Do you plan your meals in advance?

Hey MFPs :smile: :flowerforyou:

Just wondering does anyone plan in advance, do you keep a mealplanner or use one online? I have no freezer atm :grumble: but since I live near the store, I find myself dropping in there most days after college, overtired, overhungry, indecisive. And since I have so many food allergies its time consuming and I get fed up checking labels and overwhelmed. Then its very easy to pick up the easy thing that I know is safe for me to eat but (which is not necessarily the best calorie thing)

So I'm thinking about meal planning and wonder if anyone could offer me any advice? (When the freezer situation is resolved I'll be able to cook stuff and freeze it but in the meantime :grumble: )

Thank you in advance :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
«1

Replies

  • BelindaDuvessa
    BelindaDuvessa Posts: 1,014 Member
    Yes, sometimes. My plans are for a family decently large family. If you are cooking for yourself, I suggest planning 2-3 meals using similar ingredients. Sparkpeople.com has a ton of articles in their Nutrition Section that can help guide you.

    http://www.freeprintablegrocerylist.com/ has Menu Planning templates as well as printable grocery lists and templates, to help you. There's also a couple of specialized groceries lists, such as gluten free and Diabetic. Definitely worth checking out!
  • I meal plan, otherwise all the junk food they bring at work would be calling me. The worse thing in the world is to go to work hungry and see all donuts and bagels sitting there.

    I usually make 4 days worth of dinners on Sundays. You don't really need a freezer for that if you are planning on eating it in that week. My meals usually consist of chicken and vegetables, and a starch. Breakfast for me is usually a protein shake or bar, depending on my workout. Mid-morning snack is fruit. Lunch is simple, sometimes greek yogurt, sometimes a pb&j flat bread sandwich. It probably sounds kind of boring, but I have gotten it down to a science, and it works for me, and I really LOVE :heart: pb&j :happy:
  • I plan during the week (I'm in college, too, but I do have a freezer!) and pack my food for the day and take it with me. That way, I'm not starving and out of control when I get home. One thing that would help you a lot is finding something portable and non-perishable that you can take with you to snack on between classes. One of my favorites is the Kind nut bars, but that might not be good for your allergies. However, I live in a small town with very limited shopping options, and we have a relatively large gluten-and-everything-else-free section. Maybe if you mention what your allergies are, some MFPers will offer some exact meal suggestions. Another suggestion, I'm at a large university and we have peer nutrition counseling available for free (from upper-level nutrition students). Maybe that's a resource available to you as well. Or, if you do have a little cash to burn, an appointment with an RD would probably be worth it.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I have discovered that meal-planning ( at least for me) is one of the most crucial elements in staying on track. I pack both breakfast and lunch before going to work. When I prepare dinner, I make enough to have leftovers for a few days. Sometimes I even enter my food in my diary a day ahead so I know exactly what I'm eating and I'm more likely to stick to it that way.

    One helpful thing you can do is set aside a time during the week in which you prepare the majority of your food for the week (most folks choose Sunday). Make tupperware your friend. It doesn't have to always be cooked food for the freezer. Fill your containers with pre-cut veggies, boil a bunch of eggs, make your own trail mix, etc etc. In the end, this makes it also more easier to count calories as you know exactly what you are putting in your food.
  • fortysixpounds
    fortysixpounds Posts: 419 Member
    This is all really great advice!!!! :happy: Thank you all! I wish I'd asked the question sooner.:heart:
  • I plan my daily menu and try to stick to it.I always plan my day a few hundred cals short.That way i can swap and change if i change my mind as to what i want.
    Planning is really working for me,i've never really planned a full days food before,but have for the last 6 weeks & its working!.I am at home all day so its easy for me as i don't have to think about packed lunches etc.But if i did i would try and plan a day ahead.Especially as you don't have a freezer available to you at the moment.xxxx
  • dr2k12
    dr2k12 Posts: 291 Member
    I typically plan at least dinner in advance and if I'm going to be out for a meal I make sure I pack healthy snacks. I work from home so I have the luxury of being able to take my time with my meals so as long as the shopping part is done I'm good to put together whatever I need...
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
    I tend not to... I eat what I fancy (obviously all good foods) so I don't know what I fancy until that mealtime comes...
  • I plan my most of my day on mfp in the morning while making my breakfast. It keeps me in line and know that what I have planned is waiting for me :) I aggree that you should carry a snack on you at all time. I LOVE protein bars ie: zone perfect (the bomb) I dunno if sugar is a problem for you but if so check out EAS shakes/bars. I also personally have yummy gums always in my purse for when I am gonna go crazy at the stores. Good luck. Hope this helped :)
  • pouncepet
    pouncepet Posts: 72 Member
    Yes I do :)
  • I pre-log all my meals here on MFP. I also log everything I put it my mouth!!

    A suggestion.. Plan a weeks worth of meals and make a shopping list according to that plan. and BOOM! good luck!
  • joeysox
    joeysox Posts: 195 Member
    i pre-plan because i make bad choices when im tired and hungry :(. i dont use a freezer really i pre-plan my meals on shopping day i pick options so breakfast, 7 ideas for lunches 7 for evening meals then mix and match kinda thing :) makes it easier xxxxx
  • jensweighingin
    jensweighingin Posts: 168 Member
    I work an entire week at a time, so I have to plan and prep in advance. I make a few different meals for the work week the day before I go back to work. I just write down on a piece of paper what I'm going to eat for the week, scratching out stuff and shifting stuff if it turns out that I'm eating chicken for 6/9 meals! :) That day I cut all my veggies for snacking, salad, and whatever I'm making and I usually grill or crockpot chicken breasts for salad. I make my breakfasts (which is mini-quiche, but I vary the veggies and cheese in them--this week is caramelized onions, tomatoes and brie, so there's variety) and, most importantly, then I have meals for when I'm starving when I get home after being at work for 12 hours and out of the house for 15. I also can grab everything and pack it in the morning (I don't have enough room in my fridge to keep a packed lunch bag for a 12 hour shift and I keep a checklist so I don't forget anything at 4:45 am). I also have a 'big salad' almost every day, so I vary what I put on it--todays is shrimp and pasta, tomorrow's is a chicken breast with black beans. I also plan my snacks so there is variety. Planning really keeps me on track and I know what I'm eating.
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    Always. My diet is set up the morning of or the night before to make sure macros are in check and I've varied my food intake for micronutrient balance.
  • I have no meal plan what so ever, and eat what I like from what I term my allowed food groups. If I get a taste for something or an urge then I will think about and aim for that meal, but most of the time I walk into the kitchen with a "what shall I have" thought. Large meals such as a carvery, fish and chips, mcDonalds/KFC or a Sunday lunch I don't just have. As I write this it is a Saturday... I kinda would like a fish and chips tonight, but I will have to earn it with a two hour bike ride, else it would take me over on my calories. So for any large meal I ensure I have at least earnt a 1000 calories spare so that I can eat the meal, and ideally put 500 calories in the bank still.
  • annie_banannie
    annie_banannie Posts: 65 Member
    I have discovered that meal-planning ( at least for me) is one of the most crucial elements in staying on track. I pack both breakfast and lunch before going to work. When I prepare dinner, I make enough to have leftovers for a few days. Sometimes I even enter my food in my diary a day ahead so I know exactly what I'm eating and I'm more likely to stick to it that way.


    This.

    I can't say I manage to do it *every single day* without fail, but I generally try to map out my food consumption at least a day in advance. I almost always bring my lunch and often rely on nutrition bars for a fast breakfast or lunch on the go. By the way, I cannot eat soy, so the nutrition bars I buy are soy free: Larabar, Pure Organic, Kit's. I stock up when I can find them on sale, and I usually keep one or two in my bag..

    I am NOT the type who will sit down and plan a week's worth of cooking and eating in advance, though. For me, it isn't necessary or practical, and I don't really think it would be a good use of my time. I live in a very "foodie-friendly" area and walk past dozens of food shops and markets every day, so it's no big deal for me to stop in and pick up enough food to get me through the next day or two.

    As for the lack of a freezer -- my fridge is about 30 years old and the freezer compartment holds very little (an ice cube tray and some bags of frozen fruit), so I am not able to cook a lot of food and freeze it. If I prepare a large quantity of something (for example, a big pot of soup), I pack it into individual portion sizes (yes, tupperware is my friend), stick them in the fridge and plug them into the next few day's food diaries.
  • nyssa1231
    nyssa1231 Posts: 120 Member
    I'm actually meal planning right now, before I go to the grocery store!

    We usually have muesli or oatmeal for breakfast, fruit for snacks, and leftovers for lunch. So, I really only plan dinners. I usually pick out two or three recipes that I want to cook during the week, buy the groceries on Saturday morning + pick up our CSA box, and cook a couple of dishes on Sunday to eat for the first half of the week. It makes it painless. We're pretty bad about going back to the grocery store midway through the week, because we get lazy. Working on that, though!
  • splashblob
    splashblob Posts: 249 Member
    I preplan it roughly because sometimes my daily schedule change in a mid day or so. I lately eat all the protein in the morning though, just to make sure I got enough protein during the day-just in case my schedule changed. =P My usual breakfast is 1 boiled egg and 1 can of Tuna.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    Hey MFPs :smile: :flowerforyou:

    Just wondering does anyone plan in advance, do you keep a mealplanner or use one online? I have no freezer atm :grumble: but since I live near the store, I find myself dropping in there most days after college, overtired, overhungry, indecisive. And since I have so many food allergies its time consuming and I get fed up checking labels and overwhelmed. Then its very easy to pick up the easy thing that I know is safe for me to eat but (which is not necessarily the best calorie thing)

    So I'm thinking about meal planning and wonder if anyone could offer me any advice? (When the freezer situation is resolved I'll be able to cook stuff and freeze it but in the meantime :grumble: )

    Thank you in advance :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    yes, plan your meals. it will make food logging and sticking to your daily goals much easier. also, never grocery shop when hungry.
  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
    I plan everything! That's how I have success.
  • I tend to plan my day the night before, I plan all my meals and tend to leave a little calorie lee way for if I get an intense craving or something.
    This means I remember to take meat out freezer to defrost in time and also that I'm not coming home from work at 6.30 starving with no plan for dinner.
    Sundays are more relaxed though and I tend to just go with what I fancy really.
  • angiechimpanzee
    angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
    I love meal planning! I think a tiny bit of me is obsessive compulsive. I love measuring out exactly how much is going to be in everything I make & eat. Yeah, if I didn't plan I'd be a lot less successful.
  • Laner07
    Laner07 Posts: 100 Member
    I try to. Sometimes it's hard depending on they day. Also if my roommates get home before I do sometimes they make dinner and they're not exactly geared towards healthy food. But at least they're nice enough to cook for me.
  • mdb543
    mdb543 Posts: 219 Member
    Hey!! Yes, I plan my meals in advance. I go to the store several times a week but have all of my meals written out. Sunday's I cook 3 days worth of food for my husband and myself and store them in containers in the fridge. That way I can focus on making my meals for my kids during the week. Wednesday I cook the next three days of food and have everything read to grab in the fridge. I know most people do freeze their meals, but I'm terrible at remembering to pull them out to thaw. This helps me stay on track with my diet because the food is already cooked and I hate wasting it, so I will eat it before splurging for random unhealthy food. If you need help on what to cook, let me know :)
  • AliciaStaton
    AliciaStaton Posts: 328 Member
    Hi yes I plan my meals in advance, it just helps to keep me on track and so far it seems to be working:smile:
  • HMToomey
    HMToomey Posts: 276
    Yes I try to so that I know what I need when I go to the store. I also pre-log food so that I know how many calories I have to play with for snacks!
  • Jayme34
    Jayme34 Posts: 160 Member
    i plan a weeks worth of meals in advance, then make a grocery list and i try to follow it as close as possible. I also track meals and snacks at night on MFP and then stick to it the next day. If i did things on impulse i dont think i`d do so well.
  • I plan on MFP so I can meet my macros. Helps A LOT.
  • Nina2503
    Nina2503 Posts: 172 Member
    I do, I to a loose monthly idea of what we may eat so I can do a big shop but do a stricter plan weekly. It not only helps keep me on track with what I eat but it helps me be oganised for meal times, it is a rush when I get in at 17.30 to get a meal on the table, get OH up and fed before he leaves the house at 19.15 for work. I often pre prep a lot beforehand so planing is essential, I also find that actually planning meals helps keep the grocey bill down as preplanning allows me to buy in bulk, take advantage of offers etc and batch cook. We do a weekly shop for veggies and fresh stuff also,
  • Yes i plan every night b4 i go to bed. I do a big shop on a sunday and buy all the ingredients i need to do me for the week. i dont like eating and counting as i go.