Try These Tools to Make Meal Planning Simple
May 10, 2016
If you’re trying to lose weight, get fit, bulk up, or even just feed your busy family in a healthy way, it’s a great idea to get in the practice of planning your meals for the week.
With meal planning you can avoid making poor choices when you’re hungry. It’s easier to get the nutrients you need, too. These resources make it simple to master the plan!
From finding the right ingredients to meet your nutritional goals, to discovering new recipes to prepare for your family, planning a week’s worth of meals can help you save time and money while you’re minding your health and reshaping your body.
We have a few different resources for you to consider that not only streamline meal planning, but can also help you with grocery lists and special dietary selections.
Say Mmm
Whether you’re looking for home cooked meals with kid-friendly selections, Paleo, low-carb or gluten-free meals, Say Mmm gives you the chance to search or browse through thousands of recipes by keyword, category, ingredients, and more. This DIY approach is a great choice when you want to take full control of your meals and your diet.
There are several excellent features included when you sign up, such as a meal planning calendar available in weekly or monthly views, and a grocery list you can send to your smart phone. You’ll also have the chance to save and store recipes on the site, so you can recreate meal plans in the future.
The program: Say Mmm is a free service. You can quickly learn to use all the recipe, meal planning and shopping features of the application online, and also integrate use with your phone. Learn more on the Say mmm website.
The Fresh 20
The focus here is on clean eating—local, fresh food, organic where possible, all prepared by hand. If it sounds like too much effort, think again. The Fresh 20 offers a one hour prep work plan that you use each week to make the actual meal preparation fast and easy.
The “20” in the name is in reference to both the number of ingredients that form the main part of your grocery list of the week, as well as the typical amount of time it should take for you to prepare each meal. You can choose from several types of meal plans, ranging from vegetarian, to meals for one, to kosher, and beyond.
The program: You can buy a one-month subscription for $10, or a full year for $65. The meal plans for the week are posted each Friday – it’s members-only access to view them. You’ll also receive grocery lists focused on the 20 fresh ingredients you’ll be working with. Learn more on the Fresh 20 website.
Bulk Bites
With Bulk Bites, the question is, “Do you want to get really big?” If you’re strength training, you can benefit from this focus on your particular goals. Bulk Bites offers to help you tailor your eating plan for the times you’re bulking up and times you’re cutting.
As an added bonus, this service helps you find out what your body needs per your goals. Calorie ranges go from as little as 1300 up to 3700 per day, depending on your size and needs. You’ll have tens of thousands of recipes at your fingertips as well.
The Program: You can sign up for the basic plan, free. Premium plans are available for either $7 a month or $60 per year. Both recipes and grocery lists are included. With the mobile app, you can have your shopping lists at hand while you’re at the grocery store, too. Learn more on the Bulk Bites website.
ActivTrax
Paying extra for meal plans may not interest you…and it doesn’t have to! Most XSport members have access to ActivTrax included in their memberships, an online workout, nutrition and meal planning program.
Calorie tracking and reports can help you stay on course. Plus, you can track your activity to know how many calories you’ve burned. The database includes thousands of foods and a grocery list generator will make it easy to shop for the planned meals.
The Program: As an XSport member, you can login from www.XSportFitness.com. Choose the Personal Training dropdown from the menu bar at the top of the homepage and click “ACTIVTRAX.”