Healthy Eating Tip: Meal Planning Simply

Jessica Fishman Levinson Healthy eating tip

In honor of National Nutrition Month®, my colleague Jessica Fishman Levinson shares her tip to help you savor the flavor of eating right.

Meal Planning Can Help You Savor the Flavor of Eating Right

How can you savor the flavors of eating right if you’re rushing to get a meal on the table or feeling guilty because you ordered take out for the third night in a row?

When you think of savoring your food – the theme for this year’s National Nutrition Month® – you most likely think about eating more mindfully, using all your senses when digging into that plate of food in front of you, and letting the flavors linger on your tongue before shoveling another forkful into your mouth. While all of these behavior modifications are important and integral to savoring what you eat, none of them can be done without a plate of food in front of you.

Meal Planning to the Rescue

Planning meals in advance is the number one step to ensure you get a healthy meal on the table everyday. And not just any type of meal; rather, meals that are balanced, full of nutrition and flavor, meals you prepare yourself most of the time, and meals that you can fully savor and enjoy as a result of planning them in advance. Even those meals that you do order in or defrost from the freezer can be savored without the guilt when you plan for a night off from the kitchen instead of making a last minute decision because you didn’t know what else to serve.

Meal planning takes forethought and a little bit of time, but it’s worth it when the outcome is a meal you can enjoy and feel good about eating. It’s also a great way to avoid food waste and use ingredients you already have on hand. If meal planning is new to you, start small by planning two meals a week, and work yourself up to three or four. Remember, scheduling one or more days off is still planning!

To help you get started and inspire your weekly plans, check out my weekly Menu Plan Monday posts and my Meal Planning Pinterest board where you’ll find more meal planning tips and pre-made menu plans. And remember, savor the flavor of eating what’s on your plan!

Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN, is a New York-based nutrition communications consultant, writer, and recipe developer, and blogger. You can follow Jessica @JlevinsonRD.

 

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Jill Weisenberger

I'm Jill, and I believe simple changes in your mindset and health habits can bring life-changing rewards. And I don't believe in willpower. It's waaaay overrated. As a food-loving registered dietitian nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist and certified health and wellness coach, I've helped thousands of people solve their food and nutrition problems. If you're looking for a better way to master this whole healthy eating/healthy living thing or if you're trying to prevent or manage diabetes or heart problems, you'll find plenty of resources right here.

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4 Comments

  1. Jessica @ Nutritioulicious on March 24, 2016 at 6:26 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing my tips for National Nutrition Month, Jill!

    • Jill Weisenberger on March 24, 2016 at 6:32 pm

      My pleasure. I sure hope we get more people on the planning bandwagon. Your site has so many resources – and delicious ones at that!

  2. Susan on March 24, 2016 at 10:37 pm

    I’ve been on synthroid for almost a year. I was always slim till I had a hysterectomy & was post menopausal. Then went through a trauma with my son for 5 years … also work f/t with special needs children. Lost my Mom a year ago … have a foot & knee issue which I’m getting help for. I’m 20 lbs overweight & was just diagnosed as pre-diabetic. My fat is around my middle, feel top-heavy.

    • Jill Weisenberger on March 25, 2016 at 10:37 am

      Sounds like you’ve been in a rough spot for a bit Susan. Have you thought of working with a registered dietitian nutritionist who can help you with a personalized set of goals and strategies? My suggestion is to pick one thing that you know you can do and that will make a difference. That could be walking 10 minutes at lunchtime or eating a wholesome breakfast at home each morning. A good goal will stretch you a bit, but not so much that you can’t make progress.

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Hi there! I'm Jill, a nutrition & diabetes expert and the author of 4 books.

Jill Weisenberger

I believe simple changes in health habits can bring you life-changing rewards.

And I believe willpower is way overrated.

Right here is where you can discover the mindset and habits to stick with healthy lifestyle choices most of the time - and drop the guilt when you don't.

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