A Health Coach’s Formula For Making Clean Eating Easy Throughout The Week
Want to make a plan to eat clean and healthy throughout the week, but don’t know where to start? Check out this detailed breakdown to learn how to keep meals clean, healthy and flexible all week long.
As the saying goes, “fail to plan, and plan to fail.”
This could not be more true when it comes to healthy eating. Creating a routine for yourself around what you’re eating will help you be more mindful and consistent in your efforts to eat better on a regular basis.
In this article, I’m sharing a detailed breakdown at how I like to make healthy eating easy and accessible throughout the week.
Having a simple game plan, like the one I’m about to share, will help you make sure your fridge is always stocked with healthy food, make preparing healthy meals easier, allow you to enjoy cooking more and help you resist the temptation to eat out or order in all the time.
Planning
At the very top of the week, do your planning.
Examine what’s left in my fridge and pantry, remove anything that’s gone bad or become stale, and dream up what you’d like to make for the week ahead.
It’s on these days you should also think about what you want to make relative to what’s in season, how you feel, or the kind of week you’re about to have.
For example -
If you’re feeling run down, include immune-boosting foods in your shop and specific dishes or tonics in mind to make them with.
Or if you’re particularly busy one week, buy foods and plan meals that can prepared quickly or that you can take on the go.
If you’re feeling “snack-y”, stock up on things like fresh dates, grapes, berries, etc. to make sure you’ve got healthy sweet foods on-hand so you don’t reach for junk.
And think about “holes” in your diet that might need filling. For instance, if you haven’t eaten a lot of leafy greens one week, prioritize creating meals that include more of them them the next week.
The planning phase of the shop is less about knowing exactly what to make on what day, and more about having the right foods on hand for cravings and other physical needs.
Mindful eating starts before anything is even purchased, prepared or eaten.
Finally, it’s helpful to have go-to meal formulas. Knowing the kind of meals you usually make not only makes shopping easier, but meal ideas and prep too.
Here’s an example of meal formulas that are go-to’s in my house, and the ingredients I know I’ll need on hand to make them.
Tacos and Wraps
grain-free tortillas + beans or tempeh + raw or roasted vegetables + herbs and spices
Easy Grain Bowls and Salads
grain, grain alternative or lettuce + veggies + homemade sauce + tofu or tempeh + herbs and spices
Soups and Stews
vegetables + legumes + herbs and spices
Loaded Toasts
sourdough or sweet potato + spread + leafy greens or herbs
Keeping in mind the kind of meals you like to prepare during the week, helps you plan, shop and batch appropriately.
The Shop
Plan to shop for food 2–3 days a week.
The first shop is the big one, where you’ll buy most of what you need.
The second shop should be a few days later — typically the midpoint of the week. Here you’ll top up on things you’ve run out of or couldn’t get your hands on during the first shop.
If you’re eating in a ton (which is always the goal, isn’t it) a third shop might be necessary to re-fill the staples.
All of this said, try to minimize trips to the grocer throughout the week — especially if it’s just to pick up an item or two.
Why? The best dishes are almost always a result of feeling like you’ve got nothing left to cook with! It’s in these moments that you’re forced to work with what you’ve got, get out of your comfort zone and try new things. It’s also more economical and results in less waste, which is always a good thing.
Preparing and Batch Cooking
How, when and how often you prepare or batch cook food is obviously very personal, in that our routines surrounding food prep reflect our unique schedules, circumstances and preferences.
So I’m not going to tell you exactly what I do or what you should do, because that wouldn’t be helpful.
Instead, I’m going to share the habits you should adhere to throughout the week when it comes to batching and preparing foods — to make things more efficient and life easier.
Pick 5–7 vegetables, and 3–5 fruits. Each week, choose a handful of vegetables and fruits, always seasonal, to cook with or snack on. Be selective each week about what you bring home. In my experience, too much variety and choice leads to a lot of indecision in meal planning (and in life!)
Wash, cut and store produce. Washing lettuces and leafy greens, chopping certain fruits and vegetables and storing them for easy access sets the stage for the week. It allows you to see what you’ve got on-hand, reduces the prep time, and will motivate you to create clean dishes.
Embrace repetition. While some enjoy a lot of variety in their meals throughout the week, embrace repetition. Not only does eating the same few handful of meals at lunch and dinner throughout the week help streamline the process of food prep, but it’s also ideal for digestive purposes since the body is not constantly having to recognize and process too many different foods.
Cook once, eat twice. When making dinner, aim to double the amount so there’s leftovers for the next day. Plan to make double what you would normally make for dinner so you have leftovers for lunch (adults as well as kids) and/or another dinner. You also have the option to freeze some of the leftovers to use the following week if you prefer.
Make grains (or a grain-alternative) ahead of time. Make a big batch of one type of grain at a time, use a bit of it while it’s fresh, then refrigerate the rest. Use the excess over the next few days for quick and easy lunches (a spoonful or two on top of salad, paired with cooked veggies, etc.). They will keep for 3–4 days in the fridge, so you can do this twice a week.
Batch a sauce, dressing or marinade. Make 1–2 sauces or dressings (one every few days) every week, that you can pair with any type of bowl, wrap, salad, etc.
Whip up a soup or stew. Batch a soup or stew once a week. These make for easy lunches a few days a week. On particularly busy days, you can have it for lunch and dinner, if necessary.
DIY snacks. Homemade snacks like energy balls or stuffed dates are clean, filling, and are loaded with nutritional benefits. They’ll keep you fuller longer than store-bought and are also way better for you. You can make them in batches to store in the fridge and nibble on throughout the week.
Committing to this process of planning, shopping, prepping and batching throughout the week not only keeps your and your family organized, but you’ll become a lot more intentional and consistent about healthy eating, too. This way of doing this puts your health first at every meal, saves tons of mental energy, and over time will make you a better shopper, batch cooker and help you find a healthy groove.
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