Meal Planning Made SIMPLE

Meal planning has never been my strong area.  I didn't understand how people did it, I thought it was something only "fitness competitors who lived on chicken and rice did". Plus it seemed like SOOO MUCH WORK!!  Has anyone else ever been there? 

Let me explain what my weekly grocery store trip looked like "Pre-Beachbody"  -  I would make a list of the normal things I needed for the week like milk, bread and eggs.  Then I would add things we were low and on get the staples like granola bars, snacks and anything else that came to mind.  Then I would go to the store and walk up and down every aisle!  Not shocking, I would get home and have spent twice as much as I planned and have a ton of food.  Most of the time I would think we would eat healthy so I would buy way more produce than we could eat and then I would have to toss it because it would go bad.   (keep in mind I HATE wasting food) 

I just had no game plan, we would get home from the store after spending tons on money and STILL couldn't find anything for dinner because I hadn't actually bought things for meals. 

It was a disaster and this is how I shopped every week!  So embarrassing! 

Now, lets jump to "Post-Beachbody"...   I was desperate for something, anything that would be a quick fix and help me lose weight because, after all, I was the quick fix queen and then when one didn't work I was on the to the next.    So when my coach repeatedly told me the 21 Day Fix wasn't a "diet" but it was a lifestyle change I was like "ya ya ok, we shall see!" haha sorry April!  

Anyway, meal planning was recommended and talked about OVER and OVER and OVER so I decided that I would give it a try and see exactly what it was all about.  Plus I had these cute little color coded tupperware containers now that would make it easier.  

Did it happen overnight? Hell No! I failed...A LOT, but I failed forward and kept trying and getting better because I was actually seeing results for the first time in FOREVER.   Today, 14 months later I make a meal plan EVERY Sunday and then I meal prep because it's a life saver!  So now when I go grocery shopping I have a plan! 

I look at the sales in my area and then find recipes that use the ingredients on sale,  I use an excel spreadsheet to create a template for my meal plan and fill it out for the whole week.  We eat the same thing for a few days, I'm not about to cook every single night. So once the meal plan is done I make my grocery list and then I stick to only the list at the store.  Instead of buying 10 fruit options have have 2 or 3.  It cuts down on waste and we don't eat that much fruit anyway.   Once I get home it's time to start prepping!  All the fruit and veggies get washed and I use my containers to portion everything into ready to grab snack baggies or tupperware containers.  I get everything ready for the week I can and pre-measure it, I am so much less likely to overeat that way. 

Here is this weeks meal plan:

So today I made the taco meal, sliced peppers, and diced my lettuce, tomato and avocado for the tacos also.  The next two days are ready to go! 

I also made half a dozen hard boiled eggs, washed and portioned out my grapes.  I tend to keep it really simple for my meals also.  I just look through the meal guide and pick a protein, grain and veggie.  Our food has tons of flavor and nutrition so we don't ever feel like we are eating like rabbits.  

I checked on Amazon and found these containers so our whole meal can be ready to go in the fridge, we just heat it up and eat. 

Moral of the story, spending a few hours on Sunday (or whatever day works for your schedule) really does save TONS of time and headache during the week.  Meal planning and prepping is KEY to staying on track and once you get into the routine is super easy.   I make sure my challengers have all the support they need because I have been there and know it can be overwhelming.   SO KEEP IT SIMPLE! 

Do you struggle with nutrition, eating or meal planning?  I would love to help you! We have another boot camp starting on September 5th and I will walk you through everything.   Check out more details here --->  https://www.facebook.com/events/327546750912107/

or check me out LIVE tomorrow at 3 PM EST on Facebook :)  (it will be in the event in the above paragraph <3 )