Don’t let the chaos that comes with back to school knock you off track of your weightloss journey. Whether you are planning meals for yourself as a time-saver or prepping some healthy options for the students in your house, here are 5 tips to successful meal planning from the Aspen Clinic of Louisiana
Utilize A Meal Planning Tool
Here at the Aspen Clinic, we recommend using a log that includes a space at the beginning of each week to plan out meals, or printable meal planning sheets. Having a plan before your week starts will help ease the pressure of coming up with meal ideas during your hectic school week.
Buy Groceries in Advance
Once you have a plan of action for your meals for the week, it will be easy to map out exactly what ingredients you will need from the grocery store. Even if you don’t cook them right away, at least you will not have to drop everything and run to the store during the week!
Stock Up On Containers
If you plan on cooking in bulk and storing it in the fridge for later, don’t forget the containers! Make sure you have an equal container to lid ratio so that you’re not ripping through your cabinets trying to find a lid with the right fit!
Invest In Fast And Slow Cookers
Both kitchen aids will be beneficial to your meal prep strategy. A slow cooker, like a Crockpot, allows you to “set it and forget it” when it comes to cooking. On the other hand, fast cookers, like an Air Fryer, can cook food almost instantaneously if you ever need it in a pinch. Both will prove to be time and lifesavers in the long run!
Variety is Essential
Food fatigue is real. If you are planning out the same meals every week you will start to get bored at your repeated selections and start to reach elsewhere for your meals, and that can throw your whole plan off track! Sprinkle in variety wherever possible.
Join The Aspen Clinic – We Have 9 Locations in Louisiana
The Aspen Clinic program is based on lifestyle changes, not temporary dieting. In summary, our program is designed to increase your metabolism and help you develop a new set of eating and activity habits. We will individualize your program according to your daily caloric needs to ensure that you are losing fat and avoiding the loss of lean muscle mass.
Visit any of our Aspen Clinic locations across Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Harvey, Houma, Lafayette, Metairie, Prairieville, and Slidell, or schedule an appointment today to get started!
You can also visit our online store, we carry all the weight loss essentials including water bottles, vitamins / supplements, protein powders, and more!