So, remember how I was talking about planning ahead and being prepared?
A huge part of that comes from planning your weekly menu. Have you done this?
I used to walk through the grocery aisles and piece together meals that sounded good to me... until I realized (whilst checking out with tons of food that I absolutely didn't need) that was so NOT the way to go.
And then, when I was learning to eat healthy, I'd write down exactly what we'd be eating for breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and a possible evening snack. But eventually, I realized my control issues, and that became a pain in my backside... so I came up with a generic menu that I can rotate and change as needed.
It's all about flexibility, folks.
The bare bones of the menu are the same. For instance, I know in any given week, we will have chicken, spinach, Brussels Sprouts, asparagus, apples, and tons more, but you get the idea. We try to mix it up, but the core of the menu doesn't change enough to require tremendous planning. This allows for easier shopping trips, and gives room for when things come up and you can't cook that five course meal you had planned.
That being said, last week when my mom went in to the hospital, I had not completed my menu planning and had only purchased parts of meals. I was frustrated when I came home and had to plan and prepare meals, and attempted to balance a level of cleanliness (which didn't actually happen) with caring for my family, and cooking. We didn't totally junk out last week, but the meals weren't what I normally would have prepared, so everyone in the house was cranky and exhausted... and hungry.
So when I went to the store this week, I had a full menu in mind. I left no room for "what if"s in the menu. I planned so that no matter what happened this week, we'd be prepared and my husband (who loves to cook) could select something from our menu and prepare it in my absence (if need be).
So that's my tip for today: Plan your menu.
Plan for quick and easy, or plan for meals that take more time if you'd like (and if you know you have the time to spare). The key is to plan ahead BEFORE you get to the store, and pick up foods that will nourish and build you up rather than deplete your nutrient supply.
We'll file this one under lessons learned... the hard way.
That's it for now. I'm off to sleep.
But check back soon, for more from
The Fat Girl
Slim.
A huge part of that comes from planning your weekly menu. Have you done this?
I used to walk through the grocery aisles and piece together meals that sounded good to me... until I realized (whilst checking out with tons of food that I absolutely didn't need) that was so NOT the way to go.
And then, when I was learning to eat healthy, I'd write down exactly what we'd be eating for breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and a possible evening snack. But eventually, I realized my control issues, and that became a pain in my backside... so I came up with a generic menu that I can rotate and change as needed.
It's all about flexibility, folks.
The bare bones of the menu are the same. For instance, I know in any given week, we will have chicken, spinach, Brussels Sprouts, asparagus, apples, and tons more, but you get the idea. We try to mix it up, but the core of the menu doesn't change enough to require tremendous planning. This allows for easier shopping trips, and gives room for when things come up and you can't cook that five course meal you had planned.
That being said, last week when my mom went in to the hospital, I had not completed my menu planning and had only purchased parts of meals. I was frustrated when I came home and had to plan and prepare meals, and attempted to balance a level of cleanliness (which didn't actually happen) with caring for my family, and cooking. We didn't totally junk out last week, but the meals weren't what I normally would have prepared, so everyone in the house was cranky and exhausted... and hungry.
So when I went to the store this week, I had a full menu in mind. I left no room for "what if"s in the menu. I planned so that no matter what happened this week, we'd be prepared and my husband (who loves to cook) could select something from our menu and prepare it in my absence (if need be).
So that's my tip for today: Plan your menu.
Plan for quick and easy, or plan for meals that take more time if you'd like (and if you know you have the time to spare). The key is to plan ahead BEFORE you get to the store, and pick up foods that will nourish and build you up rather than deplete your nutrient supply.
We'll file this one under lessons learned... the hard way.
That's it for now. I'm off to sleep.
But check back soon, for more from
The Fat Girl
Slim.
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