It’s that time of the week again; time to plan for the week ahead. Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean you get to forget about your diet. Check out my 12 Days of Nutrition to keep things simple and to stay on track-ish. I’m not here to scold you for eating cookies, heck, EAT THEM. But I’m here to hopefully help you prioritize your food & health all through the holiday season and beyond. Diets don’t start on Mondays or the 1^stof the year, they just are what you eat on the regular.

To Meal Plan or Not?

There is a lot of hubbub in the nutrition space about meal planning. Some think that Dietitians/Nutritionists should meal plan for clients, some think that’s absurd and think we shouldn’t. I never quite understood why it was such a debate as both are right. For SOME clients we should help them meal plan, for others, we should help THEM meal plan. Most people would actually benefit from a meal kit being delivered to them but it’s rarely considered. Plus sites like MyFoodSubscriptions have got coupons for Blue Apron so it will not only save your client time but also money anyway! Fair enough if the client has extreme dietary restrictions but if they don’t, it’s always worth consideration.

The difference you ask? 

Everyone could use help meal planning, it’s just a matter if they need the plan made for them or if they need help making the plan for themselves. Neither is right or wrong, it’s what’s right for the individual. Believe me, I ‘ve worked with enough clients to know that some respond well to a premade plan and others don’t. 

So while some professionals will disagree, I think that dietitians & nutritionists should be at the forefront of meal planning. It is then up to OUR professional judgment to decide what is best for the client. There is no perfect diet and no perfect approach, however, there is a better diet or a better approach for each client. 

That all being said, sometimes I meal plan for clients and I see nothing wrong with it as long as they are seeing results and communicating with me, the professional. I also enjoy the process of meal planning so for me it’s a fun part of what I can offer in my practice, and if you hate meal planning, then you definitely shouldn’t offer it as it will feel like a chore, not a fun puzzle. 

A note about this meal plan: 

This is NOT a one size fits all, this is purely an example and is tailored to no one in specific, it is just a sample to show you what meal planning can look like. I highly recommend working with a professional to create a meal plan that works for you, your health status, and your goals

Meal Plan

When I’m planning meals for the week, I’m generally looking for the following:

• 2-3 Dinners with at least 1 being SUPER easy
• 1-2 Breakfasts that can be made ahead of time
• 2+ Lunches (some being leftovers)
• Grab & Go snack options

Here’s what a sample week can look like:

Recipes + Macros/Micros

Disclaimer: I don’t give every client a macro/micro breakdown of their diet, it’s on a per client basis. I prefer to focus on recipes and quality of food. 

Shopping List

I HIGHLY recommend making a shopping list (and checking it twice) otherwise be prepared to be swayed by all of the in store marketing. I also encourage clients to not be SET on foods like fruits & vegetables, nuts/seeds, spices, oils, etc. You can easily swap these items for similar items without much change to your overall meal plan. Be flexible but not unprepared. 

Remember this is purely a sample to show you how meal planning works. There is no perfect meal planmicro–breakdownBUT if you plan, you will probably feel so much better about the week ahead, I speak from experience! 

Download the free sample meal plan here!

Have you ever meal planned for yourself?! 

If you need help, I can help! Want to do it on your own? Try a planner like this to get started. 

xoxo,

Sassy