And none of them have a thing to do with weight loss!

When we hear the phrase ‘meal planning’ a lot of us immediately think of fad diets right? I can see why. After all these years of calorie counting for weight loss being pushed in our faces and of PT’s handing out unrealistic, calorie-deficit diets, the jump from ‘meal plan’ to ‘restrictive eating’ is all too easy to make. 

I believe meal planning has gotten a bad wrap because of this and I’m here to defend it. Learning to plan your meals is a very useful skill and will become just one more tool that you can use to achieve whatever ‘diet’ is best for you. Not to be confused with ‘dieting’, meal planning is the act of mindfully selecting your foods and scheduling your meals according to your needs. Below are some ways this practice can help you- and they have nothing to do with weight loss!

1. Expand Your Variety  

Meal planning gives you the opportunity to reflect (without judgement) on the foods you consume. You may find that you are in a rut of eating the same foods week to week, or even day to day. Where’s the fun in that?! Planning your meals in advance allows you to add new, delicious recipes and foods that you might not have considered. 

Need a little inspiration? When I’m planning my meals for the week I like to peruse recipe books or websites and try to add in at least one recipe I haven’t tried before. Websites like BBC GoodFood or Taste are good places to start and have easily searchable recipe collections. 

2. Avoid The Dinner Dash

We’ve all been there. After a massive day at work, we pick up the kids and suddenly think ‘what on earth am I going to cook for dinner?!’ For me when this happens, dinner ends up being take-away. Or I’ll make a last-minute dash to the supermarket, buy ingredients just for that night, run home to cook and by the time we end up eating we’re all stressed, hungry and tired. Not only do I not enjoy my meal, I spend more money and end up eating less nutrient dense foods- especially if I’ve gone for a pizza. By planning out my meals for the week, I can make sure that on those really busy days I’ve got some left-overs ready to go from the night before and I can take more control over what myself and my family are eating. 

3. Never Go Hungry

This kind of ties in with the last point, but when you meal plan, you plan for leftovers or snacks. This means that there is always something in the fridge for those 4pm munchies or for the next day’s lunch boxes. 

Related article: Seven nutritious weeknight meals that are great for tomorrow's lunch box! 

4. Feel Organised

No matter how you spin it, life is hectic and with so much going on we can all benefit from a little organisation. Taking time out to plan your meals for the week means there is one less thing you have to think about during the day. This really takes the pressure off!

And heck, if you like the freedom of eating out spontaneously you can still meal plan, just leave out a day or two. Remember, Monday's dinner does not have to always be cooked on Monday (unless it’s fish, maybe put that boy in the freezer). 

5. Manage allergies or intolerances 

It can be hard to organise foods and meals around certain intolerances and allergies, especially if it is a new thing. Choosing recipes that meet your dietary requirements and putting them into a meal plan can help you feel more on top of your meals and reduce cravings for particular items you may be experiencing reactions to.