Who Plans Meals

niklong
niklong Posts: 49 Member
edited December 2 in Food and Nutrition
I know that it's a huge key to weightloss success but I have never gotten meal planning down. I hate cooking & I hate grocery shopping...I rarely take a list....I just buy my usual & usally just know what I'm out of. I've attempted meal planning a few times but it kind of feels overwhelming plus I don't like the idea of having to eat a certain thing at a certain time but obviously my non-planning is not leading to success. Tips for getting started with meal planning? (Plus I have a picky, junk eating husband)

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    As with most things, you need to find what works for you and your family. There's no one right way.

    I feel constrained if I plan my meals in advance. It feels too much like I'm on a diet rather than just eating. Spontaneity is important to me so I have a freezer full of choices and just decide what I want to eat when I'm ready to eat. I pre-log my choice before I eat to make sure it fits with how my macros are balancing for the day.
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    I pick several recipes I'm going to make, and make my grocery list based on what I need to cook plus things I regularly buy like fruit, nuts, etc.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    I do, but I freeze for variety so I can pick and go as I please.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    I think most people have several favorite meal choices and rotate through those. You can either pre-log (plan) or just learn the macros and calories for your particular foods so you can have a little flexibility. I prefer the flexibility route, like seska said above.

    I think with time you learn the basics of macros and calories and it is easier. Stay the course, keep logging. It becomes pretty intuitive after a while.
  • XnRGrandpa
    XnRGrandpa Posts: 62 Member
    I live alone so meal planning is simple for me. I'll batch cook at the beginning of the week and freeze in single-serving portions. This helps me because portion control is my biggest enemy.
  • mysticlizard
    mysticlizard Posts: 896 Member
    We make a list of ten of twelve meals and make sure we have what we need to make them and then decide what we want to eat for that meal.
  • tryett
    tryett Posts: 530 Member
    I am starting to do that now, at least for dinner. I started out trying new recipes until I got enough good one to fill a week. Now that I have that I was able to go to the grocery store with a list to ouch up everything for this week. I am still looking to add more recipes so I can get a couple weeks worth.
  • melodyesch
    melodyesch Posts: 49 Member
    I have a problem planning meals in advance. I don't like eating things that I'm not in the mood to have. I am pretty set in what I take for lunch so that's no problem, but I've been working out what I want to have for dinner daily (plugging it into MFP ahead of time) then DH and I stop by the grocery store on the way home. I HATE grocery shopping, but when you're just popping in for a few items it's not so bad. This has REALLY helped both of us by having us decide what we are in the mood for that day instead of trying to figure out an alternative on the fly (which often included takeout).
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Meal planning isn't exactly a key to weight loss, but it can be a great tool for those who need such a tool. It seems like you're viewing meal planning like a diva that you need to please, but in reality it's your servant that will do what you tell it. Find out if meal planning will help you: What are your current challenges? Which parts of your food routine need more structure? Which boring or overwhelming tasks can be streamlined?

    A well organized kitchen, stocked up with everything you need at the right time, and being relaxed, can make cooking a better experience. If cooking becomes a meaningful activity, your aversion to shopping - it's because it's boring, right? You don't need a list if you always buy the same things, but it may feel boring, and boring can feel pointless - can be replaced with a quest to get interesting ingredients. You don't have to decide in advance what you'll be having for dinner, just figure out what you need to have on hand to be able to cook a meal that will satisfy you. As for your husband, get him on board. Ask him what he likes, and what he wants to eat. Find new recipes together. But don't ditch all your old favorites in the process. Cook together, too, if that is possible.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I meal plan...not how relevant it is to my weight management though...it's more of a, "what are we going to have this week?" so we can go shopping once and get it over with. I don't plan to the extent of, "I'm having X for dinner Monday"...we just sit down and think about what we want to make at some point during the week and we go shopping.

    Again, I really don't know how relevant that is to weight management.
  • pineapple_jojo
    pineapple_jojo Posts: 440 Member
    Yup same as cwolfman here. We stick to pretty much the same breakfast everyday, same-ish lunches (I take salads, husband takes sandwiches) and we chat through some dinner ideas for the week and get whatever we need.

    I do tend to cook enough for three meals straight tho, not cos I don't like cooking, it's just quicker that way, makes it a no-brainer. When you get in from work/working out!
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