If you are anything like me, then your working week consists of; non-stop emails, a never-ending to-do list and sitting in rush hour for what feels like an eternity. Not to mention buying and cooking dinner for it to be swiftly followed by an avalanche of washing up. So, we understand preparing a healthy home cooked meal every night can be a struggle, which is why over the last couple of years, there has been a gradual increase in the number of unhealthy takeaway and ready meals being bought instead… People like to ‘JustEat’ and have it ‘Deliverooed’

Well, I have two words for you… ‘Meal Plan’.

Yes, you will still have to go shopping and prepare the food, but from my own experience, this small adjustment has some great benefits. Here are my ‘Top 4’ reasons for using a Meal Plan.

1. Save Time – Planning your meals for the week will save you a huge amount of time and effort. No more faffing around looking through recipe ideas for a tasty tea, just get straight into the kitchen and start cooking. This can also apply when at the supermarket, by knowing what you need, you can simply buy what is on your list and then get straight back home.
   
   
2. Save Money / Waste Less Food – By creating a list of the ingredients you need for a week’s worth of meals, you can reduce needless overspending and cut out that (as I like to call it) ‘impulsive buying syndrome’.
   
   
3. Less Stress – Just knowing what you are eating throughout the week means you don’t have to worry. When work finishes, you can quite happily get home and just jump straight into cooking time.
   
   
4. Eat Healthier Foods / Control over what I eat – A meal plan gives you the time and freedom to create your own healthy meal ideas and put them into action. No more last-minute experiments, or  rustling up any old leftovers or eating additive filled ready meals. By using a meal plan, you are able to incorporate a range of different foods throughout the week.  For example: Various proteins (fish, chicken, chickpeas etc..) a variety of fruit and veg and a good mix of carbohydrates / whole-grains. By simply trying new foods, one can discover a new found love for cooking at home… something many people are scared to try.

As a starter exercise, plan a meal, buy the ingredients and just cook it. This will allow you to focus on the more important things in life… you’ve got enough on your plate.

Thanks for Reading!