Meal planning is one of the things you must learn to do if you are trying to lose weight. Here is how to create a meal plan for weight loss.
When meal planning is done right, it will help you create the calorie deficit required for weight loss whilst providing your body with the nutritious foods it needs to function and remain healthy.
Proper meal planning can help to simplify the meal preparation process and saves you a great amount of time.
Let us have look at the most important aspects of meal planning for weight loss next. This will include methods, recipes, and tips on how to create a meal plan for weight loss.
How to meal plan for weight loss
Weight loss meal plans can take on several angles; these vary due to the varying needs of each unique individual. There are so many options but, here are a few things to keep in mind as you search for the most suitable plan that works for you.
Inventing a calorie deficit in a nutrient-dense way
The similarity of all weight loss plans is that they get you to eat fewer calories than you burn, however it is a different story with the calorie deficit plan.
Though a calorie deficit will help you lose weight regardless of how it’s created, what you eat is just as important as how much you eat. That’s because the food choices you make are instrumental in helping you meet your nutrient needs.
A good weight loss meal plan should follow some universal criteria for a good weight loss plan:
Incorporating a lot of proteins and fibres; Protein- and fibre-rich foods help keep you fuller for longer, reducing cravings and helping you feel satisfied with smaller portions
Avoiding processed foods and added sugar; these are rich in calories yet low in nutrients, these foods fail to stimulate fullness centres in your brain and make it difficult to lose weight or meet your nutrient needs.
Include a variety of fruits and vegetables; Both are rich in water and fibre, contributing to feelings of fullness. These nutrient-rich foods also make it easier to meet your daily nutrient requirements.
Create nutrient-dense meals
Start by filling one-third to one-half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. These are low in calories and provide water, fibre, and many of the vitamins and minerals you need.
Next, fill one-quarter to one-third of your plate with protein-rich foods, such as meat, fish, legumes, and the remainder with whole grains, fruit, or starchy vegetables. These add protein, vitamins, minerals, and more fibre.
You can boost the flavour of your meal with a dash of healthy fats from foods like avocados, olives, nuts, and seeds.
Having a snack in between meals is good for weight loss; Protein- and fibre-rich snacks seem the most effective for weight loss. These include apple slices with peanut butter, vegetables and hummus, roasted chickpeas, or Greek yoghurt with fruit and nuts.
Learn how to count the calories in your meals for better meal planning.
Tips for how to Create a Successful Meal Plan
Below are some tips that will help you to increase your meal plan’s long-term sustainability, and how to create a meal plan for weight loss.
Choose a meal planning method that fits your routine
There are various ways to meal plan, so be sure to pick the method that best fits your routine. Take note of the safe and healthy ways to lose weight.
If you do not have time during the week, you may decide to batch cook all of your meals over the weekend, so you can easily grab individual portions throughout the week.
Alternatively, you may prefer to cook daily, in which case, opting to prep all of your ingredients ahead of time might work best for you.
Contemplate trying an app
Utilize meal Apps, these can be a helpful tool in your meal planning. Some apps offer meal plan templates that you can alter based on your food preferences or dislikes.
These Apps can also be a handy way to keep track of your favourite recipes and save all of your data in one place.
Select a number of recipes for your plan
Choosing an adequate number of recipes ensures that you have enough variety without requiring you to spend all of your free time in the kitchen.
Look at your calendar to determine the number of times you’re likely to eat out.
Divide the remaining number of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners by the number of meals that you can realistically cook or prepare for that week. This helps you determine how much you will need to prepare for each meal.
Consider the suitable snacks
Don’t allow yourself to get overly hungry between meals, as this may push you to overeat at your next meal, making it more difficult to reach your weight loss goals.
Snacking can help lower hunger, promote feelings of fullness, and reduce the overall number of calories you eat per day.
Try Protein- and fibre-rich combinations, such as nuts, roasted chickpeas, or veggies and hummus, which appear best suited to promote weight loss
However, some people tend to gain weight when adding snacks to their menu. So make sure you monitor your results when applying this strategy
Ensure a variety of foods
Eating a variety of foods is instrumental in providing your body with the nutrients it needs.
It is best to avoid meal plans that suggest batch cooking 1–2 recipes for the whole week. This lack of variety can make it difficult to meet your daily nutrient needs and lead to boredom over time, reducing your meal plan’s sustainability.
Instead, ensure that your menu includes a variety of foods each day.
How to Speed up your meal prep time
Many people associate meal planning with long hours of cooking in the kitchen. Here are a few proven ways to speed up your meal prep time.
- Hold on to a routine. Picking specific times to plan the week’s meals, grocery shop, and cook can simplify your decision-making process and make your meal prepping process more efficient.
- Do your Grocery shopping with a list. Detailed grocery lists can reduce your shopping time. Try organizing your list by supermarket departments to prevent doubling back to a previously visited section.
- Select recipes that are compatible with each other. When batch cooking, select recipes that use different appliances. For instance, one recipe may require the oven, no more than two burners on the stovetop, and no heating at all.
- Schedule your cook times. Organize your workflow by starting with the recipe requiring the longest cooking time, then focus on the rest. Electric pressure cookers or slow cookers can further reduce cooking times.