Meal planning

[hhindley]

Hello all, I'm wondering if meal planning weekly will help aid in weight loss. And if so, I'm not sure where to begin as far as healthy choices. I know whole wheat and grains, but does anyone have any suggestions?
Thank you,
Hannah

[CSL-Bailey]

Hey Hannah!
Planning your healthy meals ahead of time will absolutely help to keep you on track. I plan my meals and THEN go grocery shopping for the week, being sure to stick to my grocery list.

I feel like I eat pretty healthfully - and I eat a lot of veggies and fruits (veggies with every meal and fruit as my between-meal snacks). Whole grain bread and whole grain pasta have both replaced white bread/white pasta in my life. I also eat chicken, turkey and fish much more often than I eat beef or pork. And when I do eat chicken/turkey, I go for the lean stuff!

Another thing is that I rarely drink something that isn't water (my morning coffee is the exception!). Water is my go-to beverage of choice, so that helps to cut out calories that I otherwise might be drinking (in soda, juice, alcohol etc).

Some of my staple weekly meals:
- tacos with lean ground turkey instead of beef
- wheat pasta with sauce (I chop up a lot of different veggies and add them to my sauces)
- fish with lots of steamed broccoli
- "big salad" - basically a salad with a little of everything that I've got: hard-boiled eggs, avocados, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, onions.... mmm!

A standard lunch for me is a turkey sandwich on wheat bread, with baby spinach, sliced avocado, some basil leaves, white onions and a little mayo. Super tasty!

I hope this helps you with some ideas for healthy eating! Check out the Expert Blogs section for more tips from our experts (you can find them under EXPERTS up there ^^ in our top navigation). You should also browse through our Recipes for ideas, as well as peruse the "Diet" section of our Tips (Tips can be found under MORE ^^).

Hope to hear much more from you!

All the best,
CSL-Bailey

[hello sunshine]

Absolutely! Meal planning can help you lose some weight. Well you see if you practice eating moderation planning a healthy meal comes along with it along with counting calories, measuring portions and learning about your nutritional needs. As far as I know its healthy to eat chicken and fish instead of pork but in moderation though. Remember, you must burn or use more calories than you eat in order to lose weight.