Meal Planning

A key to weight loss and healthy success is to preplan your meals. Ya'll have heard so many times that if you go to the grocery store hungry you'll purchase multiple impulse buys that aren't necessarily on your shopping list. The same is true for your preplanning your meals and your grocery list; by taking the time to sit down and plan what you need for the week you can avoid impulse buys, unhealthy foods, and can even save money. 

 Before I head out to the grocery store, I take 10-15 minutes to plan lunches and dinners for the week and decide on which ingredients I'll need. I'll also look through my pantry and fridge to see what I'm low on or have enough of. It's also a good time to go through my fridge and toss old or expired products!

Take a look below for examples of how we make our typical shopping lists!


I like to first make categories of the items I need like produce, protein, dairy etc. It helps to organize this way since most items in the category are all grouped together. Before I begin adding ingredients and the different foods I'll need, I plan for the nights of the week that I know we'll be cooking. It sounds really basic but it really helps! It's hard to walk into the store and say I'll need dinners Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and then plan something on the spot. Even though you create your list with chicken scheduled for Wednesday night, you'll have all the ingredients on hand for healthy meals so you switch it up!







Once you organize you meals and categories, I lookup recipes and add exactly what I need to the list! It's easy to fill in what produce you need or what grains you're low on once you brainstorm before you start. 

We hope this little guide helps you to better navigate the grocery store! Just a few minutes of planning will help keep you on track all week long! AND don't forget to treat yourself! ;)

In fitness,
Lindsay and Jackie
XOXO