3 Routines That Can Help Make Healthy Eating Happen
(Originally written September 2015, last updated August 2024)
As fall approaches, are you itching to return to your regular routines? Summer adventures are grand, but after a while, it’s nice to put some aspects of life on autopilot, to make healthy living easier.
Now is the perfect time to assess whether your healthy eating routines could use a tune-up. How are you doing with the following?
- Regular meal planning and shopping
- A weekly meal prep session
- A lunch-packing habit
If you’re regularly doing all of them, high five! If not, which one would make the most difference for you? Focus on that before you tackle the next. Here’s how to make it happen.
1. Regular meal planning and shopping.
Why it matters: Eating well is grounded in home cooking, and a little planning can help you do it with less time, money, and stress. No more 5pm stops at the grocery store, no more calling for takeout.
How to make it routine: First, think about your schedule. Is weekly best or would you rather go every 2-3 days? What day(s) are best for you? Can you go midweek and avoid the crowds? Will you meal plan earlier that day or the day before? Would online shopping work for you?
Second, develop a meal planning routine. Keep it simple by rotating 2-3 breakfasts and using leftovers for lunch. That way meal planning just means picking 3-5 main dishes for supper, assuming you’re doing a whole week.
For best results, start by checking the calendar to look for anything that will affect what or when you eat, like your in-laws coming for dinner or a 6pm hockey game. And check the fridge to see if you have any perishable ingredients to use up. If you have time, check the freezer and pantry too.
Third, think about whether a weekly theme night or two would mean fewer decisions for you every week. You could do meatless Mondays, taco Tuesdays, or fish on Fridays.
For the plan itself, any format will do, from the back of an envelope to a google sheet.
If you need more help: Book a consultation with a dietitian for help with this. We can help you get it going. Or try a meal kit service like HelloFresh or Goodfood. They send you fresh ingredients for several wholesome meals and you just cook. Other than breakfast and lunch, there’s no meal planning required.
2. A weekend meal prep session
Why it matters: If you’re low on time or energy during the week, spending even an hour on the weekend can pay big dividends. How nice would it be to have food ready to warm up and eat after a busy day?
How to make it routine: Start with your calendar. When will you do this? Do you have more energy early in the morning, or later, while you’re making dinner? Schedule it so it happens.
Next, check with family and friends to see who might want to join you. Or is this your time to listen to music or catch up on Netflix? Make it fun!
Then, try whichever of these you might enjoy when things get busy:
- A big batch of chili or soup. Have it for dinner on your meal prep day and then freeze leftovers in single-serving containers. Build up enough inventory in the freezer and you won’t have to eat the same thing three days in a row.
- A hearty whole-grain and/or bean salad. A favourite in our house: Julie Van Rosendaal’s Lentil & Barley Salad.
- A pot of steel-cut oats, which can simmer while you do other things. Then freeze in small containers. This works for other long-cooking grains, like brown rice or wheat berries.
- A pile of pre-chopped vegetables. Clean and prep raw veggies for snacking, or roast them if you like, for easy addition to scrambled eggs, pasta, or wraps.
- Extra servings of lean meat or chicken, to help you get protein at lunch without having to rely on processed meat.
- Individual portions of yogurt, cheese, milk, nuts, and other snacks. Move them from wallet and planet-friendly big packages to reusable individual containers. You are now a lunch-making ninja.
Don’t feel like you have to spend 3-4 hours doing all of this! Just one or two can help the following week, without making a big dent in your weekend.
3. A Lunch-Packing Habit
Why it matters: Your cooking is almost guaranteed to be healthier than a restaurant meal. Plus you can save money!
How to make it routine: Again, decide what works for your schedule. Can you pack leftovers into lunch containers while you’re cleaning up supper, or do you have more time in the morning?
You’ll need a good protein source or two, a couple of fruits and/or vegetables, and a whole grain. If your days are long, a snack will help too.
This is where your weekend meal prep pays off. Say you have leftover chicken from dinner. Add the roasted veggies you prepped and a container of brown rice from the freezer. That’s lunch. A yogurt, bag of nuts, apple, and orange will round out the day. Easy peasy.
Here are a few other lunch-packing staples you can keep on hand:
- Healthyish frozen meals. Perfect isn’t the goal with healthy eating. These are better than restaurant fare, if you can find one with a whole grain, some veggies, and less than about 600 mg of sodium.
- Mini cans of tuna
- Individually wrapped cheeses (eg. Babybel)
- Whole-grain crackers (eg. Triscuits or Ryvita)
- Small containers of hummus or guacamole
- Cherry tomatoes
- Snap peas
Can you make a list of your favourite lunch foods? It will make grocery list and lunch making a cinch.
Let’s do this!
Don’t feel like you have to do all of these if you’re not already! Start with one that feels doable and build on that.
Ultimately, you’ll end up with more time, because you aren’t scrambling around all disorganized. Plus you’ll eat better. Say goodbye to last-minute stress and hello to more home-cooked meals.
