How to Plan Healthy Meals for the Week

Recipes, Tips, and Pre-Plan Meal Ideas

By Malia Frey
Updated December 11, 2018

Are you in charge of planning meals for the week? Need meal prep ideas so that dinner time is less hectic? Or do you need breakfast tips and ideas to make your mornings less stressful? You can learn to prepare healthy meals for the week with less hassle by following a few steps.

Use Pre-Planned Meals for the Week

  1. The first step is meal planning. Set aside at least a half day when you can plan what you want to eat for the week. Having a weekly meal plan is essential for healthy weight loss and nutritious eating. This planning stage gets much easier once you get the hang of it, but schedule a half day in the beginning.
  2. Step two is shopping. Try to grocery shop when you're not too busy so that you can take the time to read nutritional labels and make smart choices. If you can, leave the kids at home so those high-calorie treats and sugary cereals stay on store shelves. Always prepare a shopping list before you go and buy only the items on the list. Not only will you eat healthier by following your plan, but you'll save money, too.
  3. Step three is meal prep. By preparing ingredients for meals or full meals in advance you decrease stress and hassle during the week. Use the meal prep ideas listed below. Or take the weekly meal plan and chop, measure, pre-cook, and package as many ingredients as possible so that healthy diet-friendly meals are the easiest choice when you're hungry and short on time.

Once you get the hang of this system, the whole program gets easier. Use these weekly meal plans, 1,200 calorie diet plans, 1,800 meal programs, and other tips to guide your process. 

Prep Meals for the Week in Advance

Preparing a fresh treat
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If you have an hour, then you have time to plan healthy meals for the week. You'll pre-cook them and then freeze them so they are ready to eat when you're hungry. Use this step-by-step guide to gather the ingredients, cook each food, assemble meal packages, store the containers and reheat your yummy diet-friendly dinner.

7-Day Meal Plans

If you want to lose weight faster, then you'll learn to plan meals in advance. That way you're never making food choices when you're starving and too tired to cook. 

Whether you are following a 1,200 calorie per day diet, a 1,500 calorie per day diet or an 1,800 calorie per day, you'll find a plan to follow here.

Then use the downloadable schedules to track your meals for the week so that you reach your goal weight and keep the pounds off for good.

Use Tech Tools to Plan Weekly Meals

Do you own a Fitbit or another brand of fitness tracker? Perhaps you use MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, or another food tracking system. Some people use a fitness tracker app to check their diet after they eat.

But you can also use it in advance to plan healthy meals for the week. Use these tips to learn how to get more out of your activity monitor for better health and weight loss.

Pre-Planned Breakfast Meals

Plan a week's worth of healthy breakfasts with this step-by-step guide. Then say goodbye to morning stress and say hello to hassle-free, healthy eating. This yummy breakfast is less than 300 calories and is packed with protein and fiber. 

Breakfast Recipes and Tips

You should eat a healthy breakfast to boost your energy and lose weight. Use these time-saving breakfast tips and healthy breakfast recipes designed specifically for weight loss.

The breakfast foods are quick and easy to prepare, low in calories and packed with protein and fiber so you stay full and satisfied all morning.

Lunch Ideas and Recipes

Learn how to make a healthy sandwich, a diet-friendly salad and even how to order healthy fast food meals for lunch. Use this list as a guide to plan your lunchtime meals for the whole week.

Need more ideas? Check out different healthy cuisine ideas and nutritious lunch ideas.

Dinner Meals for the Week

Need more dinner ideas? This complete guide will help you plan meals for the week with more variety. There are recipes and tips for creating Italian meals, Mexican meals and a wide variety of diet-friendly dinners.

Healthy Snacks for the Week

Planning healthy meals is important but planning healthy snacks is essential as well if you want to lose weight. These are the snacks you should keep in your fridge to curb your hunger and stay healthy and trim. 

Healthy Grocery Shopping List

You can't plan healthy meals or even eat healthy meals if you don't have healthy ingredients in your house. Scan this quick guide to make sure you're using the best healthy foods and tips when you shop for weight loss foods.

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