Weekly meal plans can be difficult if you don’t have a strategy. If you need weekly meal plan ideas, we will try to help out with some basic principles. Just by using a weekly meal plan template you can select healthy weekly meal plan recipes that you can prepare way before hand. These recipes are quick and easy, and can be made in no time at all. You can become your family’s weekly meal planner while also learning more about the benefits of meal planning. Here are a few of them.
Cut Your Grocery Budget
Do you squander too much cash at the grocery only to come home with zilch to cook for meals? Weekly meal plans can help you stay focused at the grocery so that you only purchase what you need for your menu plans. When you buy around what you plan, you save so much more. Preparing weekly meals on a financial plan helps you stretch every dollar.
Know the Kinds of Meal Plans
If you have a particular meal plan, stay focused on the theme. For instance, if you desire to begin eating healthy, a low calorie meal plan might work for you. Maybe you want to get toned and fit? Then you should have a bodybuilding meal plan. A vegetarian weekly meal plan may appeal to those who take pleasure in organic foods. There are also meal plans that deal with health issues, such as a heart disease or diabetic meal plans. All you have to do is tailor your own weekly food plan and shop at the grocery accordingly.
Choosing the Right Meal Plan for You
There are several factors to mull over when it comes to selecting a meal plan to attain specific health goals. For the health conscious, for instance, first, you must determine your ideal weight. After that, you should ask yourself if your activity level is enough. From there you can decide what a healthy meal plan will look like. Alter your meal plan size accordingly to fit your dietary requirements.
Meal Planning For the Entire Family
Weekly meal plan ideas that the whole family can take pleasure in can be hard, especially if you have some fussy eaters. With food planning, you can avoid making these wasteful meals that members don’t enjoy. Consult everybody about what they want, balancing that with what they need. Strike a compromise between these two guidelines and you will have a happier, more contented and healthier family.
Meal Plan Size and Maintaining Healthy Weight
A 2000 calorie meal can maintain a person with a weight from 155-170 pounds depending on the activity level. A 1800 calorie meal can maintain a weight of 150-165 pounds. A 1600 calorie meal and a 1500 calorie meal plan will maintain a body weight ranging from 130-150 pounds. A 1400 calorie meal plan and a 1300 calorie meal will sustain the 120-140 pound range. The list goes on. Meal planning helps to address these caloric needs, making you more in tune with the nutrient requirements of the whole family.
Here now are some weekly meal plan ideas that you can either implement as is, or use as an inspiration for you and your entire family. Get started with these practical tips.
• Keep your kitchen well stocked with basic ingredients such as: oil, seasonings, rice and tins of beans and tomatoes etc.
• Plan the days or a week ahead. Are you one to cook most of the week’s meals or just dinner or lunch? Know your habits and shop accordingly.
• Select your main ingredients. For example, if your family likes meat, buying enough for at least a couple of meals could save money.
• Incorporate a rainbow of fruit and vegetables into your meal plans.
Here is a 5 day sample meal plan for lunch to pack for you or your kids.
Monday
Tuna Pea Pasta
Ingredients:
50grams penne pasta
50grams frozen garden peas
50grams tuna in spring water drained and flaked
50grams light soft white cheese
Method:
Cook the pasta following the pack instructions, add the peas last minute of the cooking time. Drain and pour cold water to cool fast.
Mix through the tuna and white cheese, until evenly distributed. Allow it to cool, and then transfer to a small tub.
Tuesday
Tomato and Ham Bagel
Ingredients:
1 x store bakery multigrain bagel
10g butter spread
40grams cherry tomatoes
20grams finely sliced ham
Method:
Slice the bagel in half and butter the cut sides. Pack with the ham and tomatoes.
Halve and wrap tightly with cling film.
Wednesday
Egg Roll Watercress
Ingredients:
1 medium free-range egg
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 wholewheat sub roll
20grams watercres
Method:
Boil eggs for 8 minutes, or till the yolks are set. Allow to cool, then peel and finely chop. Blend with mayonnaise in a bowl.
Slice the sub roll in half lengthways and spread the upper half with the egg mayonnaise. Put the watercress on the lower half and sandwich together. Use cling film to wrap.
Thursday
Chicken and Salsa
Ingredients:
2 tbsps salsa
30grams drained sweet corn
1 plain tortilla wrap
70grams char grilled chicken breast
2-3 round lettuce leaves
Method:
With a small bowl, fuse together the salsa and the sweet corn.
Fill the wrap with the corn salsa mix, and then put the chicken slices and lettuce.
Roll up firmly, and then cut the wrap in half diagonally. Pack strongly in cling film to keep fresh and to retain shape.
Friday
Tomato and Cheese Frittata
Ingredients:
150grams baby potatoes
2 tbsp medium olive oil
1 peeled and finely chopped onion
4 medium free-range eggs
100grams halved cherry tomatoe
50g crumbled soft goats’ cheese
Method:
Using a pan of boiling water, cook the potatoes until soft. Drain and slightly cool then cut into thick rounds.
Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium ovenproof frying pan over an average heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender.
With a large bowl beat the eggs, then place the cooked onion, potato rounds, tomatoes and cheese and mix well.
Now preheat the grill to high. Place the remaining oil on the pan and place in the egg mixture. Cook on a low heat for 8 minutes until it begins to set. Place the pan under the grill and cook for 8 minutes or until the centre is well-cooked and firm. Allow it to cool in the pan, and then slice into wedges.
Meal planning is simpler than it sounds. Just map out the week with regards to how you and your family will eat and stick to that plan. Meal preparation will be a no-brainer.