How to Create a Healthy Weekly Meal Plan You’ll Actually Stick To

Planning your meals regularly leads to lower body weight, an improved diet, and better food variety overall. You'll also eat out less often and save yourself money in the long run.

It's no secret that a healthy weekly meal plan is a lifestyle change that you need to be making. But, changing your lifestyle is no easy task. Many people start meal planning but quickly become discouraged when they can't stick to it.

Don't worry; you just need to know what steps to take that will get you into the meal planning groove and keep you there.

You'll need to keep reading this guide to learn healthy meal planning tips that you can stick to!

Determine Your Reasons for Meal Planning

Lifestyle changes are difficult to make, and when you're starting a weekly meal plan, you'll need to figure out what you want to accomplish.

First, determine the reasons you want to start a meal plan in the first place. Do you want to save money by eating out less? Do you want to change your eating habits and lose weight?

Defining specific goals is the key to success. Once your goals are clear, write them down. That way, you'll be able to do your weekly meal planning with ease based on these goals.

Set a Time to Plan Your Meals

Meal planning can quickly turn into something you'll say you do on the weekend, but when the weekend comes, you're busy with other plans.

Next thing you know, you're starting the week without a set meal plan in place, and you end up getting off track.

Instead, schedule a set time to sit down and do your meal plan and prepping for the week. This way, meal planning will slowly become a habit, and you'll be much more likely to stick to it long-term.

Simplify Your Meal Plan

Make sure you don't create a meal plan that's so complicated you won't be able to continue with it. To stick to meal planning, you need to choose meals that are easy to shop for and put together.

Also, liven it up some. Create a simple weekly theme like Taco Thursday, or make homemade pizza every Friday. Doing this ensures that you look forward to the meal plan you create, and you're much more likely to start to enjoy planning your meals.

Eat Healthy Foods You Enjoy

Incorporating healthy foods you enjoy makes for easy meal planning. It will not only help you stick to your meal plan, but you'll also meet your weight loss goals too.

So, be realistic with what healthy foods you like to eat. If you don't like celery or beets, then don't try to plan them into your meals just for the sake of a specific recipe or diet plan.

Instead, make a list of all the healthy foods that you enjoy eating. Also, look for different recipes online or in cookbooks for ideas that strike you.

You can also research the types of foods that provide you with the most health benefits and find what you like off that list. Ensure you incorporate different types of fruits, berries, nuts, vegetables, and healthy protein sources such as eggs and lean meats for optimal nutrition.

You'll have more energy, feel better throughout today, and give your health a huge boost. 

Ensure You Have the Right Tools to Prep Your Meals

Don't start off your meal prepping day frustrated because you don't have the right tools in place. Making your prep days as straightforward as possible will help you stick to your meal planning routine.

Having the right tools in place also makes meal planning less intimidating overall. So, be sure you have all the necessary tools ready to go, such as:

• A quality chef's knife for chopping vegetables
• A solid cutting board
• Measuring cups so you can correctly portion out your food
• A scale to weigh out your portions in other measurements
• Have enough baking sheets to keep everything on schedule
• High-quality microwave safe containers that have separate compartments
• Plastic storage bags for meat you need to freeze
• Consider investing in an Instant Pot for speedy meal preparation 

Use a Meal Delivery Service

Using a meal delivery service is simple meal planning at its best. A fitness meal delivery service like AthleticsFit allows you to choose from a variety of plans, such as the weight loss meal plan. Each AthleticsFit meal contains a balance of the right amount of calories, carbohydrates, and protein your body needs each day.

With these types of meal plans, you won't have to worry about portion control or ensuring that you get enough servings of fruits and vegetables daily as they're already planned out in each meal.

You can also order different kinds of meals to accommodate your specific tastes and eating plan. For example, you can order vegetarian meals or meals high in protein, depending on your health goals.

Finally, you'll free up a lot of time for yourself because you won't need to worry about shopping, meal planning, or prepping. Meal delivery services are also a great tool that helps you stick with meal planning, especially if you have a hectic schedule and frequently need to eat on the go.

Use a Fitness Meal Delivery Service for Your Healthy Weekly Meal Plan

Now that you have the tools to help you stick to your healthy weekly meal plan, you'll be able to form habits that you can keep up long-term.

Why not make your life easier and let AthleticsFit plan your meals for you? We offer a variety of healthy meals, snacks, and desserts that rotates weekly. We also use high-quality ingredients and have hundreds of meal combinations, so you'll never be stuck eating the same foods over and over again.

We can deliver meals right to your door, or you can come and pick up your meals too. Make sure you visit our website today to check out menus and delivery areas, and you'll be on the road to better health before you know it!