Ah, Sunday! The day of rest (for some), but for everyone else, we are either working or planning for our next week. In this post, I will address planning for next week, discussing various topics.

Today’s topic is meal planning for the week. For purposes of this blog, I will address this issue from the viewpoint of a single person or couple. If you have kids, the same principles apply (the process is just a bit more time consuming).

On Sunday, I plan my meals for the week (for both Pedro and myself). This means I make a list of my main foods for the week (by meal), and then list the items I need to shop for. For us, this typically means a protein and a vegetable for each dinner, sandwich fillings for lunches, yogurt, eggs and oatmeal for breakfasts. Snacks for me include cut up veggies and for both of us, pre-portioned granola and nuts, etc.

The next step is to go to the store and buy the necessary items. When I get home, I put my groceries away and begin my food preparation. I love to cook, so this part I enjoy. If you don’t enjoy cooking, put on your favorite music or the cooking channel in the background for motivation and just do it!

All of my proteins for the week are trimmed, sliced, etc. and put into individual bags for the freezer. I keep out what I’m going to cook for the next two days and freeze the rest (to be taken out a day in advance for proper defrosting and cooking).

The vegetables for the week are also prepped and put in various containers for consumption. I admit that I use a lot of frozen vegetables for convenience sake. The microwave bags are a blessing and typically last for two dinners.

Starches in my home are quite simple. Brown rice and quinoa are the staples of Pedro’s carbohydrate intake so I make both of them. I portion those as well in sandwich sized bags, keep out three days’ worth and freeze the rest. (They defrost well overnight in the fridge).

Brazilians love a little something sweet after each meal, so I make a batch of cookie dough and put it in a container. I bake only a few cookies at a time, and the dough is just fine in the fridge for a week or more.

Pedro enjoys sandwiches for lunch, so the last thing I make sure I do is bake a loaf of bread for the week. OK. I, cheat. I have a bread machine and all I do is add my ingredients and press start. LOL

Does this seem like a lot of work to you? It is, but I assure you that it’s well worth it. Firstly, it saves endless hours of time during my week. I simply follow the meal plan outlined on Sunday. Since all of the prep work is done, I only have to cook the protein and steam the veggies. Quite simple and fast.

Secondly, and this may be the most important part, it prevents you from stopping at a fast food restaurant on your way home from work, or ordering food once you get home. That alone is worth the couple of hours of prep work.

You may choose to do this on whatever day you have off instead of Sunday. The point is to plan your week and follow the plan you make. It will keep you on track dietary wise and save you time in the long run.

Have a Healthy Week!

Shereen Rios BAS, CPT

• January 19, 2020
• leave comment
• mealplan, mealplanning, Sundayplanning
• by focusandform

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.