to lose weight.
According to this scholarly article on
obesity, “the main purpose of meal planning is to have patients eat regularly
scheduled meals...This lessens the possibility of overeating by decreasing
hunger and by preventing meals from being ambiguous” and “the caloric content
of meals can be calculated prior to consumption which assists with adherence to
overall caloric goals.”
So why doesn't everyone pre-plan their meals? Because we
believe in myths.
Myth #1 It takes too much time and organization.
Truthfully, pre-planning meals takes less time. Its this
simple:
- Make a meal plan. (If you're at a loss for where to start, you can try this one or a Kay's Naturals meal plan. If you need a meal plan due to a food restrictions, there are ample. Do some research and find what meal plan works best for you. (The meal plan from Kay's is great for those who are diabetic, gluten-free, or wish to lose weight.)
- Go the grocery story, get the coming weeks worth of food. (hint: don't go when you're hungry!)
- Make an easy healthy lunch for the whole week on a Sunday afternoon. Depending on what you choose this can take as little as 15 minutes!
- Place food in five single serving containers. Lunch is done for the week. Repeat for dinners.
Supplementing meals with healthy and yummy snacks, like the
ones created by Kay's Naturals
will keep you energized, curb your cravings, and let you reach your
individualized goals.
Myth #2: It takes too
much discipline.
This is
just not true. Not having a plan is what leads people to break their diets. If
you cannot have gluten, but find yourself starving and with no gluten-free
options available, you will be forced to starve or eat gluten. This is also
true for those who try to have comprehensive diets that are low-fat and
high-protein. If you are stuck in junk food central (such as the food court).
Without a plan, it's much easier to be forced off of a diet. The looming
McDonald's sign will be calling your name. However, if you are well fueled with
quality energy and know where the next meal is coming from, the craving for a
brownie or the drive-through will be kept at bay.
