How I prepare healthy, homemade meals week in and week out

Without an intentional plan of what I’m going to eat each week, I almost always fall into the trap of eating random combinations of things that aren’t balanced or very satisfying and usually leave me snacking way too much all day long. I think we all know that feeling of going to bed at night with a satisfied stomach after eating a delicious, healthy dinner (and great food throughout the day too), and I’ve found with my busy schedule, the only way for me to keep reaching that goal is with the system below.   

1.) Sit down one day each week (usually on Sundays for me) and write down the meals you want for that week. To prepare for this, you need to ask yourself how many meals your family needs to get you through one week. For me, this looks like one breakfast and two dinners in addition to my usual grocery list of the basics. This leaves me with enough leftovers and I usually figure out lunch with other things I’ve grabbed at the store. The most important thing to remember is knowing what works for your family and preparing for that. As you do this, you may learn you’re planning for too much or not enough and can make adjustments for future weeks. Breakfast ideas for me include homemade granola (see previous post for recipe), banana oat waffles that I freeze and reheat during the week (recipe coming soon), oatmeal, and eggs. I get most of my dinner ideas from the Half Baked Harvest blog or other cookbooks I have on hand.  

2.) I make sure to write my meals and ingredients I need on an actual piece of paper and not my phone because I find this helps me commit better to getting the grocery shop done.

3.) Write down your meals somewhere in your kitchen where you see them and walk by them everyday to keep yourself accountable (don’t skip this step, it does make a difference!). This may also help you prepare things earlier when you’re in the kitchen doing something else and glance at that list.

What are your best tips for eating healthy, balanced meals throughout the week?