Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail….

While it may not be rocket science, it is often easier said than done sometimes.  Last week I failed to plan and ending up failing.  For a long time I have tried to prove that I could choose to make healthy choices for meals as I get hungry during the week.  At times it may have worked, this last week proved otherwise.

Without having a plan and preparing ahead of time it became too easy to grab the unhealthy choice like cookies, frozen yogurt, the drive thru, etc.  Last week won’t be repeated again this week.  You have heard it before I am sure, meal planning and preparation is so important.  By spending a few hours on Sunday getting things in order, I will be freed up during the week, not feeling rushed, as busy or as tempted.21 Day Fix Meal Prep

Here is what my Sunday included:

1) Pulling out our schedule and recipe books to choose meals for the week.  I look at what we have going on and plan around our schedule.  Coordinating recipes that have similar ingredients for the week or require similar preparation can be helpful on your budget and save on prep time.

This week, I chose Spaghetti and Chicken Stuffed Peppers as two of the meals because the same sauce is used in both recipes and it can be prepared ahead of time.  I write out my meals for the week including breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner.

2) Preparing the grocery list and going shopping.  Taking an inventory of what you already have and want is necessary after you’ve decided on meals for the week. Often times new recipes require items that you may not have in stock, but by repeating those recipes again you won’t need to purchase as much as the first time. Don’t forget to factor snacks into your inventory, making sure to think about snacks for both your husband and kids, if they differ from your snacks.

3) Deciding what items could be made ahead of time. The concept of cook once, eat twice is a great time and resource saver! This week I chose to cook some chicken in the crockpot, steam veggies, mix up a salad, and cut up veggie snacks making lunches and snacks ready to grab and go. Once the chicken was done, I added Greek yogurt and avocado to make chicken salad for my lunches throughout the week. The spaghetti sauce for the recipes I mentioned above needed to simmer for a few hours, so I chose to make that as well. That way, it will just need warmed up, which can happen as I brown the hamburger and cook the noodles.

By doing these somewhat simple steps ahead of time, I already feel so much more successful than I was last week. Now if I get hungry, I have a ton of healthy options ready at my finger tips.  Whatever your goals may be (career, fitness, relationships, nutrition, personal development, etc), I encourage you to spend time up front planning and preparing otherwise you may find that instead you have planned to fail.