Want To Create Your Own Meal Plan? Here's How:

Creating my own meal plan is something I absolutely love doing! Everything is suited to my needs and wants and the food I eat are actually enjoyable for me.

Meal plans are not universal. Each person is an individual and has different likes/ dislikes, lifestyles, nutrition goals, allergies/ intolerance, food history, schedules, jobs etc etc.

So here are the steps:

1. Figure out what foods you like and don’t like: There is no point eating something you hate

2. Define your goals: Do you want to lose weight, eat less processed foods, eat more food, eat more veggies, or drink less sugary drinks?

3. Figure out when you are hungry: Are you starving when you wake up or do you not get hungry till 11/12pm? Do you have monster cravings right after work? Do you like to eat late at night?

4. Write down your schedule: Grab a piece of paper and write down your schedule. When you work, workout, wake up, go to sleep, usually have your meals and snacks and other commitments. This can help you figure out when and how much time you have to eat or prepare meals.

5. Write out some meals you will have: Maybe you don’t have much time in the morning so you decide you will have smoothies. That means having ingredients ready to go. For example, frozen fruit, milk, yoghurt, sweeteners, protein powders etc.

Generally feeling sweet mid- morning at work? Maybe you’ll bring a cookie to satisfy you. Maybe you get home at 7 after the gym and this is when you are most hungry so you decide to have lots of carbs, veggies and protein. Before bed you might like and ice-cream. Of course, you can have the same meals every day for the whole week or change it up every second day. If you aren’t a kitchen whiz yet, maybe look up some new and easy recipes to try.

6. Make a shopping list: Make a shopping list of all the ingredients you need to make your meals. And then go shopping!

7. Schedule some time aside on your Sunday (or when you have a spare few hours) and make up your meals: Make sure you have containers and enough space in the fridge or freezer to store all your food.

8. Pack all your food away and clean up the kitchen!

You are now fully organised with your meals for the week! And the best part, you chose what you want to eat, when you want to eat it and how you want to eat it!

Can’t go wrong with that.