Making dinner without knowing what’s for dinner can be stressful and lead to unhealthy decisions, so creating a meal plan may help avoid resorting to processed food and beverages as a quick fix. Take advantage of our weekly meal plans created by registered dietitians and food experts! Each recipe offers a healthy balance of proteins, complex carbs, and fiber – providing your body with what it needs for optimal performance.
1. Breakfast
An ideal diet involves three nutritious meals each day as well as nutritious snacks. When choosing food and drinks that promote good health, prioritize eliminating those high in fat, sugar, salt or processed ingredients. Strive for 3 to 6 servings of vegetables and fruit every day, choosing non-starchy options like leafy greens, carrots and sweet potatoes. When selecting whole fruits canned in its own juice rather than syrup, choose fruit with high antioxidant potential.
Make use of your weekend by prepping an assortment of vegetables and proteins for salads or bowls; store them separately so you can quickly make use of them during the week. Make a hearty chili or curry recipe, freeze individual portions for later use, or both!
2. Lunch
This meal plan features heart-healthy dinners with an ideal balance of carbs, proteins, and fats for optimal heart health. Feel free to select your preferred recipes and prepare them in whatever manner works for you: weekend batch-cooking, prepping ingredients ahead of time or making each recipe from scratch every night of the week.
Mid-morning snacks may not be mandatory, but can help stave off hunger until lunch. Try selecting something with protein, fibre and carbohydrates like nuts (with no added sugars or sweet nut butters) or whole grain like granola or plain whole-wheat toast as an ideal mid-morning treat. Staying organized means checking best-before dates on food every week to prevent food waste. Repurpose leftovers as quick lunch options or turn them into an entirely new meal!
3. Dinner
Sometimes finding quick and healthy dinner ideas can be challenging. Here are a few meal and recipe ideas which use ingredients you already have on hand and are easy to prepare, providing leftovers or lunch the following day.
Make heart-healthy food choices using these dietitian-designed meal plans, featuring four calorie levels and meal-prep tips. Over a seven-week period, this program can help transform your eating habits into an eating regimen of nutritious foods that last a lifetime. Select from various plans offering breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes as well as snacks and desserts; download your free plan with grocery list now!
4. Snacks
If you have children, have pre-prepared snacks on hand like carrot sticks, cucumber spears, celery slices and halved satsuma segments for them to snack on as needed; low-fat yogurt with fruit such as strawberries or banana; a handful of nuts (nuts contain calories so eat sparingly and no more than an ounce each time); etc.
Spend some of your weekend prepping ingredients that you can use throughout the week. Doing this will set you up for success and will make making healthy choices much simpler. Take a look at these dietitian-designed meal plans for heart healthy eating to start eating healthier right away! *All meal plans can be altered according to an individual’s calorie needs or to meet specific dietary goals.
5. Drinks
Soft drinks are one of the main sources of added sugars in American diets and have been linked with weight gain, obesity, tooth decay, heart disease and gout (a type of arthritis). Instead of drinking soft drinks first for optimal hydration purposes, try opting for water instead – add slices of lemon, lime or cucumber to flavor up your water without increasing calories!
Try switching out sugary beverages for low-fat or fat-free milk, unsweetened tea, 100% fruit juice or brewed black or green tea as alternatives to those rich in sugar, caffeine, sodium or energy drinks that claim health benefits – these could contain sugar, caffeine and/or sodium that could harm health.
6. Meal Prep
Meal plans can be an invaluable way to reach your dietary goals and reduce daily mealtime stress. They can support weight loss, encourage healthier eating habits and lessen daily mealtime anxiety. On prep day, make meals that can easily be reheated for lunch (such as chicken burrito bowls or Buddha bowls). Sheet pan recipes or one-bowl dishes that make portioning out food easy can help minimize extra kitchen clean up time.
Remind yourself it takes time and practice for you to become proficient at meal prep! Be wary of perfectionism, all-or-nothing thinking and an impatience mindset which may inhibit enjoyment while meal prepping!
7. Grocery List
An organized grocery list can not only save time and money when budgeting, but it can also reduce food waste while supporting sustainable choices. Check out these expert tips for optimizing your shopping experience: Before creating your grocery list, first take an inventory of what is already in your fridge and pantry. This will enable you to make an efficient list while avoiding unnecessary purchases.
Arrange your list to conform with the store layout in order to reduce aimless wandering and focus on finding coupons as you go. Also be sure to bring reusable bags and containers so you can reduce plastic waste, and strive for at least two items per meal when creating your list.
8. Recipes
If you need ideas, check out websites and apps offering meal planning templates. Choose one that meets your health goals and budget; for instance, focus on recipes with lower calorie counts if weight loss is your objective, or ones containing higher ratios of proteins to carbs for energy-boosting meals.
Meal plans can help reduce food waste. By prepping extra portions of a recipe and storing them in airtight containers, meal plans can save time and money during the week, plus provide an avenue for using up leftovers more effectively. Selecting seasonal produce can further cut costs!
