Meal Planning
Ask yourself:
Do I regularly plan meals?
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What challenges do I face when planning meals?
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Why Plan Meals? Planning meals is a great way to become more involved in your food choices, and can
help you save time and money. Meal planning is associated with:
Cooking at home more frequently
Less time constraints in making food decisions
Better adherence to nutritional guidelines
Higher intake and better variety of fruits and vegetables
Lower risk of obesity
Better attitudes towards healthy eating
Tips for Meal Planning:
Get others in your house involved
Spend time at the beginning of each week to plan meals
Use recipes that call for similar ingredients
Think about your schedule. Which meals can you prepare
throughout the week
at home? Are there meals you may need to pack to work
Prepare a grocery list
or school?
Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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Grocery Shopping Tips
Always make a grocery list.
Keep list in a central location, and update as you run out of items
Check pantry before adding to the list
Organize your list by food group or grocery store layout
Stick to your list. Avoid shopping every aisle.
Never go to the grocery store hungry
Read food labels
Budget Friendly Grocery Shopping Tips
Use coupons and rewards cards
Download grocery store app
Buy store brands
Compare unit prices
Buy on sale and in bulk
Be careful not to buy more fresh produce than you will use
Always check “sell by” and “best used by” dates
Farmers’ Markets
Tips for Reading Nutrition Labels:
Check serving size first
The % Daily Values (%DV) are based on the Daily Value
recommendations for key nutrients. A quick reference:
5% DV or less is low for a nutrient
20% DV or more is high for a nutrient
Choose foods with <15 g total sugars per serving
<5% DV for added sugars
Tips for Meal Prep
Consider setting aside time at the beginning of the
week to prepare meals
Slice fruits and vegetables ahead of time
Batch cooking
Crock-pot / slow-cooker recipes
Multi-cooker
Pack lunches and snacks the night before to save time
on busy mornings
Invest in reusable containers
Put away leftovers immediately to save time, money,
and calories
Freeze extra portions
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Ask yourself:
What does a balanced meal look like?
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Fruits
Aim for 1 1/2—2 cups per day
Shopping Tips:
Fresh fruits in produce section—look for those in season for best taste and prices
Frozen fruits without added sugars
If choosing canned fruits, purchase in “100% juice” instead of syrup
Tips to increase fruit intake:
Keep “in sight” in a bowl on tables and countertops for easy snacking
Prepare ahead for on-the-go snacks (slice, use bags/reusable containers, whole fruits)
Get creative! Add fruits to cereals, smoothies (1/2 cup), salads, meat dishes, grill at barbeque
meals or have for dessert
Vegetables
Aim for 2-3 cups non-starchy vegetables per day
Make 1/2 of your plate vegetables
Shopping Tips:
Fresh vegetables in produce section —look for those in season for best taste and prices
Consider prepared vegetables (bagged lettuce, cut-up celery, salad bar)
Frozen vegetables without added sauces or gravies
If buying canned vegetables, read labels and choose “reduced sodium”, “low sodium”, or “no
salt added”
Tips to increase vegetable intake:
Prepare ahead
Pre-slice raw vegetables at the beginning of the week for easy snacking (celery, cherry
tomatoes, carrots, peppers, radishes, snap peas, cucumbers)
Keep salad greens on hand for a low-prep side or meal
Batch cook vegetables to last several meals (beets, squash, turnips, parsnips, eggplant,
brussel sprouts)
Try cooking vegetables in new ways
Roasted, steamed, sautéed, riced, spiralized
Use new flavors – lemon, garlic, ginger, or your favorite herbs & spices
Get creative! Add vegetables to your favorite recipes.
Can add vegetables to stir-fry, casseroles, omelets, soups and stews, pasta dishes, pizzas,
baked goods, and can grill at barbeque meals
Try adding peppers, onions, spinach, and mushrooms to your morning omelet
Opt for more veggies than high-fat meats and cheeses on a homemade pizza
Try grilled veggie kabobs at your next barbeque (zucchini, squash, cherry tomatoes)
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Grains and Starches
Limit portions of grains and starches to 1/4 plate or 1/2 cup
Rice, pasta, breads, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, peas
Choose whole grains more often
Switch to 100% whole grain bread, bread products, and crackers
Try whole grain cereal or oatmeal (overnight oats)
Popcorn without added salt or butter
Try brown rice or 100% whole grain pasta
Try mixing half and half to start
Add quinoa, brown rice, or barley to soups/stews, stuffed peppers,
salads, and other mixed dishes
Use whole wheat flour when baking
Protein
Choose protein foods at every meal and snack to stay full.
Tips for healthy proteins:
1. Choose lean meats and poultry
Lean beef cuts include round, roast, sirloin, chuck shoulder
Choose lean ground beef—try “90/10” instead of “80/20”
Choose lean pork—tenderloin, center loin
Skinless chicken breasts
Lean deli meats
2. Choose fish at least twice per week
Grill or bake salmon, trout, or other favorite fish
Purchase tuna in water—top salads, crackers, or sandwiches
3. Vary meals with plant-based proteins
Make chili or soups with beans, lentils or split peas
Add black beans to salads or make enchiladas with beans instead of meat
Hummus, veggie burgers, falafel, tofu
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Dairy
Good source of protein, calcium and vitamin D
Choose “light,” “low-fat,” or “fat free” dairy products
Skim or 1% milk
Cheese
Greek yogurt, yogurt, cottage cheese
Purchase individual containers for easy snacks
Avoid high sugar varieties such as “fruit on the bottom”
Limit high fat dairy foods
Limit cream and whole milk in coffee and other beverages
Cream-based soups, sauces, and desserts
High fat cheeses
Do you have trouble tolerating lactose?
Try lactose-free dairy milk (i.e. Fairlife, Lactaid)
Greek yogurt generally has less lactose than regular yogurt
Hard cheeses have less lactose than soft cheeses
Consider taking a lactase enzyme
If choosing dairy milk alternatives, remember to choose
unsweetened and check protein content
Let’s Plan a Meal:
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More Tips for Meal Planning:
Eat small, frequent meals and snacks to help stabilize blood sugars, reduce cravings, stay full, and re-
duce overeating
Don’t let yourself get too hungry before you eat
Have breakfast every morning, even if it’s something small
Pack healthy meals and snacks to work/school and on-the-go
Quick breakfast ideas
-Oatmeal or whole grain cereal with skim or 1% milk
Make ahead tip: try overnight oats by soaking ½ cup oats in milk overnight
If using instant oatmeal, choose “no sugar added”
-Greek yogurt with berries
-Cottage cheese with fruit
-Banana with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
-1-2 hard-boiled eggs + whole grain English muffin or bagel thin
Make ahead tip: boil eggs at the beginning of the week
-Protein shake or protein bar
-If you have more time:
Veggie omelet with onions, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes + 1 slice whole grain toast
Make a fruit salad with low-fat yogurt and mint
Pack to Work and School
Easy-to-grab portion controlled foods Prepare Ahead
-Individual Greek yogurt or cottage cheese -Sliced fruits and vegetables
-Individual packs of nuts (i.e. 100 calorie packs) -Leftovers from the night before
-Whole fruit (Oranges, bananas, apples, pears) -Salads with protein
-Instant oatmeal packets (“no sugar added”) -Leafy greens, sliced fruits and vegetables
-Low sodium soups -Leftover grilled chicken, salmon, tuna packet, hard
-Portion-controlled meals (i.e. Lean Cuisine, boiled eggs, chickpeas or black beans
Smart Ones, Healthy Choice, Kashi) -Light dressing or oil and vinegar
-Tuna packets -Homemade Lunchables
-Protein packs (i.e. P3) -Lean deli meats, low-fat cheese, crackers
-Protein shake or protein bar -Sandwiches on whole grain bread, bagel thin, pita, or
tortilla
-Tuna in water mixed with light mayo and relish
-Lean deli meats and low-fat cheese
-Leftover meats and vegetables
-Veggies and hummus
-Mashed beans, vegetables, avocado slices, low-fat
cheese, cilantro, lime juice
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Building A Healthy Snack:
Snacks can provide energy between meals and keep you from over-eating later in the day.
Snack only when you’re hungry. Avoid grazing and mindless eating, especially when you are feeling
bored or stressed.
Try to incorporate protein and/or fiber to help you stay full.
Keep snacks ~200 calories or less.
Pay attention to portion sizes. Eating more frequently means less at each snack.
Consider pre-measured snacks
If buying in bulk, portion foods out in small containers as soon as you bring it in the house. Store
excess in a place that is not easy to get to.
Healthy Snack Ideas
(~200 calories or less)
-1 Tbsp. peanut butter + 1 apple, banana or celery -1 (6”) tortilla with ¼ cup black beans + 2 Tbsp. salsa
-Sliced vegetables + 2 Tbsp. low-fat ranch, light -1 cup tomato soup + 5 whole grain crackers
dressing, or hummus -3 cups popcorn + 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
-Try cucumber, cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, -1 small baked potato + salsa + 1 oz. low-fat cheese
radishes, snap peas, bell peppers -Mini sandwich – whole grain dinner roll with 1 slice
-1 cup sliced fruit with 1 hard-boiled egg lean deli meat + 1 slice low-fat cheese + mustard
-1 cup edamame -Protein shake or protein bar
-6 whole wheat crackers + 1 slice low-fat cheese -100 calorie pack + 1 piece of fruit
Enjoy! Avoid
Choose beverages with <10 calories per serving Carbonation, Caffeine, Sugar, Alcohol
Water Sparkling water
Fruit-infused water Juice
*try citrus (lemon, lime, orange), berries, cucum-
ber, mint, ginger, rosemary
Decaf tea Sweetened teas / lemonades
Decaf coffee Sweetened and caffeinated coffees
Beverages sweetened with artificial or non- Soda, Energy Drinks
nutritive sweeteners
