Why I Don’t Like Meal Plans.
I can’t tell you how many times I've been asked for a meal plan by my clients. And if you're someone who’s asked before, this is in no way meant to shame you.
Instead, I want to show you a better way!
First, meal plans are very restrictive. They don’t give you freedom to choose what you feel like eating in that moment. Our taste and schedule changes day to day and being told what to eat and when to eat sometimes is just not reasonable. Also, to make a good meal plan you would have to truly know all the foods your client likes and dislikes, their resources, and their schedule.
Second, they don’t teach you how to make healthy choices on your own. If for some reason you are not able to follow your meal plan for that day, most people might throw in the towel and have a free for fall because they just don’t know what to eat.
Don’t get me wrong, meal plans aren’t all bad and sometimes they are necessary. What I do like about them is that they give you great meal ideas and for beginners eating healthy can be overwhelming and sometimes being told exactly what to eat, makes it easier.
So, what’s better than meal plans? Learning how to create healthy meals that keep you full and are packed with nutrition. This simple formula allows you to choose foods you like, that are available to you and you can follow it in practically any situation:
1. Pick a protein. I always recommend including a protein at every meal. It’s filling, helps stabilize blood sugars, and great for weight maintenance (if that’s your thing). Doesn’t matter if it is plant or animal based, just choose what you like. If it is animal based, try to go for lean cuts of meat, trim off any excess fat, remove the skin and bake or grill instead of frying.
2. Choose your carb. First choice would be complex carbs. They are less processed, nicer to your blood sugars, and have more fiber to fill you up. But you can choose whatever carb you like as long as you keep it in the right proportions. Since this is a guide for the GENERAL public, it’s hard to give specific measurements. But a safe recommendation is keeping it to about a quarter of your plate. We all know everyone’s different. If you know you have a very active lifestyle then you can get away with a little more, but for a general recommendation I’m gonna stick to a quarter plate.
3. Fill up with non-starchy veggies. Have as much as you want, but at a minimum go for half your plate. With less carbs, adding more veggies will help to keep you satiated and it’s also packed with lots of vitamins and minerals. I cannot say this enough, please choose veggies you actually like! Forcing yourself to eat foods you don’t like means its not maintainable and we definitely do not want that. The more colorful the more vitamins and minerals the veggie contains and keep it colorful to make sure you’re getting a variety of nutrients.
4. Add in a sprinkle of healthy fats. This part can be kind of tricky. If you’re cooking with fats then that will probably be your serving for the meal. But if you didn’t then you can add in a healthy fat source, either way keep it to about a tablespoon portion.
