Meal planning can be an effective strategy for reducing food waste, staying on budget and eating healthier. People use meal plans for various purposes including weight loss, dietary restrictions or performance goals according to registered dietitian Alix Turoff.

Begin by taking inventory of what’s already in your pantry and refrigerator and planning meals around them. If any ingredients need purchasing, look for sales, as they could expire soon otherwise.

Getting Started

Meal planning can be an essential and useful way to eat healthier while saving both money and time, and decreasing food waste. It’s particularly helpful for solo cooks.

First step to selecting meals and snacks for the week ahead. Check what ingredients you already have available such as veggies, fruit, beans, grains and lean proteins.

Utilize a meal planner app or notebook to craft your weekly menu, logging recipes you plan to prepare and adjusting the serving sizes to meet your needs. This will also enable you to compile a grocery list that contains all of the ingredients for every meal; shopping this way reduces food waste while cutting back on extra trips during the week, says Turoff; it will also keep costs within budget! A meal plan can also ensure you receive adequate nutritional variety throughout your day!

Finding Recipes

Many meal planning apps exist, including Paprika which provides an user-friendly organization system and allows people to add their own recipes. People can save favorite recipes and build grocery lists. Furthermore, it features an ingredient price display so people can see their total cost before purchasing anything and a pantry function which allows people to keep an inventory of what’s already in their cupboard – thus helping avoid unnecessarily unnecessary purchases.

Meal planning for one can differ significantly from planning for a family in that you only need to accommodate for your own tastes and dietary restrictions. Start by selecting meals you enjoy that are simple to prepare; create a calendar to help guide your planning – plug in nights you plan on going out or have regular activities like sports practice; fill in any remaining slots with quick, simple meals that you can prepare quickly throughout the week.

Meal Prep

Meal prep can make the difference between success and failure in terms of weight loss or maintenance. Meal prepping involves making the process of counting calories and macros more manageable by prepping meals that can quickly and easily be prepared in advance.

Prep time savers include soups and casseroles that reheat well as well as washing, peeling and chopping vegetables ahead of time for faster daily cooking time. It can also save time if you batch cook protein-heavy foods such as chicken or fish so it can be enjoyed throughout the week for lunches, dinners and snacks!

Once you’ve collected your recipes and grocery list, select the day that works best to complete meal prep. Set aside enough time for cooking and preparation; this will prevent overprepping as well as food waste.

Shopping

Meal planning for one person begins by going grocery shopping, as failure to do so could mean spending too much or making too little food over a given week.

Before heading out to the store, first make a list of ingredients you already have stored away and any you will need for your planned meals. A written meal plan can be the most efficient way to stay on track of what you need to purchase.

Be sure to peruse grocery store ads regularly for sales and coupons that could save money when it comes to meat and produce purchases, which can often be quite pricey. Stock up when these items go on sale so they’ll last you throughout the month.