“Meal planning is the process of strategizing not only the recipes you want to enjoy, but also the approach you should take for preparing and cooking them so that they fit your schedule,” says Dan Zuccarello, executive food editor at America’s Test Kitchen. If this is all sounding a little daunting, fear not: meal planners are actually designed to *reduce* cooking-related anxieties-not contribute to them. “For example, a 25-pound notebook with unicorns on the cover would not be a good choice for me, as I would be unable and unwilling to carry it around with me,” he says. Next, Goodman says a meal planner should contain elements you’ll actually use. A shopping list is always a helpful addition.” “Essentially, you’re looking for a way to plan ahead in terms of what you plan to eat and what you need to follow through. “Meal planning, and therefore planners, should not be overly complicated,” Youdim says. Given that Americans chose to cook 82% of their meals at home during the pandemic with no signs of that trend slowing down, according to research group NPD, and cooking at home can save you upwards of 90% on restaurant dining, according to research conducted by Forbes, meal planners are a wise investment.

By having a pre-planned meal, you can rely on your decision-making from before you were under the influence of all those hungry hormones and brain signals.” “Your stomach is empty, your blood sugar is low, and your hypothalamus is telling you that those potato chips look so good. Paul Goodman, chief medical officer at Fresh N Lean. “Going into mealtime without a plan is dangerous business,” says Dr. Instead, you start spooning peanut butter into your mouth like it’s soup (we’ve all been there).

You know the feeling: you’ve come home from a long day and can’t be bothered to think about cooking a balanced meal. “Meal planners are a way to anticipate our busy lives and plan for healthy eating in a structured and actionable way.” Adrienne Youdim, an internist who specializes in medical weight loss and clinical nutrition, and author of Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss from the Inside Out. “Often, we have the best of intentions, but when life gets busy, we don’t follow through on those intentions,” says Dr. Instead of winging it - only to be ill-prepared - you may want to invest in a meal prep planner to help you plan your meals for the week, keep stock of groceries and specific ingredients you’ll need, and generally get you pumped about taking nutrition into your own hands. Your CNN account Log in to your CNN accountĪs restaurant dining, delivery and takeout take a backseat to home cooking, many of us are looking for ways to streamline our routines.

Meal planning life