This document provides guidance on planning and preparing healthy meals. It discusses why eating healthy is important for reducing stress, saving money, and improving nutrition. It recommends balancing macronutrients, focusing on whole foods with vitamins and minerals, and avoiding added sugars and excess fat. The document then offers tips for meal planning like scheduling realistic meal times, preparing meals in advance, and storing and transporting food properly. It also suggests keeping recipe favorites on hand and cooking in bulk for leftovers. Overall, the document promotes developing healthy meal planning and cooking habits.

1. Wellness Committee
Pledge activity: Nutrition Class

2. Why plan meals?
 Why eat healthy food?
 Reduce stress, Save money, Improve nutrition
quality, Manage your intake
 How to eat healthy?
 What
 When
 Where

3. What do I eat to be healthy?
 Macronutrients
 Balance proteins, fat and carbohydrates
 Support steady, stable blood sugar levels to prevent
triggering cravings and binges.
 Simple
 Color- Vitamins, minerals
 Avoid additives, “binge foods”: added sugar, flour, wheat
and high amounts of added fat.

4. How to plan meals
 WHEN?
 Schedule- Be realistic
 Avoid skipping MEALS
 Where?
 Work, school, gym, home, out and about…
 Refrigeration, containers, utensils, dressings, tools, etc.
…and HOW?
 SIT for meals. Eat SLOWLY. Put down the utensil. Breathe.

5. Meal Plan Practice
 Recipe books
 Keep track of favorites for easier planning next time!
 Double duty- If you love it, make some for
leftovers/lunch. Or freeze it!
 Mark shopping list accordingly, like “D” for double or “x 2”
Let’s practice- Fill in a menu plan!

6. Makin a List…
 Inventory
 Recipes, amounts (double home/work? snacks?),
group by store area (meat, produce, frozen)
 Practice – Write a list from your menu

7. Shopping
 Schedule it
 Twice a week for produce
 Take your list
 Eat before you go
 Go alone - less distractions

8. Cooking
 Schedule it!
 Big cook day(s)
 Staples- Veggies, Meat. Soup, stew.
 Freeze in portions
 Recipe flexibility
 Seasonal, frozen, bulk
 Variety
 Lunch - Alternate protein, veggies

9. Healthy= Boring?
 No way! Well, maybe at first…
 Which oil/fat should I cook with? Why?
 Read ingredients!
 Try herbs, spices, sauces, seasoning.
 Broth
 Pesto
 Lemon juice, vinegar
 Mustard
 Sea salt & pepper “TO TASTE”

10. To Do:
 Inventory
 Plan
 List
 GO!