How to Create Your Own Meal Plan and DIY Meal Prep

It’s not uncommon to be asked if I give out macros or meal plans to my clients. My honest answer is “No” and for a reason.

I cannot determine what fully works for you. That is what YOU must determine through listening to your body and understanding it’s cues.

As your coach I DO help you understand your body and honor your needs and personal preferences.

Yet, the scariest thing for someone who has either been following diets, meal planning, or counting macros religiously or who’s never followed a plan and believes they need to make a major change in their eating is how to determine what and how much to eat to begin with.

Here’s a simple guide I decided to lay out for you to assist in getting started in creating your OWN DIY meal plan and food prepping.

Step 1: Identify times of the day you commonly are hungry and eat. Look at your current days and eating. When do you typically eat? Are you hungry at these times? Do you prefer to eat multiple times, 1-3 times or something in between?

Step 2: determine whether you need to prep/prepare ahead or carry a preemptive chest on you so you have food available. Does your daily schedule necessitate you having food prepared, do you have time and resources (restaurant, store, etc) to go to when it’s time to eat? Are you on the go/at the office, or at home?

Step 3: choose foods and meals that you enjoy and satisfy you. What are your preferences. Set aside food rules, and what’s healthy or not. You’re not going to stick to any way of eating if it’s not enjoyable and easy enough. So take into consideration YOUR personal preferences each time you eat and maximize the #satisfactionfactor

Step 4: aim for the 3Ps. For easier more enjoyable fat loss/weight management you want hormonal-metabolic balance. A simple means of achieving this is to follow the 3Ps. They stand for Protein, produce, portion control perspective, and satisfaction. The 3PS keep HEC in check and satiate or curb hunger and stabilize energy.

Step 5: Choose meals like the 5Ss - salads, scrambles, stir fries, soups, shakes, (or a balanced plate). Portion control perspective takes into account servings without obsessing over numbers and measuring every little food - use your hand as a guide to servings.

Step 6: put it all together. Determine if you have to prep and cook ahead when you will do this, how often, any grocery shopping you’ll do, etc. You don’t ‘need’ to only cook and meal prep, it IS completely doable to eat out or buy precooked meals and fit that into your diet. Remaining mindful along the way.

Note: regardless of what plan or structure you create around your eating, building a foundation of mindfulness, moderation and satisfaction, discernment, and abundance is essential for success and sustainability. This means staying engaged and conscious moment to moment.

I teach you how to adopt these foundations naturally in the Food Freedom Accelerator - a 12-week nutrition coaching program.