3 easy steps for effective meal planning

Over the past few weeks, Joey and I have dedicated our free weekly Trimarni newsletter to the topic of lifestyle changes - specifically meal planning. You can have all the best intentions to eat a more nutritious diet and you may even have a variety of nutritious foods at home. But a busy schedule is one of the top reasons for not staying consistent with nutritious eating habits. Thus, the perfect reason to become better at meal planning. 

Imagine the scenario where you are exhausted, hungry and crunched for time and within a few minutes of walking through the door, you have a delicious home-cooked meal (or brown bag lunch) ready for you. If it sounds too good to be true, with a bit of planning you two can make this a dream come true.

One of the most common reasons why most people struggle with meal planning is that there are many different types of meal prepping strategies. With so many different methods, you want to consider your grocery shopping style, work/life schedule, activity regime, cooking ability and food preferences. Not only does meal planning save time but it also saves a lot of money. It also contributes to a more nutritionally balanced diet as you can avoid those tempting last minute food-related decisions that occur out of exhaustion, hunger and being crunched for time.

To help you out, Joey put together a three-part series (featured below) to help you get more comfortable with meal planning. Like anything in life, don't look for hacks and quick fixes. Take some time to figure out the best style of meal planning that works for you and your lifestyle/family.

Step One: Selecting Recipes


Just as you plan out your week for work projects, training, family events, and so on, having a plan for what you’ll eat can reduce the daily stress of having to answer the questions of “what’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner?” Meal planning is different for everyone and there is no one right way to plan your meals. It is vital to begin somewhere - give it time, and revise as needed until you find the process that is effective for you.

The first key step towards effective meal planning is selecting recipes. If your breakfast and lunch meals tend to be pretty consistent and simple (think options like cereal, oatmeal, eggs, and yogurt/fruit for breakfast and sandwiches/wraps, salads, grain bowls, and leftovers for lunch), a good place to put your energy is by selecting healthy recipes for dinner. Start small with maybe 2-3 recipes per week. Either batch prepare or cook on the nights that you may have more time. There are a plethora of recipes available through cookbooks, magazines, online (such as on food blogs, food websites, manufacturer websites, social media), meal planning apps such as Mealime, and your past Trimarni newsletters :-). Think about your goals for meal planning and choose recipes accordingly such as:

• Do you want a meal that can be made in 30 minutes or less?
• Do you want to use your slow cooker or Instant Pot?
• Do you want mostly casserole options to have more leftovers?
• Would you like to incorporate more theme nights to keep dinner fun such as Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday?
• Would you like to focus on what is in season in your area or on sale?

Plan for familiar recipes in the mix that you are comfortable making (and that you and your family love) and then add in some new ones. Once you have selected your recipes, be sure to organize them in an easy and accessible way that works best for you - such as in a notebook, a Google Doc, or in a meal planning app. After you have made a dish, keep notes on things such as:

• Any modifications that you made to the original recipe?
• What you would try next time to make it your own?
• Would you make this recipe again?
• Was this recipe easy to make or time consuming?
• Would you use this recipe as part of your usual meal rotation?

Remember that not all meals in your diet have to be home cooked. A healthy diet has room for outside eats. Leave room in your meal planning regime for a pizza night or take out, if that is something that is important to you. Also, keep in mind that there are meal planning services to assist with meal planning if it all seems too overwhelming.

Meal planning is a marathon, not a sprint. Be realistic. This may mean starting slow and being patient as you create a process that is sustainable (and enjoyable) for your lifestyle.

Step Two: Make a List, Take Inventory, and Go Shopping

Once you have selected your recipes, the second key step in effective meal planning is a 3-part process that involves;
1) Making a list
2) Taking inventory
3) Going grocery shopping

Start by looking at each recipe that you plan to make and creating a master list of the ingredients that you will need for each one. Check your pantry, cupboards, and refrigerator to see what you already have on hand and cross those items off your master list (if an item is a kitchen staple that you like to keep on hand, make sure to always keep that item in stock at your house).

You now have an actual grocery list. If you typically shop at a specific food store, you might try re-writing your list by grouping items by department (such as produce, frozen, dairy, etc) or how you typically shop the store. This will help to keep you organized and for saving time.
Grab your reusable grocery bags and head to the store.

When you return home from shopping, consider preparing foods that can be dealt with ahead of time. This will help you save time when cooking your meals. For example, wash and chop fruits and veggies, cook grains/potatoes, roast veggies for a dish, or brown ground meats. For even greater time savings, purchase pre-cut fruits and veggies if you don't want to spend time chopping.

Some of the meal planning or recipe services/apps will generate ingredient/grocery lists for you from the recipes that you have selected. If you use one of these services, simply do your inventory, go shopping, and prepare what you can when you get home.

Step Three: Meal Preparation

Now that you have your recipes selected, ingredients purchased, and some ingredients prepped, it’s time to start preparing your meals. You are one step closer to eating!

One of the biggest drawbacks of cooking at home is the time it takes to prepare a meal. Meal preparation can be time consuming, especially if you are the only one preparing food, cooking meals, and cleaning up. Since schedules vary greatly, how you complete this step will require some trial and error until you find the process that works best for you and your family. For example, if evenings are busy and leave limited time for cooking, you might find it easier to pick a day each week that you set aside a small chunk of time to batch prepare all of your recipes that can be made in advance. Prepare what you can ahead of time so that you don’t have to start from scratch every night or, if possible, make the full meal and portion leftovers into storage containers to be reheated. Consider giving each family member a task such as chopping, mixing, or washing dishes. This way each person can contribute to the meal which can be a time saver.

Don't forget to prepare items that you will use for quick breakfast and lunch options, such as baking chicken breasts or tofu for sandwiches/wraps/salads, cooking your grains (brown rice, farro, quinoa, etc) for grain bowls, and whipping up some overnight oats for a speedy breakfast. Tackling dinner meals in advance will allow for reduced stress, faster, easier, and more enjoyable evening meals.

No matter how well you plan, chances are pretty good that your plan will go awry at some point. Don't give up just because one meal goes sideways. Have a back-up plan with things on hand that can be easily made (like wraps, omelets, or frozen tortellini) in case of unforeseen circumstances such as working late, not feeling your meal choice, cranky spouses or kids, etc.

Meal planning is a work in progress.

• Give it a try
• Give it time
• Forgive any missteps
• Revise as needed to best find the process that works for you
• Aim for a successful meal planning habit

Time-saving cooking tips

Are you hesitant to try a new recipe because you feel overwhelmed by the cooking process, especially when hungry, exhausted and/or pressed for time?

Although you may find it easy to "make" avocado toast or "cook" a bowl of oatmeal, there may be a huge barrier between wanting to cook and actually making it happen. Cooking requires time, effort and concentration and for many people, cooking isn't worth the time or energy. 

If you have anxiety toward cooking but recognize that cooking will keep your portions and nutrition quality in check, here are a few time-saving tips to make your meals enjoyable and nutritious but far less time-consuming. 

1. Read before you attempt - Recipes can make anyone a great cook but it's important to familiarize yourself with the instructions before even considering to cook/make your recipe. Read recipes to their fullest before starting to ensure you don't skip/overlook any important steps in the cooking process.
    
2. Shop in advance - Grocery shopping is exhausting and can be time-consuming when you have to search the aisles for new ingredients. Many times, grocery shopping right before you cook can sabotage your best efforts to try to eat a healthier diet. Purchase ingredients a few days before you decide to make your recipe. Don't forget your grocery list!
    
3. Prep in advance - Use small bowls or even a muffin tin to help you prep items ahead of time. By measuring and chopping in advance, you not only avoid a possible recipe disaster or identify a missing ingredient but it makes for a smooth cooking process.
    
4. Cook once, plan for leftovers - Make double batches or extra servings of your dishes so that leftovers can be served when you don't have the time or energy to cook. While you are at it, make sure to chop entire vegetables (not just the 1/2 cup that your recipe calls for) and other foods like starches, grains and proteins to use for future meals.
    
5. Easy clean-up - Cleaning up your cooking mess is one of the most dreaded cooking tasks. Simply fill your sink with warm, soapy water and after you finish with dishes, rinse and place into the water. If you plan to use your dishwasher, make sure it's completely empty so that you have room for big items like pots and pans.
    
6. Use a garbage bowl - You don't need anything fancy to toss your scraps in as you cook so that your work space stays clear and doesn't become cluttered. Cooking often requires endless trips to the garbage (or recycling bin) so a garbage bowl can help you stay organized and clean-up as you cook.
    
7. One-pot meals - One-pot (or skillet) meals result in fewer dirty dishes and often allow for lots of leftovers.
    
8. Prep staples in advance - There's a good chance that your diet involves a few staples, like hard-boiled eggs, salad, cooked chicken or tempeh/tofu, roasted potatoes and/or whole grains. Don't overwhelm yourself with making multiple recipes on the weekend if you prefer individually portioned meals. Instead, use Sunday to prep the items that you know you will be eating the following week so that making meals is easy and efficient. One of my best tips is to make sure your meal is "almost" ready when you are most tired, busy, exhausted or hungry. In other words, cook in advance when you know you won't want to (or be able to) cook later on.
    
9. Stock-up on herbs and spices - When trying a new recipe, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of spices and herbs that are required. But proper seasoning can turn a bland dish into something that tastes amazing. Make sure your spice cabinet is filled with a wide array of fresh (not out-dated) spices and herbs.
    
10. Equip yourself with good food storage containers - After all that meal prepping and cooking, you need to easily store all of your items. Although plastic food storage containers are inexpensive and easy to find, many people are choosing glass as a safer, more environmentally friendly way to store food. 

For more healthy eating tips, recipes and workouts, subscribe to our FREE newsletter. 

Weekend meal prep - A must for endurance athletes

It's been a lot of fun to share Karel's 8th Ironman journey with him in route to IM Lake Placid (well, 9th IM journey if you count his 2015 IM Lake Placid DNF after the bike due to going into the race with a torn plantar fascia). Like all endurance athletes, Karel has had his share of confidence building workouts but now comes the time when the body is tired and every workout can make one question race day readiness. The great thing with Karel is that he is a born racer - he just loves and lives for race day so no matter how flat and tired he feels in this final push before his taper/sharpening (which is all normal), I know his body and mind will know exactly what to do on July 23rd. I can't wait to be on the sidelines with Campy to cheer him on (along with Trimarni athletes Chris, Heidi and Adam and Trimarni nutrition athlete Christine). 

Being an age-group triathlete is tough. There's no denying that we all have a lot to balance when you decide to call yourself an athlete as an adult. Taining, life, sleep, work are always in a tight balance but when the training picks up in peak season, it's critical that nutrition does not get pushed to the side in order to train more. Sadly, many athletes fall victim to the typical scenario of more time with training = less time for meal planning.

Although being tired, exhausted and not having enough time are common (and valid) excuses for not being consistent with meal prep, if you care about your health and athletic development and want to make the most out of your training, it's important to get your nutrition in order by planning ahead. Waiting until you are hungry or trying to make food decisions in the face of exhaustion will not let you make the best decisions. Additionally, waiting too long to eat or not caring about what you eat will neither assist in ideal fueling/refueling. Understanding that the way that you fuel yourself between two workouts dictates how quickly you can recover and adapt to training, your training doesn't end when you finish a workout and wipe the sweat off your face, while cooling off in the AC. As an endurance athlete, nutrition can't be an afterthought as it is part of training.

Although meal prep involves planning and that takes time, you are taking control over your diet when you plan ahead. Considering the food choices that athletes make when they are exhausted, starving, lacking an appetite, tired or even rushed, meal prep makes post-workout eating convenient, accessible, easy and effective. And since most endurance athletes are checking off their longest workouts on the weekend, you will have more time for rest and recovery when you know that your meals are ready for consumption.

While I hope that you are making healthy eating part of your weekly routine, I can't overstress the importance of prepping food for your weekend training so that you can get the most out of your body when you place the most stress on your body. 

Here are some of the foods that I prepped for this past weekend of training. I can't tell you how great it felt knowing that real food was ready for us when we returned home from our hot and exhausting workouts and finished up our recovery drinks. 

Potato and veggie egg casserolePeppers, onions and corn layered on the bottom of a casserole dish, coated with olive oil. Then topped with thinly sliced potatoes and covered with 5 scrambled eggs (seasoned with salt, pepper and mixed with a splash of milk). Baked at 425 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Then topped with cheddar cheese.   

Sliced fruit
Grapes, strawberries, peaches, cherries, watermelon, blueberries.

Refreshing veggie "salad"
Chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers and garlic, mixed with chopped mozzarella and dressed with olive oil, salt and lemon vinaigrette. 

Jasmine rice
Seasoned with salt and turmeric 

Sweet potato cookies, banana bread and banana bread muffins
All from Run Fast, Eat Slow cookbook. 

No more excuses - meal planning

Sitting down to a home-cooked meal in the evening is not an everyday occurrence for many people in our society for a variety of reasons; being too tired or hungry, wanting something easy, needing something quick and convenient, feeling too busy, not knowing what to eat or not liking to cook.

As an athlete, you already have so much to squeeze into the day that it’s easy to see why dinner may be an afterthought, especially if you have been up since 5am or you are finishing an evening workout around 6:30 or 7pm. 

But, that's not a good excuse. 

Let's get serious...
You aren't too busy to train so it's all about priorities when you say you are too busy to cook. 

As an athlete myself, I can empathize with how overwhelming it can be to plan nutritious meals, every day of the week and still squeeze in workouts. And this is in addition to work, family and everything else on a never-ending to-do list. 

I realize that I do not share many of my meal creations on this blog but I have to be honest with you, I'm passionate about healthy eating and I love sharing my food pics but my job is not a food blogger. And I also don't like to measure food and make my meals precise for you to replicate.

I am a board certified sport dietitian who spends all day helping athletes maximize performance by personally addressing and tweaking lifestyle, nutrition and sport nutrition limiters.

I regularly share my food pics on Facebook with the hope that you can be inspired to prepare healthy and satisfying home-cooked meals that will work for your active lifestyle but I never want you to feel overwhelmed when it comes to food shopping and food prepping.
There are hundreds and hundreds of food bloggers with amazing pictures, stories and recipes of food.
You should have no problem finding recipes that will work for you...but the key is making the time to actually prep and cook those meals. 

As far as I know, athletes love having a plan to follow so if it works for you to have a training plan, consider a meal plan to guide you in a successful week of eating. 

There’s no need to be obsessed with food as you need to let food enhance your life, not control your life. And there is nothing wrong with the occasional off day of eating. 

I actually feel that allowing yourself an "of" day (ex. breakfast for dinner, yogurt, granola and fruit for lunch, PB & J and a smoothie for breakfast, etc.) can actually keep you on track for healthy eating the rest of the week. It's kinda like a vacation from "typical" eating.  

Above all, you should love to eat and your meals should work for your health, body composition and performance goals. 

Place a similar amount of passion, effort and enthusiasm into your daily diet (and fueling regime) so that you can experience the rewards of having a healthy, nourished and well-fueled body. 

Here are a few of my meal planning tips that will work for your busy lifestyle. 
But in order to make them work.....
 make an effort, not excuses. 

1. Prepare meals on the weekend and always plan for leftovers. A little meal prep goes a long way. Dice, chop, wash, cook — do as much as you can when you have the time so you at least have options for a upcoming meal. Don't overwhelm yourself. Plan for 2-3 days and then do a light meal prep to last you the rest of the week.

2. Prep a meal before a workout.
You don’t want to finish your workout hungry with no patience to meal prep. Prepare as much as you can before working out. This is a game changer. You won't believe how your food choices will change (and how less complicated "healthy" eating can be) when you know that a meal is prepared before you workout. More often than not, if you finish a workout hungry, you will almost always go for what's quick and easy and not always healthy or performance enhancing and find an excuse or reason to eat it (even though you know you should be eating something healthier.)

3. Have a menu for the week.
Knowing what you will eat for dinner (and breakfast, lunch and snacks) will ensure you have those items available. No need to make this menu extravagant, just make a plan. Theme meals or staple meals work really well, especially when you are getting started with this habit.

4. Allow yourself one night a week to get a little help from a pre-made or semi-homemade meal.
Sure, you could dine-out but let's be honest, eating out takes time and it's expensive...you have to wait for food, eat and pay and travel to and from the restaurant. Consider getting help once a week (Wed or Thurs) from a salad bar, pre-made meal option from the grocery, pick-up/take-out healthy item or making something super easy and semi-homemade. Make sure this meal works for you as your meals should never make you feel guilty or should negatively affect your next days workout. 

5. Use your time wisely
Think about your entire day (M-F) - when do you have the most free time? And by free time, this means watching TV or spending time on your smart phone/computer at home. Could you make more time in your day?
Hopefully, there are times when you are home and you can find 10 to 30 minutes in the early morning, when you get home from work or in the evening that you can do some cooking or prepping. Oftentimes, the cooking and meal prep is an afterthought and athletes get busy doing something else or feel too exhausted and hungry to do anything but sit.....and eat something convenient.

As an athlete, food should be high on your to-do list. This means eating, cooking and planning. 

You know how important consistency is with training and you love the results when you follow your training plan.
Put that same focus and attention on your eating habits as you do with your training and you will find yourself doing amazing things your healthy, well fueled and nourished body.