WHAT IS MEAL PLANNING?

Also known as menu planning, meal planning refers to the process of creating or formulating a list of meals, snacks, drinks and other food items that will be prepared for a specified period.  A lot of people go about this process in different ways but with the same aim – saving time, saving money and/or ensuring the meals are healthy and within their dietary requirements. However, no one wants to eat the same type of food for several days in a row. It is boring, dull and unhealthy.

Despite the numerous benefits of meal planning, it is still a huge surprise that a more significant percentage of the world population does not practice this lifestyle. The following are some of the benefits derived from meal planning:

Meal Planning Saves TIME

One significant advantage of meal planning is the amount of valuable time it saves. Menu planning allows you to cook meals in advance and store in the freezer or a safe place. You can prepare all the various ingredients needed for a particular meal for use later. The total amount of time you’ll think about what to cook and how to prepare it can be quickly eliminated with food prep. Sometimes, you even head to the grocery store more than once in a day because of forgotten items.

Meal Planning Saves MONEY

When you plan your menus, you will save a lot of money in the process. There will be little to no wastage of food because you will only buy what you need at that moment. It is undoubtedly a great way to save up some bucks for other useful purposes. It also helps us to cut down on eating out which is usually expensive. By sticking to your list, you cut out irresponsible and unwanted expenses.

Meal Planning Helps CONTROL What You Are Eating

While eating at restaurants and fast foods may seem a more accessible and affordable way to fill up your stomach, it is not the best. This is just because whenever you eat out, it is usually on the spur of the moment without any due regard for planning. But by cooking your meals, you can control what goes into it, and it’s even more economical.

Meal Planning Promotes HEALTHY EATING

Eating a balanced diet rich in all the essential nutrients is essential for a healthy lifestyle. However, such meals come with a high level of planning. With a meal plan, you already have an idea beforehand of what you need. Before going to the store, you must have decided on what healthy meals will be suitable for your family’s need during the week or month.

Meal Planning ADDS VARIETY

Without proper meal planning, families are likely to eat the same meals over and over again. However, with a well-structured meal plan, families can add variety to their meal course and avoid the likely urge of eating a particular meal multiple times. This eliminates any false notion about meal planning being a boring way of eating, which is indeed not the case. It encourages variety because you might want to try new things out just by looking at the menu for the week. You’ll have the opportunity to try new recipes which will, in turn, promote and improve your culinary skills.

Meal Planning REDUCES STRESS

We all know how tedious and stressful it usually is to prepare a meal. By taking some time out to plan what to eat, you are reducing the amount of stress that you would have normally encountered in the future. No more hectic last-minute runs to the grocery store to get things. Also, you don’t have to worry your poor little head over what to prepare since it has already been decided earlier.

Meal Planning Helps You STAY FIT

If you intend to shed some weight or just gain some muscles, meal planning remains an integral part of that exercise. It will help keep you on track due to the proper diet so that you can achieve your goals in the best manner.

Implementing a meal plan regularly will help make you more efficient. Apart from assisting you with maximizing your time and saving some money, it will also improve your health and general well-being.

However, not everyone has the time to research recipes, dietary requirements and resources for meal planning, and this poses a challenge for anyone willing to tap into the benefit of meal planning.

If you’re one of the people who tell me your #1 struggle is getting clean, healthy meals on the table, read on.  At this juncture is where Real Plans takes on the center stage to solve the problem.

Real Plans is an online meal planner that takes away the burden and stress of having to spend time planning your meals. It was born out of the desire to make use of technology to eliminate dietary restrictions while promoting healthy eating.  Many thanks to the internet and technology as you can now plan your meals with the help of professionals from the comfort of your home with just your phone.

Real Plans helps to create and organize recipes for you, generates a weekly menu to work with and further provides a daily template for getting healthy, delicious food.

Let’s all take a look at some of the significant benefits of making use of Real Plans.   It’s like having a personal nutrition assistant that . . .

1. Knows the Quirks of Your Family’s Food Do’s d Don’ts 

You love (or hate!) eggs and your family member is avoiding “x” food – say, peanuts? No problem, you can include or exclude foods with a click. You can also create your plan based on your style of eating – Traditional, Paleo, Autoimmune Paleo, Keto, Whole 30, etc.

2. Understands Your Schedule and Plans Accordingly

Maybe all you want help with is lunch, or maybe you want to double the portion sizes one night so you can take leftovers to work the next day, or maybe Wednesdays are always crazy and you need a super-quick recipe that night. Tell Real Plans about your needs and schedule, and it will figure out the details.

3. Creates a Shopping List That You Easily Access From Your Mobile Phone

No more forgetting your grocery list! Also, it’s organized by where items are found in the store, so you’re not zigzagging and backtracking through aisles to get what you need.

4. Writes Out a Timeline That Tells You What Needs to Happen, and More Importantly When

It will remind you to thaw meat, start chicken broth, etc., so that you don’t head into the kitchen on a Wednesday night and realize something you need is still sitting in the freezer.

5. 24/7 Online Support

Real Plans has 24-hour live chat. If you ever have a question, there will always be someone available to help you.

 

See this quick video below to learn more about how Real Plans works!

How To Get Started

Real Plans is not for everyone. People with personal assistants, or butlers plus grocery delivery service and a personal chef, for example. Also, people who love wasting money on ingredients because they planned to cook but didn’t have a viable strategy for actually getting it done. On the other hand, it works beautifully for busy people who want to eat well and also have time to breathe.  If the later sound like you, then Real Plans is perfect for you.  Check it out and let me know in the comments what you think.

If you are looking for more tips and support, join me over on my group page, The Village – A Natural HEALing Community, to get tons of information and tips to help you take your HEALTHY EATING and ACTIVE LIVING to the next level.

HEAL GOOD. FEEL GOOD. DO GOOD.

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