Since few people have the time or opportunity to make several trips to the grocery store during the week, it's often simpler and more convenient to plan weekly menus. A week is a sufficient time block during which to try new recipes and work toward healthy meal adjustments, but it's short enough not to feel overwhelming or constraining.
Foundation
A balanced diet contains daily servings of fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables and dairy items, as MyPyramid.gov states. Some of the most common foods that are nutritious and easy to use in meals include fish, beans, nuts, lean cuts of chicken, low-fat milk, yogurt, low-fat cheese and fresh fruits and vegetables. Most existing diet plans rely on a foundation and rotation of similar foods.
Nutrition
Being attentive to proper nutrition during weekly meal planning can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and prevent nutrient deficiencies. MayoClinic.com recommends limiting trans fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, added sugar and sodium. Ideally, a weekly diet includes a balance of complex carbohydrates, unsaturated fat and lean protein. MayoClinic.com suggests that about 55 percent of total calories come from carbs, 25 percent from fat and 20 percent from protein.
Method
The meal planning process doesn't have to be complicated, and there are many possible ways to do it. MealsMatter.org suggests asking family members for menu suggestions and making a weekly grocery list based on their favorite dishes. MayoClinic.com dietitian Katherine Zeratsky prefers a more spontaneous approach and suggests planning balanced weekly meals based on foods you already have in your pantry or refrigerator, shopping only for fresh ingredients. Finally, some people enjoy combing through cookbooks or magazines, pinpointing recipes and trying out new meals during the week.
Plans
People who don't have interest in creating their own weekly diet plans can find pre-existing plans from a number of sources. Food and health magazines, fitness programs, nutrition websites and your public library all have free or low-cost sample plans available that focus on healthy eating and include example meals for at least one-week blocks of time.
Considerations
Before making any significant dietary changes or switching to a new eating plan, it's helpful to talk with a physician or registered dietitian. From a health perspective, it's also better to prepare meals at home than to eat out or grab packaged food. Particularly for people who are working toward health improvements or weight loss, Helpguide.org notes that cooking is one of the best ways to maintain control over what goes on the plate for each meal and how it's prepared.
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