1. Meals:
From Plan to Plate

2. Benefits of Meal Planning
 Eat healthier
 Waste less
 Save money
 Save time
 Reduce stress
 Accommodate special health needs
 Variety
 Family focus

3. Meal Planning 101
 Decide how many meals you want to plan for
 21, 14, 7, or 5 meals?
 Bonus tip: Don’t take on a challenge bigger
than you are ready for. Planning any number
of meals is better than none.

4.  Brainstorm & Research
 Think of meals you enjoy and write these down
 Look through recipes online or in cookbooks and write
down a few that sound good to you
Bonus tip: to improve cost & time savings look for a
couple of recipes that share some ingredients in
common, particularly if a recipe only calls for small
amounts of an ingredient that might otherwise go to
waste (e.g. sour cream)

5. Sample Meal Plan Template
Lunch Dinner
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

7. Menu Planning 101 continued……
 If needed: Recipe Modification
 Adjust ingredients as needed to meet health
needs
 Reduce
 Substitute
 Eliminate
 Add

8. Modify Your Meals
 Reduce your meat portions ($)
 Increase your vegetable portions
 Reduce added salt, fat and sugar ($)
 Use whole grains
 Substitute more herbs and spices for salt
 Change only 1 thing at a time about a recipe
($)

9. Examples of Healthier Alternatives
INGREDIENT ALTERNATIVE
Whole Milk, yogurt, sour Low or reduced fat varieties
cream
Whole eggs Egg white or Eggbeaters
Pasta Whole wheat pasta
Stick butter or Stick Trans fat free tub margarine
Margarine (not good results in pastries)
Oil (in baked goods) Applesauce or mashed
bananas

10. Recipe Modifications for Baked Goods
Safe reductions/ changes for good results:
Fat by one-half, replace other ½ with
applesauce
Sugar by one-third to one-half, add cinnamon,
vanilla extract for flavor
Omit salt or reduce by one-half, add herbs and
spices if needed (* Do not eliminate if yeast is
in the recipe)
Replace one egg with two egg whites

11. Examples:
 A potato soup recipe calls for 2 cups heavy cream for
its base. Instead you use 2 cups evaporated non fat
skim milk
Saved: ~ 158 cals, 22g fat, 14g sat fat, 83 mg chol
per serving!
A quiche recipe calls for 8 whole eggs, 20 ounces of
shredded cheese, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1.5 cups
of half-n-half. Instead you use 6 egg whites and 4
whole eggs, 12 ounces of shredded cheese, 1 cup of
non fat sour cream, and 1.5 cups of evaporated non
fat skim milk.
Saved: ~ 130 cals, 14g fat, 8g sat fat, 110mg chol,
80mg sodium per serving (1/12 of the quiche)!

12. Menu planning, continued….
 Assess Ingredients
 What do you already have on hand?
 Add ingredients you don’t have to your
shopping list
 Remember to include quantity needed
 Bonus tip: While you are looking around at
what you need for the planned meals make
note of other staples you might need as
well (e.g. bread, milk)

13. Menu Planning 101 continued……
 Organize your shopping list
 Organize your shopping list according to
the layout of the store where you shop
 Consider using a template
 Bonus tip: Clip and attach coupons that
match your shopping list

14. Menu Planning 101 continued….
 Go Shopping
 Buy only the ingredients on your grocery list
 Only exception is if you find an amazing deal on a
non-food item or a food item that could keep or
freeze for future meals go ahead and stock up
now
 Bonus Tip: Start with fresh produce and work your
way across the store, ending with refrigerated and
frozen goods. Cross items off your list as you go.

15. Menu Planning 101 continued…
 Prepare
 Post your meal plan on the fridge
and review it frequently
 Defrost, wash, chop, or even cook
any items in advance that you can if
time is an issue
 Bonus tip: Consider keeping
ingredients grouped by meal in your
fridge and pantry.

16. Menu Planning 101 continued…
Enjoy!
 Allow flexibility
 Seek inspiration – season, colors,
spices, cuisines
 Have a standard Plan B meal, just in
case
 Save the best
 Strike a balance

17. Grocery Shopping Basics
 Try New Foods
 Read Labels
 Look for a healthy twist on your favorite
foods
 Save money with lists, savings cards,
coupons, bulk buys, specials, and by
choosing generic – not by choosing
cheap unhealthy foods
 Go to the store prepared
 Start in fresh produce; end with frozen
and refrigerated items

18. Read labels
 Note serving size 
 %Daily Value
 5% or less = low
Good rule of thumb: or more = high
 20%
%DV
5% or less = low or a little
20% or more = high or a lot

19.  8pc KFC chicken
 4 biscuits
 2 sides
OR
 2#chicken breast
 10#potatoes
 8 ears corn
 1# peaches
 1 gallon skim milk
 1# ground beef
 32oz container Yogurt
 18oz container oatmeal
 2# frozen sweet peas
 1 # dry kidney beans

20. Fresh Produce
 Choose in season foods
 Smell fruits and melons
 Choose more firm pieces
 Avoid too much bruising or broken skin
 Buy some that are ripe and some that will ripen later in
the week
 Consider the cut and ready to eat options
 Try one new fruit or veggie per week
 Paint your plate a rainbow

21. Breads, Cereals & Grains
 Look for 100% Whole Grain breads, buns, rolls &
wraps. Compare labels to limit calories & sodium.
 Choose whole grain cereals with at least 5 g fiber per
serving. Compare labels to limit sodium and added
sugars.
 Choose whole grain starches such as brown rice,
whole wheat pasta, barley, quinoa, millet and whole
grain Israeli couscous. Choose unseasoned
varieties to limit sodium.

22. Canned Fruit
 Be sure it is Light or No Added Sugar
 It CAN be packed in light syrup but the best is
“packed in own juice or water”
 “Diet” on the label is OK
 Watch serving sizes – stick to ½ cup of canned fruit
per serving if you have diabetes.

23. Canned Vegetables, Beans, Soups and Sauces
 Look for “Low Sodium” and “No Added Salt”
 Sodium does not have to be ZERO but keep in mind
only items with 140 mg sodium or less per serving
are considered to be “low.”
 Read labels to choose those with lower numbers and
pay attention to reference serving sizes.
 Cream soups, sauces and veggies in sauce may be
high in both fat and sodium. Read labels carefully
and choose those with lower numbers.

24. Canned meats
 Canned tuna and salmon are heart healthy choices!
 Canned ham, spam or pork will be high in fat and
sodium
 Canned/jarred meats like Vienna sausages will also
be high in fat and salt

25. Fresh/Frozen Meats
 Beef
 Best cuts are: Top Round, Top Sirloin, Extra Lean
Ground Beef
 Pork
 Best Cuts are: pork tenderloin, Chop-trimmed,
 Chicken/Turkey
 Breast or Drumstick with skin removed
 Fish
 All fish is lower in fat as long as it is not deep fried!

26. Deli Meat
 Most Deli meat is very high in
Sodium
 Greater than 250mg per slice!
 Look at the mg of sodium on the
label even if the front claims “lower
salt” or “25% less salt”
 Use only the serving size on the
label for the # of slices on your
sandwich!

27. Snacks
 Watch serving sizes
 Keep snacks around 150 calories
 Sugar free is usually OK, but they are NOT Calorie
Free
 Look for Low Carb, Low Fat
&/or Low Salt

28. Drinks
 Do not drink your calories
 Look for very Low Calorie (40cal or less
per serving) or Calorie Free Drinks
 Sodas should be Diet or Sugar Free
 Flavored water is widely available

29. Sizing up portions
1 cup fruit, vegetable, yogurt, = A fist or a baseball
cereal or cooked grain
3 ounces cooked beef, = A deck of cards or palm
chicken, or fish of hand
1½ oz cheese = 4 stacked die
1 teaspoon oil/fat = 1 dice or tip of thumb
2 Tbsp peanut butter or = Ping pong ball
hummus

30. Avoid oversized portions
180 calories 410 calories

31. Enjoy Your Food, but Eat Less

32. Thank You!
You have the Power to change your health!
Call 627-5660 to schedule an appointment with a Bon
Secours Richmond Registered Dietitian
Or
Call an In Motion Registered Dietitians in Hampton
Roads (phone number varies based on facility)