Close your eyes and picture “meal prep day.” I’d bet money you’re seeing rows of matching glass containers, a kitchen island covered in chopped vegetables, and an entire Sunday sacrificed to the cause.
That’s the image we’ve all been sold on IG and by society in general…and it’s exactly why so many feel like we’re falling behind even before we start!
What does meal planning actually mean— when there’s so much information out there on “how to do it best”, when you are already struggling to figure out what to eat, when, while juggling a full calendar?
I tell my community time and time again: Meal planning isn’t just about the grocery shopping and the chopping and the portion sizes. It’s way more (just take a read over at my article from Alexandria Stylebook last week).
Sure, the acts of meal planning and its prep are a big part of feeling like you’re doing it right (for many of you). But at its foundation, and what it should be at the very root, meal planning is about scheduling.
It’s about setting aside the time to think of a clear path about what your fuel options are, and when.
It’s about getting in those small spots of time to get the job done.
It’s about fitting food and fuel as a priority when you plan out your week.
When we perceive food as a negative, an enemy or something we don’t value, the preparation of it can feel like a chore. It does not need to be!
It’s definitely not “running the marathon” with a 2-3 hour slaving-over-the-stove session!!
Do I really practice what I preach? YES!
But that doesn’t mean my “meal planning” looks perfect – not by far!
My days are busy, but they remain fueled, and I am able to support the energy I need to in turn, support my kids, meet with my community, and pursue my own personal goals.
Before you even start thinking about what to cook, the first thing I recommend is to establish your “system”.
A system doesn’t necessarily mean implementing special calendars, or buying color-coded containers. It might just be sitting down EACH WEEK and checking on general eating habits, getting in the right mindspace to commit to rituals and ideas that you know you can stick to and, most of all, KNOWING YOUR CALENDAR!
In other words, thinking about where you carve out time in your calendar for everything involved – and, to be realistic about it.
It’s understanding that success doesn’t mean hitting 100% of your targets.
Do I occasionally eat in front of the computer – and eeek (!) – while driving or while distracted? Sure. I’m busy!
But with any hiccups my routines and schedule still move forward, without any need for superhuman discipline to pull it back on track and without guilt of feeling like a failure.
Thus, I’m able to successfully achieve my next “good” meal because I’ve been able to plan for it…ahead of time. You can see how important my calendar becomes in meal planning.
And I always keep a few, simple yet solid, foundational habits surrounding my schedule I’ve built over YEARS of practice.
These help me keep fueling my body in the way that supports me, not sends me crashing nor reaching for highly processed foods.
One small key to my daily success (and sanity!) is setting aside pockets of small, protected moments. These are placed on my calendar ahead of time and I use these moments to think about my next meeting or errand or meal, and when hunger or exhaustion inevitably shows up, I am never scrambling to invent a plan from nothing. I’m also never stopping to spend money on a quick snack. It’s already done!
Another key to success is pre-decided options ahead of time instead of making moment-to-moment decisions is my key to successfully achieving my meal plan goals. I am NOT spending a whole Sunday chopping, or shopping! I teach Sundays and I make it a priority to train hard Sundays. I don’t want my day filled with the task of prepping multiple meals.
These small adjustments to my weekly scheduling and mindset habits around meal planning have changed the way I physically prep and approach my meals each week.
And to me, THAT is what successful meal planning is.
By the way, this is exactly the kind of real-life, calendar-first system I teach inside the self-paced Master Menopause NOW! course.
And if you need something a bit more tailored, I’m also selling the modules as 2-pack bundles. You can select the food and calendar modules together, so for only $89 you can tune in on your own time to pick up some other quick habit mindsets and learn about the science behind these two important parts of our wellness!
