Planning meals a day at a time is a useful strategy for following a tough diet and gradually improving the way you eat. Daily plans allow for small adjustments, making it simpler to ease into healthy eating, and they don't require the same commitment that weekly or monthly plans do. Whether your goal is weight loss, better health or a more varied diet, using meal plans can help boost your chances of success.
Benefits
The Mayo Clinic notes that writing down your plans for better health, whether it is through daily menus or exercise records, has the power to boost motivation for sticking with those plans. In many cases, determining meals in advance also makes it possible to enjoy tastier food that's better balanced than meals on the fly. Daily plans also have the advantage of being more flexible than weekly or monthly menus because they can make better use of leftovers, last-minute sales and fresh ingredients on hand.
Guidelines
Daily meal plans should be balanced, varied and inclusive. Try fitting in each of the primary food groups that the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends: fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. It's also important to consider nutrition guidelines. Along with including nutritious food in what you eat each day, try to limit total amounts of calories, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugar. Whenever possible, stick to whole and natural foods instead of processed or prepared foods.
Process
There are dozens of possible ways to craft daily meal plans. One of the most popular is to improvise meals based on healthy pantry staples and fresh ingredients on hand, as Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky suggests. Meals Matter, a division of the Dairy Council of California, recommends writing down a list of new recipes to try along with their ingredients. Go grocery shopping to pick up what you need, prepare the dishes and decide whether they should make it into future meal rotations or not. Other people prefer to rely on tried-and-true favorite healthy meals that they can continue to eat every day.
Tips
To simplify the meal planning process, consider starting with existing favorites and tweaking them to improve health values. HelpGuide.org recommends cutting amounts of butter, fat and sugar in recipes; substituting some meat with vegetables; and using whole grains instead of refined grain products. Another tip is to make use of healthier cooking methods that preserve more nutrients and add less fat. Try boiling, roasting, steaming or blanching instead of deep frying or sautéing in oil.
Considerations
To get the most out of a healthy diet, make an effort to adopt other healthy habits as well. Exercise frequently, get enough sleep each night, quit destructive habits and cultivate productive social and personal relationships. Following any healthy eating plan, no matter how challenging, will become easier and more enjoyable if other life facets can act as positive sources of support and inspiration.
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