Healthy Meal Planning Video
At Nuts.com, we believe that healthy meal planning should be easy as 1-2-3! That’s why we partnered with Megan Roosevelt, Registered Dietitian and Founder of Healthy Grocery Girl to show you how to make meal prep fast and fun. Check out this video for Megan’s tips, plus learn how to make a delicious almond pesto recipe:
Meal Planning Tips:
1) Keep Meals Simple – There’s no need to plan out elaborate meals that you know you won’t have enough time to prepare. Focus on a few easy dishes you can enjoy throughout the week and choose ingredients accordingly. Fewer ingredients means less food waste and makes meal prep more approachable.
2) Cook Multiple Servings – Save yourself time later by making large portions of staple ingredients like grains once or twice per week. This will ensure you have enough for leftovers. Try healthy grains like steel cut oats, quinoa or brown rice. Be creative and think about different ways you can use the ingredients. For example, quinoa could be used in a salad, tacos, or even just enjoyed as a side dish.
3) Meal Plan Before Grocery Shopping – Don’t go to the grocery store empty-handed. Make a list of ingredients beforehand, so you know exactly what you need at the grocery store and how you’re going to use those items. When you plan your meals and snacks ahead of time, you can stay on track with healthy eating and avoid food waste.
How to Make a Balanced Meal:
Every meal should provide a variety of nutrients to keep you healthy and satisfied. It’s important to incorporate a combination of protein, healthy fats and fiber. An ideal dinner plate is made up of 1/2 part veggies, 1/4 part starchy vegetables or whole grains, and 1/4 part protein. This rule of thumb will ensure that you’re receiving adequate nutrition.
The Benefits of Meal Planning:
Meal planning is considered essential for healthy eating. It is also a key to diet success for weight loss because it prevents overeating and the temptation to stray from your diet. Meal planning means less eating out, and fewer prepackaged meals which are often void of nutrients. It can also help you manage healthy eating on a busy schedule because you will be less likely to grab fast food and other unhealthy options. Preparing lists of items you plan to use throughout the week helps eliminate extra trips to the grocery store for last-minute ingredients. As you can see, meal planning saves time and energy, while supporting your diet goals.
Almond Pesto Recipe:
For an easy recipe to get you started, check out this almond pesto recipe, which begins at 2:00 minutes into the video. It’s a delicious and healthy sauce that you can enjoy with whole wheat pasta, or as a spread for sandwiches and crackers. The full recipe ingredients and instructions are listed in the description box of the video.
Be sure to watch the other videos in this series:
- Chia Seeds Health Benefits, Uses + Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe
- Healthy Snacks – Ideas, Tips + Homemade Energy Bars Recipe
What are your favorite healthy meal planning tips? Share them with us in the comments below!
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