Top benefits of planning your meals

Meal planning is one of the key ingredients to successful, long-term weight loss.

Talk to any weight loss expert, and he or she will undoubtedly tell you that meal planning is an essential part of dieting success. The same is true for home organization experts, personal growth gurus, and busy moms on the go. Every last one of them will tell you one of the most important keys to their success is having a meal plan. It is one of the easiest things you can do to make your life healthier and better in general, but is one of the first things we neglect when life gets busy.

The advantages of meal planning are numerous. Planning meals helps you manage your time better and makes meal preparation easier. It can turn a hectic week into one that is nearly stress-free. It also helps you improve your own personal health and the health of your family. Meal planning is so important, fitness experts and those preparing for fitness competitions consider it a must. They not only plan their meals down to the ounce, they spend most of at least one day each week prepping those meals.

If you are searching for a way to make everything in your household run smoother and you want to improve the health of your family, meal planning helps you do it. Meal planning benefits include:

Saving Time and Money

You might not realize it, but you waste a lot of time standing in front of your fridge each afternoon deciding what to make for dinner; not to mention the money you waste running to the store four or five times a week to pick up last minute ingredients for the evening’s meal. By planning your meals in advance, you eliminate these time and money wasters.

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Eliminating the Last Minute Stress

Everyone knows how stressful it is to make a last minute decision about a meal. You race home from work frantic and hungry, knowing you have just a short time to choose a dinner and get it cooked and on the table. If you have a meal plan, you can take care of things in advance and all that is left at the end of a long day are those last few things to cook.

Helping You Avoid Unhealthy Choices

How many times have you opted to take a whirl through the fast food drive-thru in lieu of preparing a healthy meal? Probably more times than you care to admit. Meal planning eliminates the need to rely on this unhealthy last minute option.

Answering the Nagging Question “Mom, What’s for Dinner?”

Create your meal plan on a weekly or monthly basis and post it for all to see. When you hear your favorite question, simply point to the board.

Making Shopping Easier

Finally, meal planning helps you stay organized when it comes to shopping for groceries. Plan ahead and pick up all the ingredients you need for the week or month during a single trip to the supermarket.

Looking for a few ideas to get you started with meal planning? Give these recipes a try:

Skinny Slow Cooker – Veggie Pot Pie Stew
Barbecued Grilled Chicken Breasts
Roasted Corn and Black Bean Tacos

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For more delicious and nutritious recipes from Skinny Ms., check out our Skinny Ms. Recipe Collection of 101 Fan Favorites.