In some of our other articles, we discuss the MyPlate and the 5 food groups that make up a balanced meal. Now, let’s put that into practice with meal planning. When creating meal ideas, consider:
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Time: Are there parts of your day that you could free up for meal prep and cooking? For example, watching tv for one less hour per day.
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When: Consider planning and preparing your meals one or two days a week vs every day. That way you have your meals ready to go on those busier days.
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Food groups: Remember 3’s the key but strive for 5! Aim to have at least 3 food groups at every meal, 3 servings of dairy daily, and 3 servings of protein daily (plant and/or animal-based). Bonus: If choosing animal-based milks, lactaid, or soy, the milk can also serve as a source of protein. When choosing animal protein sources, remember “white, brown, pink”:
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Choose “white meat” first (e.g chicken, eggs, turkey, fish, white pork)
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Consume “brown meat” 2 to 3 times per week (steak, hamburger)
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Pick processed “pink” meat last (ham, bacon, bologna, hot dog).
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Type: What if you do not eat the typical 3 meals per day but rather several smaller meals or snacks? Strive for making ½ of any meal/snack consist of fruits or vegetables and the other 1/2 a protein source.
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Budget: Write meal ideas down on a piece of paper that use many of the same foods, but in different ways. Consider using canned or frozen produce. These foods still offer great nutrition, are budget-friendly, and require much less preparation.
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Personal food choices: come up with meals based on items you can tolerate based on your conditions. Take the shopping guide, mark out items you cannot tolerate, and circle the items you can to highlight those ideal food choices.