Preparation is Key to Success

To be successful with your menu plan, preparation is your KEY TO SUCCESS! All of us are pressed for time and when we are hungry we tend to grab whatever food is easiest to reach. With preparation you will find that you will have healthy choices easily available and avoid needing to hit the closest convenient store. Try using some of the tips below so that you always have healthy choices nearby.

• Plan your menu plan and grocery list at the same time: Save time by planning your weekly menu plan and shopping list together. It's that simple: write out your weekly menu plan and then list all the needed foods on your shopping list. This will ensure that you have all the needed food for the week and prevent you from having extra goodies in the house.
• Carry your food menu with you, EVERYWHERE!: I always have a copy of my FLT food list with me so I can reference it to make sure I am getting the correct foods.
• Pack your food the night before: I find that preparing my food the night before is much easier and doesn't give me the opportunity of using the "no time" excuse. I have all of my snacks and lunch for the day stored in my lunch bag ready to grab on my way out the door. If you are away from your house for a long period of time make sure to have a mid-size cooler where you can store more food. Invest in some great Tupperware that is sized correctly to your recommended portions.
• Leftovers: Prepare soups, legumes, grains and other time-consuming meals on your days off so you are able to freeze them and warm them up quickly during the week when you have less time.
• Store healthy snacks at work: Stock your desk area with fruits, nuts and other healthy snacks on a weekly basis. This is another way to ensure that you will have plenty of healthy options nearby. Keep a water bottle on your desk that you have to finish by the end of the workday. Keep sticky notes easily seen reminding you of your health goals
• Be adventurous when choosing meals: This is a lifestyle change so you want to make sure that you are eating a variety of foods and that you keep eating enjoyable. Trying new foods will present more options for healthy meals. Ever try pomegranate? See a fruit in the grocery store that is unrecognizable? Try it. You just may like it! Explore recipes from the FLT guidebook.
• Portion Control: Eating the proper portion sizes is a huge key to success. Check out this awesome chart on fun ways to remember correct portion sizes. Portion Sizes

"Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity" 

-Henry Hartman