Self Improvement Articles

How to Plan Meals and Snacks

As a baby boomer, you have to constantly be watching your health, making sure that the food you bring into your body is prolonging your life, not shortening it. However, even though many of us plan to eat healthy, we don’t always follow through on those plans. Perhaps because we are in a rush, we stop by a drive thru or a convenience store for less than healthy food. We pack on the pounds because of this, and this can cause health problems. To combat weight gain in our busy lives, we have to make a meal schedule.

Meal planning is easy, but it takes a bit of time to do. Many people don’t go through with it because it seems boring or daunting at first, but when you do it, you will be glad you did. Before you get to planning, the first thing you need to do is look at your budget, and see how your new meal plan can fit into it. There are also plenty of options to save on your grocery shopping. Make sure that the things that you put on your meal plans are written by you, so that you will not have any dislikes in your plan. Sweet potatoes may be healthy, but if you don’t like them, then it doesn’t make sense to have them in your plan.

The first thing to do is grab a pen and pencil, or your tablet, and in your notepad or notes section, write the days of the week on the left side. Then, at the top, place breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. On another page, scribble down some vague descriptions of what you want to eat during the week. Remember, it has to be healthy and home-cooked, so Burger King doesn’t count. If you like sub sandwiches, jot that down. If you like apples and peanut butter, jot that down. Have all the things you’ve eaten over the past week there too, and take out the unhealthy ones. After you have done this, it is now time to start making your meal plan.

Start by going online or downloading recipe apps to see what foods you can eat. For breakfast, if you’ve jotted down that you like pancakes, then look up some healthy pancake recipes, and write that down under the days you would like to eat it. On a separate piece of paper, ensure that you write down a list of all the things you will need to make this recipe. Some great places to look for recipes are Food Network, All Recipes, Yummly and Pinterest. Be adventurous and try new healthy things. These sites and apps will usually show nutritional facts for these meals.

Once you have filled out all the breakfast boxes for the week, you can then move on to lunch, dinner and your snacks. If you need a day to cheat, then don’t leave it up to you to decide on the day. Decide on a day from now and write it on the calendar, and stick to that day every week. Cheat days are best done on the weekends, especially Fridays. Once you’re done, it is time to shop. You will realize that by doing this, you save money and you live a healthier life at the same time.

Remember to Eat Your Whole Grains, Fruits and Vegetables

You could do all the exercises in the world, but if you are not eating healthy, you are still living an unhealthy lifestyle. An unhealthy lifestyle results in health complications later on, which could prove fatal. Of course, as humans we have no foolproof method of defeating or even delaying the inevitable, but with a healthy diet, there is a greater chance of longevity than if you are not eating healthy at all.

Whole grains come from the grain seed of plants, and in order for them to be fit for consumption, they are crushed, cracked and processed. There are various types of grains, some you have already added to your diet. These include barley, wheat, quinoa, oats, millet, corn, rice, rye and buckwheat. These grains are often times processed into other foods we eat on a daily basis, some of them junk. Wheat for instance is the most widely consumed grain, as it makes up bread, pastries, pasta, cereals, etc. Do not think that you are getting your healthy dose of whole grains by eating a donut. Wheat is often processed to remove the germ and the bran, which gives us the white flour that we use everywhere. It is one of the most versatile foods, but it is also one of the unhealthiest as well. Ensure that if you bake, buy whole wheat flour. It is harder to bake and cook with, but it is indeed healthier. When buying bread, buy whole wheat instead. Whole grain has plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps to flush out your bowels and arteries of toxins. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in women, and the third most common in men. Whole grains also have essential fatty acids, which you need for a healthy brain. Recommended intake is two to three servings a day.

Another place to get your fiber is from your fruits and vegetables. Remember you need even more fiber as you age, as constipation is a common health condition in the senior population. Fruits and vegetables not only have fiber, but they also have vitamins and minerals which help maintain your body’s core functions. People who eat more of these foods have a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, and even cancer. Fruits are rich in vitamins A and C, which are important in keeping your blood pressure down, and having healthy skin and eyesight. You can find vitamin A in your vegetables and fruits with red and orange skin such as carrots, pumpkins, red pepper, oranges, mangos, apricots, grapefruit, tangerines, and tomatoes. You can also get them from green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, collard greens and spinach. Vitamin C can be obtained from basically all citrus fruits like your oranges and grapefruits, and other juicy fruits such as kiwi, cantaloupe, guava and cantaloupe. Vitamin C can also be found in your green leafy vegetables and roots and tubers, like potatoes.

There are minerals as well which you will need in your diet. They should only be taken in small amounts but they are important for blood pressure, nerve and brain health, muscle health, etc. One important mineral is potassium, which helps regulate nerve and muscle action.