Planning meals ahead of time can have a ton of benefits. You always know what’s for dinner, while generally making healthier food choices. There is also the added benefit of saving money. These are our top 7 tips For encouraging a healthier lifestyle.

One of the first things you need to do when you’re planning your meals is to make a menu. Plan what you are going to have each day.

You can always change things around if you are not in the mood for a certain meal. When you have a menu, then you are much more likely to stick to your meal plan.

Here’s a free printable for you to use to start planning your weekly meals!

The goal here is to go to the supermarket and get everything you need in one trip. By doing this, you will save yourself money by not making numerous trips to the supermarket during the week.

It may seem a little daunting to spend a little extra time to ensure you have enough food for your menu, but trust us, its worth it.

When you get into a routine following your meal plan, you will start to learn shortcuts that allow you to spend less time on preparation.

Your meals can get to the table a lot quicker if you do some prep work ahead of time. This includes things like making hamburger patties and cutting vegetables.

You can also make snack time healthier by preparing fresh fruit snack bags, which are great for a on the go snack.

By spending some time prepping, freezing and storing food after your shop, you will ultimately cut down your time in the kitchen during the week.

There are some recipes that are easy to double up so you can have it over two nights instead of just one.

Alternatively, you could  freeze the second portion to pull out when you don’t have time to cook. This also saves you from ordering takeaways when your day is crazy.

Make sure that your meal plan has meals that you enjoy eating, this means you will more likely stick to your meal plan.

Don’t force yourself to eat foods that you hate, like cauliflower for example, because you will be more prone to get takeaways if you know thats whats on the menu tonight.

Of course it’s always good to try new recipes. New recipes are something you can get excited about.

It’s fun to try new foods and find new things you enjoy. You never know, you just may stumble onto a new favorite.

People try meal planning for different reasons. They may want to be more organized, save money or eat healthier. All of those are great reasons.

It’s equally important to have a few nights off. You may one day a week or alternatively, just choose a night when the opportunity arises to head out for dinner one night.

Allowing for flexibility can actually help you stick with your meal plan in the long run.

Do you meal plan? What tips do you use? Share your tips below in the comments, we would love to hear from you!