If you’re dining on the go — whether picking up lunch or stopping at a fast casual chain after work, it seems pretty obvious that eating out frequently is less healthy and more costly than preparing meals at home — and science backs this up.
Meal prep your lunches and you could be on your way to a healthier, leaner body. In one study among more than 100,000 participants, meal planning practices were tied to improvements in diet quality, increased diet variety and was linked to lower body weight. “One of the greatest benefits of meal planning is that it leads to healthier eating habits,” says Jessica Levinson, RDN, culinary nutrition expert.
“Planning in advance allows you to put together balanced meals and ensure you have the ingredients to make them instead of relying on takeout, fast food or prepared foods, which are often higher in calories, sodium, added sugar, and saturated fat,” she explains.
Make meal planning easier
Levinson suggests stocking up on convenience foods to make planning and prepping easier. Canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, anchovies), canned beans (no- or low-sodium preferred), boxed soups (such as tomato or carrot ginger soup from Pacific, Imagine, or Trader Joe’s), microwavable whole grains (including brown rice and quinoa), and nut butters (or nut-free butters) are among her must-haves. Her picks for the fridge and freezer include eggs, frozen whole grain waffles, ravioli and tortellini, herb pastes, shredded and sliced cheese, veggie burgers, frozen or refrigerated shelled edamame beans, hummus and other bean spreads, yogurt, cooked beets, and cooked lentils.
Use seasonings and other staples you already have, or create a list of those you’ll turn to time and again, and make sure to pick them up on your next grocery haul. “One of the benefits of meal planning is that it can save you money by only purchasing what you need and by basing your plan on the price of groceries and what’s on sale,” she says.
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