With the New Year still fresh on our minds, I thought I’d talk about something that many people are inclined to do. Sign up for a meal plan. When working towards a specific goal, like losing X amount of pounds, or building X amount of muscle, both strategy and execution are key. One trap that many people fall into with their diet is doing everyone on the fly without any thought. They just do what they think they should be doing. At best, they go by whatever random person says on social media. Ever notice that gyms tend to fill up like a balloon the first month after New Year, only to quickly go down in population soon after? That’s because most people couldn’t sustain the habit of working out for too long. The same can be said with diet. Not only that, making a haphazard attempt at cleaning up your diet is a recipe for disaster. How long can you sustain it, no less plan it out day by day?
That’s where meal plans come in.
Here are some of the reasons why a well-thought-out meal plan can help you on the path towards your goals:

#1: Consistency
Remember what I mentioned before about sustaining a habit? A meal plan is something that can help to instill the habit of eating to support your goal(s). Length-wise, a meal plan can last anywhere as long as a week to a few months. The longer it goes, the better. Why? Because it gives you plenty of time to adjust to and make the habit of eating right. You’re consistently consuming the right quality and quantity of foods your body needs. Once the plan is over, you ideally will have picked up the skill (or habit) of consistently eating healthy and correctly for your body and goals.

#2: Structure
You know what’s challenging? Figuring out your diet! What foods to eat, when to eat them, how much you should be eating. A meal plan takes the guesswork out of programming your daily food intake. That way, there’s no scratching your head or spending time on your own. Not only that, the meal plan will have been carefully laid out from someone with the experience to do so. You wouldn’t want your mother planning it out, or your best friend (not unless they were a dietitian or nutritionist). By following a meal plan, there’s no mystery to be solved. So rest assured that it was made with much consideration!

#3: Success
Ever heard the phrase, Failing to plan is planning to fail? Just like I said before, a meal plan eliminates the guesswork from setting up your diet. Your shopping lists, meals, and snacks have already been cared for. All you need to do is show up and put in the effort. If it’s the weekend and you know that you’re bound to go off the rails with your food, then having a meal plan that’s already determined your intake for the day is definitely going to help. I know that some meal plans don’t include the weekends, or vaguely allude to having a “cheat day”. But a well-thought-out one keeps you on course in order to ensure that you’re sticking towards your goal(s).

#4: Cutting Back On Waste
Another problem that comes from improvising your meals without any sort of structure or planning is food waste. Many people wind up having to throw away good produce and leftovers because they were buying more food than they actually needed. On a meal plan, most, if not all, of the foods and leftovers are consumed. (If you do find yourself stuck with leftovers, read my post here https://zuzkalight.com/nutrition/what-to-do-with-leftovers/ for some creative ways to save them!)

#5: Saving Money
Not only do people buy more food than they need, but they’re also prone to spending more, too. If you thought cooking at home was expensive, consider this. How many times are you eating out at restaurants and fast-food joints? What about those trips to Starbucks? Or a smoothie place? Think about it- it all adds up. Sure, you could order off of the dollar menu most of the time, but what do you think that type of food is doing to your body? And how is it supporting your goals? There’s a quote by Lee Swanson that comes to mind-
“If you think the pursuit of good health is expensive and time-consuming, try illness.”
A proper meal plan helps you to budget out food while at the same time investing in your health. You’ll be following a list, and not making any frivolous splurges. Instead of spending your hard-earned money on fast foods or weight loss gimmicks, why not put it towards quality foods? Sure, you might think it’s expensive, but compare it to how much you spend outside eating out or paying for doctor’s visits and prescriptions.

If you’re ready to get on board with a meal plan, I’ve got news for you- I offer some here on my website. Yes, I admit I’m plugging my own content here, but I think that these benefits are enough to show the pros of having a reliable, pre-planned menu set for you every day. Does it mean you really have to follow mine? Well, I recommend that you do, since I personally follow them and have dedicated much of my time researching them and setting them up (which is no easy feat). I also believe that beginners will especially benefit from them, since they’ll be avoiding many of the traps and pitfalls that come from a lack of experience and know-how when it comes to proper diet. If you’re looking for an excellent way to kick off the New Year, then please consider trying one of my meal plans here.
For everyone else, let me know how following a meal plan has helped you, or what you think most of them are missing. I do plan on releasing more in the feature, and your feedback will definitely help me to make sure I’m helping you achieve your goals in the best way possible!