A Secret to Long-Term Nutrition Success?
Be Prepared for Your Next Meal Before It’s Time to Eat
If you are ready, really ready this time, to make dietary changes that including eating more fruits and vegetables– you are going to have to befriend meal planning and prep. It is an unrealistic expectation to put on yourself that at the end of a long, time-starved, emotionally exhausting day you are going to spend time first cleaning vegetables, then 20 minutes chopping and prepping them, then 20-30 minutes cooking the dish… and this assumes you already knew which recipe you were going to make, which you probably didn’t until you got in the car and were driving home. Oh, and that wasn’t a pleasant drive since you knew you didn’t have the ingredients for your first two ideas and there is no way your stopping at the store tonight.
So it’s no surprise that cereal, pasta, hot dogs (even if organic), pizza or take-out becomes the foundation of your next meal. I get it.
I get it because I’m only a nutritionist part of the time. I’m also a time-starved small business owner, a member of a household that has a personality of its own, and a woman who wishes she had more time for friends, hobbies, and work life balance.
So I get it. And I know the only time that I stay successful is when I commit to planning. You are going to eat everyday, you are going to think about what you are going to eat everyday, so befriend and commit to a process that helps you eat aligned with your health goals.
Commit to just 2 recipes that you will make this weekend
A doable bite-sized start to meal planning is to make just two make-ahead recipes (a make-ahead recipes makes at least 4-6 servings– if a recipe doesn’t, just double it). This will ensure that you have several days worth of meals while you continue to regroup, start playing offense when it comes to meals, and prioritize time to do additional planning.
And no judgments on which recipes. We’ll work together on quality through CARE. First, you need to focus on just getting in the habit of prioritizing the time to be intentional about what you want to eat.
Because this really is the most important step for nutrition success. Always be prepared for your next meal before it’s time to eat.
Warmly,
