Healthy Meal Plan

Nutrition is important, particularly for athletic individuals. If you regularly engage in athletic or sports activities, it is essential that you know how to come up with a diet or a meal plan which would provide you with the nutrients that you need and would allow you to perform at your best.

Wouldn't you feel great if you had healthy and delicious meals throughout the day, every day of the week? Of course, you would, but for most of us preparing healthy meals seems too difficult, time-consuming, and intimidating. Well, the secret to having a healthy meal plan on hand anytime and every time is planning and having healthy food staples.

So, here are some helpful tips that you could consider if you are serious about making healthy lifestyle changes in your diet and your life.

Healthy Meal Planning: Groceries

Purchasing healthy foods takes not more time or effort than buying pre-packaged, processed, unhealthy foods, and while some healthy foods may require cooking and preparation time, aren't you worth it? When you shop at the supermarket or receive your grocery delivery, you want to see a rainbow of colors in your produce, a variety of whole grains, and lean, healthy proteins. If you find that because of your schedule fresh fruits and vegetables go bad purchase frozen or canned. And as always, be aware of portion sizes. Eating healthier is not a green light to overeat.

Healthy Meal Planning: Staples

In order to able to toss together a quick, healthy meal anytime, you must have essential staples on hand. First are the fresh groceries that you have already stocked your refrigerator with, second are the staples that you should have in your pantry or cabinets. Some essential pantry staples are:

Canned fish and vegetables- Canned fishes like salmon and tuna provide omega-3 fatty acids and add a protein punch to sandwiches, salads, and pasta. Canned and marinated vegetables like canned tomatoes, pumpkin and marinated mushrooms and artichokes help transform an ordinary grain, soup, or sauce into a more flavorful, exciting meal, plus they're chock-full of nutrients.

Whole Grains - Experiment with different grains like barley, bulgur wheat, quinoa, millet, and brown rice, which is also available in long and short grain, and basmati. Whole wheat and quinoa pasta are great for a quick, healthy and filling dinner. Mix things up and use assorted shapes and sizes of pasta with a varied combination of vegetables and lean proteins.

Healthy Meal Planning: Cooking

You can enjoy healthy meals every day without having to cook every day, really, once again planning is key. One day a week, whichever day your schedule allows, prepare enough grains/carbohydrates, proteins, and vegetables for 4-6 days, this is your healthy meals base.  Throughout the week, you can then vary and modify your healthy meals base with your healthy staples and groceries.

Once healthy diet meal plan is established as part of your healthy lifestyle routine, you'll find that it becomes second nature and effortless. Gradually, you'll build up a delicious, varied range of home-made meals that you can prepare quickly and easily, and which are much better for your health than ready-made, pre-packaged meals, and fast food. As you can see, with really no more time, effort, and stress than you are currently excreting now over what is healthy to buy, eat, and cook you can plan week's worth of nutritious, well-balanced meals that will improve your health and overall wellness.