Why is meal planning important? Many family members are balancing: multiple roles ex.) parents, employees, children, volunteer Families are trying to meet good nutritional standards. The busier & unprepared a family is the more tendencies the family may have to develop poor eating habits.

Why is meal planning important? When planning meals for the family or guests consider the following: – Allergies – Likes and dislikes – Your Resources: How much time do you have for preparation Food choices and availability Money Your preparation skills and equipment – Meal Appeal – Incorporate a balance of nutrients – Modify meals and recipes for health concerns and conditions

Remember… You can prep and plan for just dinners, lunch and dinner, or even all three meals of the day and snacks too! The amount of prep you do, depends on how much time you have to dedicate to prepping and your personal preferences.

MONEY So make a budget: a plan for managing money American’s spend an average of just over 10% of their disposable income (money after taxes) for food, both eaten at home and out.

Other factors that affect family spending on food: – Number of family members – Age of family members – What age group costs the most to feed? Teenagers – Time and skills for preparing meals – How often family members eat out – Amount of food wasted

Beginner’s Guide to Meal Prep Keys to success: Plan and Prep Plan your meals for the week out using the following guideline: - Protein + Starch + Vegetable (and be making sure to get your healthy fats in!)

Protein Options -Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless) - Ground Beef – 85% lean or higher - Ground Turkey – 93% lean or higher - Fish – Salmon, Tilapia, Shrimp - Eggs (hard boil a bunch for the week!) - Steak, Pork, or Sausage (sparingly) -Vegetarian or Vegan? Try plant based proteins: beans (black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, etc.) edamame, tofu, tempeh

Starch Options Opt for whole grain, complex carbohydrates as your fuel! - Quinoa— you can add whatever flavors/spices of dish to quinoa to boost flavor - Sweet potato - Brown rice - Pasta (whole grain) - Potato - Rice Varieties: Jasmine, Basmati, Wild Grain, Etc.

Vegetable Options - Spinach - Green Beans - Mushrooms - Asparagus - Broccoli - Cucumber - Red, Yellow, Orange Peppers - Zucchini - Spaghetti Squash - Carrots - Tomatoes - Sugar Snap Peas

Prep 1. Grocery shop for the week 2. Peel, chop, cut all raw veggies for the week to put in lunch or to have as a snack (Healthy choices are easier to make when they're ready to be eaten!) 3. Repeat the process for any fruit that requires cutting to be eaten 4. Prep your protein/meals - Make specific meals to eat as alternating left overs - Make items to store in the freezer and eat at a later time - Make your meat "basic" to be used in a variety of ways through out the week

Now, you can take prepping as far as you want to. You can: 1. Cook enough protein, veggies, starches to eat for the week (keeping these items basic will make them more versatile to use during the week) OR 2.Cook two meals to generate enough meals to alternate for the week (five days of dinners)

Time-Saving Techniques A.Cut large meat portions into smaller ones to reduce cooking time. B.Prepare one dish meals or use a slow cooker. C.Use the microwave for cooking and defrosting. D.Include family members in planning and preparation. E.Cook in advance and freeze.

Time management Organize kitchen Assemble all ingredients before beginning Work on several items at the same time (dovetail) Clean up as you go Evaluate the use of convenience foods to save time; may increase expense and lower quality

Helpful Tips Keep it simple. You don’t have to prepare a huge feast five times a day to eat well. When you’re on the go, choose things that are portable and don’t require a lot of fuss, like: – hard-boiled eggs – grilled chicken and a salad – canned tuna or chicken and brown rice – sandwiches on whole-grain bread or wraps – nuts and dried fruit – string cheese – yogurt and fruit – veggies and hummus

Anticipate busy days. If you know your kids have soccer practice every Monday, then make that night’s dinner quick and easy. Maybe that becomes your cheat meal and you order pizza (better yet, have the ingredients on hand to make your own healthy version. The kids will love making their own pizza). Or you can defrost a meal you’ve frozen ahead of time, so it’s ready to throw in the oven when you get home. Plan ahead so your busy schedule doesn’t interfere with your weight loss.

Do what works for you. You might want to take one day during the week and make all your meals for the week or you might just want to make up your meals the night before. Just make it work for you and your schedule.

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