Welcome to the 7-Day Simple Meal Plans Kickstarter training!
I’m super excited to be taking you on a little journey over the next week.
This training will help you make the most of your Simple Meal Plans.
Meal planning is such a game-changing habit when it comes to eating well.
It will save you time and energy planning and shopping.
It’s also going to make it really simple and fun to nourish yourself with delicious, fresh real food on a daily basis.
Your future self is going to thank you!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- What to expect over the next 7 days
- 5 tips to set yourself up for meal planning success.
What to Expect
Over the next 7 days I’m going to take your hand and walk you though everything you need to know and do to get the most out of your Simple Meal Plans.
Step-by-step.
I promise I’ll be gentle.
You might even have some fun!
The biggest thing you need to be aware of is you’re building a new habit.
Like all new things, it’s going to feel a bit clunky and awkward in the beginning.
This is totally normal.
If you feel yourself getting frustrated or annoyed, remember ‘nothing has gone wrong’.
It’s only going to get easier from here.
5 Tips to Set Yourself Up for Meal Planning Success
1. Decide.
The first step is to decide to develop your new meal planning habit.
Really commit to yourself that you’re going to make meal planning work for you.
No matter what.
2. Start small – make it as EASY as possible.
Forming or changing habits is HARD WORK to begin with.
The best way to guarantee success is to make it as small, manageable and easy as possible.
I recommend starting with only using 1-2 new recipes from the meal plan in the first week.
Then build up from there.
3. Expect changes to your schedule.
In modern life there are always things that come up that will interfere with your meal plan.
Rather than get upset by them, remember changes are normal.
Change is supposed to happen.
4. Use the ‘Waste Avoidance Strategy’.
When your schedule changes and you can’t cook something you had originally planned, you won’t be on your own!
Follow the instructions in the ‘Waste Avoidance Strategy’ on each recipe to ‘preserve’ your ingredients for another night.
Too easy.
5. Don’t expect to be ‘perfect’ from the first week.
When starting something new it’s normal for it to be hard in the beginning.
It’s going to take a bit more time when you’re getting started.
But like all good habits, the more you do it the quicker and easier it’s going to get.
I promise 🙂
ACTIVITY
STEP 1. Decide to commit to making meal planning work for you.
STEP 2. Leave a comment below sharing why you want to simplify meal planning.
Looking forward to hearing your ‘why’.
Tomorrow we’re going to be looking at when you’re going to fit this new habit into your schedule. And why scheduling time is so important.
In the mean time have some fun in the kitchen!
With love,
Jules x
ps. If you need help with anything, leave a comment below.
I check them every day 🙂
———————————
I am retired and cook for myself but never meal plan so just end up buying loads of stuff I like and looking for recipes to fit. Then I can’t be bothered to cook properly so end up eating more carbs as easy to do (love rice). So I want something easy and planned and above all healthy, ideally for weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.
Wonderful Peggy
Shopping without a list seems fun but it’s really difficult to translate into good meals consistently.
And if you want to get blood pressure and cholesterol down (and weight too) stay away from the rice as much as you can. 🙂
When you eat carbs it changes the amount of water stored in your body which has a direct impact on blood pressure.
Jx
I am a good cook but I tend to repeat some favorite recipes frequently…
So I want to plan to make different recipes, saving time and money as I go.
Eating healthily and losing weight are also good goals!
Jan
Long story cut short.
I retired a couple of years ago. Our adult children both have physical and learning disabilities and have been the focus of our attention for most of our married life. Both are now both being cared for in independent supported living, but still require input from us.
In March we managed to get our long wished for new kitchen installed- although because of lock down not completely finished, but functioning.
As a part of the installation, we cleared out most of our stored larder hang ons. The intention being to live more on a smaller rational cupboard. However because of lockdown, l have found myself stocking up with more stuff to survive for a fortnight or more before the next shop.
We get a fortnightly delivery of fresh vegetables, which helps enormously.
My wife succumbed to the virus, and it has taken a bit of a toll on her for the last 6 weeks, although now much better, she is having to now take antibiotics to clear the last of it away.
So how did I finally take the plunge. I was chatting to a very long aquatinted friend of mine, who just happened to mention that his wife was making a 2 weeks meal plan as we spoke. I’d been putting of joining up for a long time, but it got me thinking, and then up popped one of Jules chivvying emails. I thought, that’s it, too many coincidences in one go here, and here I am.
We are lucky to have a newly opened Co op nearby. However due to lockdown, etc, many items are scarce, apart from short supply of toilet rolls, also eggs, lemons, flour etc. I’m sure many of your followers Jules are only too familiar with this.
I’ve been attempting to rebuild my pantry to Jules’s standards over the last few days with limited success. But we are one meal down – phew! Now looking forward to the ‘it gets easier’ bit.
Nigel
Thanks for sharing Nigel – and so glad to hear your wife is recovering. That much have been tough.
And it does get easier!
So glad to hear you’re using SMP to try new things Jan! So fun.
The other goals will follow 🙂
I have been overwhelmed by all the diets programs out there. Eat this, take that. I am so confused. I had said to myself that I wasn’t going to purchase anything more from the internet. Had a good talk with myself and decided, at the young age of 63, that I needed to get back my love of cooking and creating marvelous meals for myself.
As the majority of recipes are for 2, I can use them and keep leftovers for lunch the next day.
I am looking forward to having my hand held as I go through and learn.
Oh wonderful to hear that you’ve been having a ‘good talking to yourself’ Anna! (I need to do the same some times)
And also really honoured that you’ve decided to join me on this adventure.
You totally deserve marvelous meals. It’s the best thing (and so much better than following overwhelming diet programs).
What are you going to cook first?
Jx
My reason is laziness… I don’t have a plan… my fridge is empty… delivery is just so easy. I wan’t to remind myself, that with just one short trip to the grocery store a week, making my own meals can be (almost) as quick and easy as delivery. And BONUS: I won’t get decision making fatigue like I do through delivery because Jules has made all the decisions for me through her delicious pre-made plans. Can’t wait to get started.
Ooh Crystal! Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not laziness – it’s just that you don’t have the habits in place to make it easy… yet!
Making your own meals can totally be as quick and easy as delivery.
Remeber the first few times you do anything new it’s going to feel a bit uncomfortable. And there will be times when you’ll think ‘I don’t feel like doing this’. When you think that thought, remember it’s a sign that you’re doing everything right!
Remind yourself that it’s OK to not feel like it,
And take the action anyway.
After the first few weeks it will all become a habit and you won’t know yourself. Delivery won’t even cross your mind
You can do it!
Jx
ps. Let me know how you get on with it.
Especially with quarantine, there arexshortages now, so planning and alternative planning and waste avoidance are important.
Yes I think one of the good things to come from this will be people having to reduce food waste Paul.
And planning is so so important especially now. 🙂
Most of everyone’s reasons apply to me, but also now I need to learn the flexibility because of the quarantine. I can’t leave the house and my grocery delivery service is only once every 2 weeks and I dont get everything.
It’s an excellent opportunity to develop your substitution skills Paul! If you need any help with specific missing ingredients – just ask me. I’m here to help you.
Although I’m a fairly organised and competent cook already, I signed on anyway because I firmly believe there’s no such thing as too many good ideas. I know that not all recipes will be to our taste, but every one I find that’s a winner makes a small change, and a lot of small changes can add up to a whole lot of good! More variety, time saving, fresher and healthier options, and plenty of alternate ways of doing things to consider – what’s not to like?
Love your philosophy about there being no such thing as too many good ideas Keryl 🙂
I’ve DECIDED to meal plan because something has to change; I’m living on cheese & crackers because I don’t have the mental bandwidth to come up with another meal after I’ve fed the kids their simple, but not very interesting, meal.
So, in my first week I cooked Summer Chicken Stir Fry (loved it) & Spanish Ragu. Looking forward to planning week 2.
DECIDING is where all your power is Brooke! Good for you!
And love that you’re using the meal plans to branch out from cheese & crackers. Good for you!
Hi Jules,
I cook for just my husband and myself. We’re both retiring this year, so I’m focusing on reducing our grocery bill by reducing food waste. I think that your recipes, with the small number of ingredients and the information about substitutions and waste-avoidance, will really help that goal.
A very worthy goal Nancy!
Glad I can help you with it 🙂
Have dropped out of the routine of cooking for all the usual reasons plus living in town where there are a lot of very close, takeaway options but I am conscious of these not always being the healthiest options, so I would like to get back into it both from the health perspective and because I used to actually enjoy cooking!
Excellent Sean!
Enjoying cooking is the best reason to do it 🙂
I have been following a low Carb diet for a couple of years now & found it benefited my health tremendously. However I do not have good habits in organising my shopping, meal plans & fall down in having limits to my options as I often shop on way home from work & always pick the easy options which have become monotonous. I love the look of your recipes & have tried a few. Looking forward to better planning interesting news recipes that look simple & achievable.
Welcome Fiona!
YOu’re totally in the right place 🙂
I suffer from insulin resistance and PCOS, as well as binge eating and, essentially, a complete f**ked metabolism from cycling in dieting and binging for the past 20 years. I’ve spent a lot of time and energy in the past few years rewiring my brain and being kinder to myself. I no longer “diet” and the urge to binge has significantly reduced, and I’ve been doing a lot of meal prep/planning myself and have enjoyed it. I’ve recently found that with added activities in my life (working full time, grad school part time, workout routine (including extra stretching for back pain), and trying to have a social life), that meal planning is no longer something I can do on my own, which is why I signed up for this program! I am really looking forward to not having to focus so much energy on how I am going to eat for the week (and in general just not focusing on food as much!)
Welcome Genelle!
YOu’re totally in the right place. I’m happy to do the thinking for you. It’s one of my favourite things.
And good for you being kinder to yourself and getting off the ‘diet’ rollercoaster.
Let me know how you get on with the meal plans! I’m always looking for ways to make them easier to use.
Jx
I’m looking forward to getting into better habits with my eating, I’ve gained weight over the last few years and have become very lazy in the kitchen, having a bar of chocolate for dinner has to stop NOW!!I like the idea of simple, easy and healthy. I love the idea of easy planning, easy preparation and cooking, I’m not time poor, I just don’t love the kitchen…hopefully this new adventure will give me a love I haven’t had for a while. I’m very excited to begin and I’m super excited with what the future holds for me, a healthier more energetic me is something I aspire to!
Great Leeanne!
Glad to hear that there is no more chocolate for dinner.
And I’m excited for you to rekindle your love of the kitchen. IT’s really a choice that’s available to you.
Enjoy the process!
Jx
I have been using those meal plan kits for the last couple years on and off just for variety and mostly in the winter months. I find it so simple to cook when I have all the ingredients and the reciepe ready to go at dinner time. The meals turn out great and we have fun trying new things. When I don’t plan, I tend to cook similar meals each day or more unhealthy quick meals. We are also more likely to eat out or have take out when we are hungry without a plan- so many bad decisions are made when we are hungry without a plan!!
I have been following you for quite awhile and know your recipes are simple and healthy. Committing to your meal plan could be potentially life changing for us:) I am excited to begin!
Thank you!
Just making the decision and committing to using the plan is already life changing Cindy.
You said it yourself you know how many bad decisions are made when you’re hungry and without a plan. So you’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain.
I’m excited for you!
Jx
I love cooking, but I am so desperately out of practice. I want to solidify good habits now before I have children so that they may be raised like I was with happy memories around a kitchen table sharing wholesome, happy meals with family.
ooh I love that you’ve committed to making that change before you start your family Sarah.
You’re totally in the right place to set some solid foundations.
Look forward to hearing how you get on – and just shout if you need help with anything specific
Jx
When I started feeling like I’d rather stay at work than go home and face figuring out what to fix for dinner-which was slowly becoming mostly frozen food from the freezer-I knew I needed some structure to get out of my food rut.
You’re in the right place Kelly!
Let the meal plans do the hard work for you 🙂
Jx
I used to love to cook. Then life happened and I fell out of the habit, got busy (tired) and stopped enjoying it. I feel like cooking good, healthy food should be something that doesn’t add extra stress to life. I just need some help getting there.
It’s a common trap to fall into Kaitlin so don’t feel bad.
The thing is if you keep cooking super simple (Stonesoup 6-ingredient recipes really help with that) it really makes a difference.
The other factor is to look at your mindset – it’s up to you to choose how you think about cooking. If you choose to think of it as fun, relaxing time (like I do) it will make it much more enjoyable and will act as a destressor.
You can do it!
Jx
Like some other folks I was introduced to you on the Simple Year program. Since I retired a couple of years ago I’ve been doing much of the cooking (my wife never liked cooking to begin with and was stuck with a lifetime of it). I like to cook and am capable enough with simple recipes, not so much when they get complicated. But like most, I’m no good at meal planning. We always seem to end up throwing away much of what comes home from the store after it ages a bit in the fridge. So one of my main goals for 2020 is to turn that situation around.
You can totally turn it around Wally!
Building the meal planning habit is key.
Let me know how you get on with it.
I am 69 and I love to cook but for fun (why do they want dinner every single night?) and my imagination needs some help. It is so easy to use pasta or rice instead of keeping things fresh, colourful and vibrant. My beloved is a total non-cooking man so it is up to me to make the changes. I have recently purchased an electric pressure cooker and an air fryer which has already saved me heaps of time and opened up new concepts. We both hate chicken but there are plenty of alternatives and so I decided to give myself an early Xmas present with your meal plans. Looking forward to this new year of fun food and ideas.
Welcome Heather! Lovely to have you on board. If you love to cook for fun you can easily channel that energy into dinners 🙂
Home cooking is all-ways more healthy than buying meals. The thing is, basically EVERYTHING worthwhile doing or having requires effort in the short term, and all-ways requires willingness to be self-responsible.
But that does not mean it has to be any harder than it needs to be.
So that’s why I want to simplify meal plans. 🙂
I love the thought that everything worthwhile requires a willingness to be self-responsible Steven
But there’s always a simpler option!
I have a shelf full of diet books. Don’t eat this don’t eat this, don’t eat that, certainly don’t eat this with that…etc. I just want to eat healthy food, lose some weight and feel better. Having these meal plans all sorted for me is going to be wonderful. Can’t wait to start !!!
Wonderful Prue!
You’re in the right place 🙂
I love to cook but don’t love figuring out what to cook. Simple is best and I look forward to learning more about planning simple, healthy meals.
Excellent Ken!
The figuring out is a challenge many people face 🙂
I want fast, easy, low carb meals without having to spend much time thinking about food—so I have to change the way I do meal planning.
You’re totally in the right place Debbie 🙂
I need to simplify my meal planning and cooking because I’m tired, love real food, but also want to spend time with my family after a long commute. I also have a chronic condition that sometimes makes things more difficult and so there are days where if I don’t have a plan (and if it’s not an easy plan) it definitely turns into make your own darn dinner for everyone but the toddler and the crap that gets eaten should not be the answer, especially when trying to lose weight.
All excellent reasons to use Simple Meal Plans Erin 🙂
Just start slowly and build the habit first
Hi Jules,
I first got to know about you through the Simple Year online course with Courtney Carver and I have already purchased a couple of your books but I felt that I needed to go a step furthur and organize my weekly meals for a family of four. I live in Spain, enjoy cooking, have a family who is used to home cooking. I enjoy cooking but don’t enjoy the shopping! I fill a trolley and when I come home, I am still unable to predict what we’re eating over the next few days. I really like the look of your healthy recipes and the unusual combinations you create. You’ve also lived in the Mediterranean so you have a great understanding of what good food is about. for instance, the other day, I mixed up your ‘secret Stone Soup spice and it was delicious on fish. The next day I used the rest of it (I had a batch in the fridge) with a chick pea concotion, again it was delicious! I am excited to try out new simple dishes.
My 17 year old son seems to be gluten intolerant (or has possible IBS). I could do with losing weight and being in better shape (I too had the Gestational Diabetes years ago but now at 53, I should be cutting out the sugars and watching my cholestrol levels). My family is enjoying more vegetarian dishes with pulses although like you, we also buy good meat (eat it less often), fish and free Range eggs.
I am so sorry for this long comment. Basically, I want to buy the right food for the weeks dishes! so really looking forward to your expertise! Thank you!
Welcome Kathy!
So excited to have someone in Spain using the meal plans. I love Spain.
using the meal plans will definitely help with buying the right ingredients. And all the recipes are low carb and gluten-free so they’ll help with your blood sugar (and your son as well)
Let me know if you need help with anything 🙂
Jx
I work long hours with a long commute… I want the stress taken out of cooking and prep
My kids are 5, 3 and 1 years old. I need food on the table fast when they are hungry. And right now I fear the moment when I need to decide what to cook b/c I have no idea. I hope I will need less ice cream at night when they are finally asleep. And I hope that I will actually use all the incredients I bought…
Hi Irina!
Having a meal plan is going to be a game changer if you’re having fear around deciding what to cook.
It’s also going to help with using the ingredients you buy.
Not sure how it will impact your ice cream though 😉
Keep me posted how you get on
Jx
I’ve been using your recipes and finding that I’m eating a lot healthier. I’m still overeating though and need to address this. I’m not following the meal plans, just cherry picking recipes, so I’m going to try this 7 day course and see if it will help.
I work odd hours and live alone. It’s easy to reach for an unhealthy snack instead of cooking myself a proper meal.
You’re in the right place Jackie!
Building the meal planning habit is super helpful for getting you eating proper meals – which is critical for getting healthy.
Once you’ve got that down, then check out the lessons in the 30-Day Simple Kitchen Reboot around mindful eating and mindful serving and mindless eating. You can find links to them over here https://stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com/reboot/
And let me know how you get on this week!
Jx
To reduce that daily anxiety of thinking about what’s for dinner is one of the biggest reasons I want to have planned meals, and also meals that are healthy. I live with my daughter who has a chronic illness and who has recently discovered that she is gluten intolerant. She prefers meat, I do not, although we both will eat meat or vegetarian, so a variety is good. I also want to reduce the waste of food that happens when I shop and then decide what to have – I love the efficiency that can come with shopping with a plan !
Og wonderful Beth! You’re totally in the right place 🙂
And make sure you check out the vegetarian options – there will be lots of recipes where it will be easy to do a veggie version for you and a meat / fish version for your daughter.
And all my recipes are gluten-free so you won’t need to worry about that. 🙂
Let me know how you get on
Jx
Hello Jules,
I have lived through several diets (with whitch I have had some successes), have all kinds of good intentions, but also fall into my patterns of numbing down through food. I go through stages of being mindful in preparing food but have never really planned meals too much ahead of time. I would like to have more clarity and less wastage.
I am finding now that I am retired I struggle even more with what to make for dinner. I guess I am wanting to do more outside of the kitchen !
Looking forward to making new habits towards more health and longevity.
Kind Regards,
Hello Michele!
You’re in the right place.
Building the meal planning habit is only going to help achieve your goals towards more health and longevity.
And definitely it will help with reducing waste.
Keep me posted on how you get on as you go through the program
Jx
tl;dr: I have a crazy busy life, and i cook for a lot of people. I’m so happy to have suggestions to increase variety of quick healthy fresh food.
Long story long: We moved to a gorgeous place way out in the country about 5 years ago. I’ve been doing meal planning in earnest since then, because going to a restaurant takes so much drive time. We’ve also started our family, and these days our 3yo and 6yo get insane if food isn’t available by 5:30. I cook for my parents (mom has Alzheimer’s, Dad’s her full time caregiver) too, so I’m feeding at least 6 people every night.
We’ve tried CSA’s to get more veggies, and that gave us veggies, but didn’t always help incorporate them into my cooking / our eating. The Whole 30 book / cookbooks got me closer to where I want to be with food – eating a lot of veg, some protein, and almost no grains. But having to sit down and comb through the cookbooks before i did the shopping just wasn’t long term sustainable for me with my other commitments.
I’m totally stoked that you’re going to throw a bunch of healthy recipes at me each week.
I live in a gorgeous place in the country and have a 3 year old and a 6 year old too Jessica!
And happy to throw healthy recipes at you every week – it’s so fun for me to do!
xx
I’ve been with the SVCS for a long time and have tried the meal plans before but never managed to make it work, although most of the stuff I do cook are your recipes. Due to a lot of factors my eating over the last 3ish year has become really poor, eating all the things and consequently I have put on a lot of weight.
I believe the way to lose it is to form healthy habits and I have now got breakfast under control (home made smoothie of fruit, spinach, nuts and ginger) and am almost there with lunches (salads). Lunches are not a fully formed habit yet and I can very easily fall off the wagon if I don’t get myself organised at the weekend.
I want to move on to evening meal in a couple of weeks when hopefully I have got the lunches more on track and so this kick starter will set me up for success! Fingers crossed! 🙂
Good for you Hannah!
LOVE that you’re doing it one meal at a time. You know I’m all about the baby steps.
Look forward to hearing how you find this course.
Do you think you’ll give my meal plans another try? Or are you ready to go it alone?
Jx
I have been meal planning for about 6 months. I’m hoping to learn a few more tips on how to fine tune the process. I’m definitely sold that it makes life easier.
Wonderful Debbie!
Look forward to hearing what you discover in terms of fine tuning the process 🙂
I used to cook dinner every night, but life intervened, and I’ve gotten out of the habit. My CFS/ME got worse, we moved into a new place with a terrible kitchen (petty, I know — but it was part of the problem), and my partner’s work schedule changed — so all cooking got derailed. They say that resuming a lapsed habit is even harder than learning a new one, and that definitely feels true in this case. I want to start following a meal plan to make dinner a mindless habit and not some frantic decision regarding takeout or canned soup again.
I’m not so sure resuming a lapsed habit would be any harder Sarah… Just make sure you schedule the time (so you have a trigger to do the habit) and then make it rewarding – we’ll talk more about this later in the week 🙂
But making habits intrinsically rewarding is really the secret to success.
Jx
I’ve been a part of Stonesoup school for years but not used the resources nearly enough to make the changes I need. I’m in a situation where I’m limited to “shopping” first from my freezer and canning, and actually it’s the Baby Carrot Soup recipe that helped me accept that I could change my mindset. I used my canned carrots and tomatoes and it was delicious. We don’t eat enough fresh veggies and when I do buy them I’ve not been motivated to cook with them so they get wasted which brings the question why spend my limited food money on them. So I haven’t been. Hubby and I are in a food slump. So here I am at 70, ready for a change.
My why – my response to grief has been to crave snacky foods (not sweet ). Hubby’s is to lose his sense of taste. We’ve had a lot of losses, but I see the sabotaging of our health and well being. I’m looking to change that.
Barb!
So happy to hear you’re ready for a change. This is fab!
I’m sorry for your losses.
Reclaiming your health and well being will definitely be worth the effort. And the more you get into it the easier it will become (and the less you’ll crave snacky things).
If you’re struggling with fresh veggies, meal planning will definitely help – and make sure you check out the waste avoidance strategy for each recipe.
Although from a nutrition perspective frozen veg are just as good (if not better) than fresh. So maybe focusing on frozen veg like spinach, peas, kale, broccoli etc might be a good place to start.
And when you are buying fresh veg only get enough for a few meals and use them first.
Let me know how you get on with the rest of the kickstarter – I’m here when you need help!
Jx
I really need to get better at eating more healthily and wasting less. I have a tendency to buy too much food with the intention of cooking dishes bookmarked in my ever increasing library of recipe books which I then don’t have the time or inclination to do. My other half has actually voiced a wish to lose some weight so I’m hoping that using the meal plans will help us both to do that while simplifying our weeknight routine.
Wonderful Evelyn!
Meal planning can totally help with all of those things 🙂
Jx
Hi Jules, I am doing this 7 day course on meal planning because I get a little frustrated preparing meals each day and would like to have a plan. I usually shop for fresh ingredients and then stock my fridge and when it comes to mealtime (lunchtime is the main meal of the day for us – just my husband and I) I open the fridge and using your list for protien/vegie/fats I produce a usually lovely meal. But I find that I so have some wasted vegies/fruits that I have to throw away which i don’t like doing. So, all that just to say I feel I need to refine my planning. Today, I have salmon/peppers/potatoes so will cook a nice stew with pantry paprika, garlic,thyme onions, tomatoes and parsley 🙂 thanks jules I love your website.
Wonderful Mary!
Yes having more of a plan will help with the waste 🙂
Your stew sounds absolutely divine!
You ask “why” ?? Because I am on my own, enjoy cooking when I’m in the mood (sadly not that often) and I need to make better use of my time. It is also likely that cooking for myself will not be a daily happening — I would imagine about 4, maybe 5 times a week. However, the more I look at your recipes and read your extremely sensible and encouraging messages the more I think “well, let’s get on with it then”! Please bear in mind that we men, if not chefs and if like me and most of my friends, tend to resist such change …………….. BUT, will do my best!
4 times a week would be an amazing place to start Gil!
I think we all resist change on some levels… having that awareness is the first step 🙂
I hope these meal planning sessions will help me relax and change my state of mind when it is actually time to eat because by then I may well have lost the positive state of mind I am in when stocking the pantry, shopping in the fresh food zone or looking at lovely pictures of good food on my Stonesoup Friday email!
I want to feel in charge of what I eat in an effortless way. I believe a step by step approach to changing a lifetime of different habits is the best way for me to grow into really healthy eating.
Excellent Jude!
The mindset piece is huge. I think of it as a practice of following through on my intentions.
And yes to a gradual approach to building new habits!
Look forward to hearing how you get on with it 🙂
I want to meal plan to limit or possibly eliminate unhealthy snacks, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, etc. because of my type 2 diabetes.
I want to achieve this by focussing on setting up a large number of healthy vegetarian, low-carbohydrate, delicious meals, that are quick to prepare, using seasonal ingredients that are cheap to buy.
Meal variety with meals that are both healthy and delicious are significant factors preventing me from getting bored.
Boredom with any recipe, it is a danger sign for me, and I could easily find myself eating the wrong thing, just because I get bored very quickly.
So repetition of any meal in any month or week is not a good practice for me.
Things like ‘bubble and squeak’ or reheating last nights leftovers do not appeal to me.
The other reasons for doing this is I want to be as thin as I possibly can even if it means it will take me 3 or more years to get there, as long as I get there, in the end, I am not too fussed.
I am not significantly obese, but I am not progressing past a certain point, and it is very annoying and frustrating.
I was a mature-age student at La Trobe University, and I was doing a Bachelor of Arts. Halfway through my BA, I got into law but dropped out soon afterwards because I was not confident that I could put everything I could into the degree so that I could get the highest possible marks.
The was due to tiredness that was partly caused by putting everything into my BA and not having a balanced approach to studying.
My tiredness was also due to a lack of physical fitness, a better diet, eating junk food, and a lack of sufficient sleep.
I have a moderate amount of sleep apnoea, alongside type-two diabetes, and a lack of physical exercise, which played a role in my brain-fog or chronic tiredness.
I see a respiratory physician, and after a session of sleep-lab testing, he prescribed medication, as well as a mandibular device, similar to a mouth-guard, that I use to keep my air passages open during sleep.
I see an endocrinologist every three months. I do a blood test before seeing him called the HBA1C test, and other tests surrounding diabetes as well.
It is easy to understand that if I do not control my blood sugar with diet and exercise, and I do not have enough regular quality sleep, I am going to underperform intellectually.
I am not a genius.
I don’t want or need to be one to succeed.
All that I need is to be consistent.
Meal planning, good sleep, physical exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight, are going to be an essential part of my preparation to go back to uni, or write a book someday.
As feedback, do you have a dedicated section in your extensive website that focuses on using sugar-free or sugar substitutes for any sweets that you might eat after the main meal, or for cakes & biscuit recipes?
I would be interested in being able to whip up any cakes, biscuits, or sweets that are easy to make, are delicious, have fibre in them, not too many kilojoules, and include sugar-free substitutes.
An alternative to this suggestion is healthy snack recipes rather than sugarfree biscuits and cakes.
These snacks are quick to make, healthy, delicious, high in fibre, and consumed whenever I get hungry or bored, that is not going to make me put on weight.
I may be addicted to sugar more than I realise, and even if I do eliminate getting bored because I am meal planning every week, I may find myself still craving chocolates, cakes and biscuits.
Having a set of sugar-free sweets and substitute-sugar cakes and biscuits might be an essential strategy for a diabetic like myself.
Wow John!
This is fantastic – you have a clear vision of where you want to go and some very compelling reasons – nice one!
In terms of snacks the best place is my list here. https://stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com/low-carb-love-28-day-program-snacks/
And the best place for sugar-free / diabetic-friendly baking is the ‘Sunday Baking Session’ ebook which you can download over here:
https://stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com/ecookbooks/
Let me know how you get on with the meal planning 🙂
I like the idea of simpler meal planning because I’m old and tired. I actually already do meal planning, but simpler will be even better.
Yes to simpler Susan!
Although I do plan a week’s worth of meals ahead of time I find what we actually eat bears little resemblance to the plan due to my husband’s crazy working schedule (used to be mine at fault too but I retired at the end of the year and am almost through with all work commitments). I’m sure I can learn a thing or 2 (or 8) and create a more flexible list and including some new meals will also help a lot. Looking forward to learning some new tricks!
You’re not alone on the crazy work schedule Janice!
And you can totally get to a place where your plan is able to cope with the change. We’ll go into this during the week.
But for now just remember to look at the ‘waste avoidance strategy’ if you have a meal that you aren’t going to be able to cook as planned. It will give you ideas for how to best preserve the ingredients for a later day 🙂
Jx
We’ve made some major eating changes (read: LOTS healthier) this year, but my work schedule has also become crazier, so trying to fit both into my life is a challenge. I’m hoping to get to the point where I’m not trying to think of what healthy option I can prepare in the amount of time I have every day, but rather be relaxed since I know exactly what options I have.
That’s exactly where meal planning can help Anke – you’ll have healthy options at the ready that won’t take hours or loads of energy 🙂
As we get older my husband and I have found our tastes and also the amount we need at meals is changing so this is a great opportunity to make much needed adjustments. Less time shopping, less waste, and simpler, easier meals. I’ve been getting meal plans for quite sometime but need to use them more effectively.
Thanks Jules.
Lovely to hear from you Erica!
To make the most of the marvellous resource that is your meal plans which I get every week but rarely maximise
Excellent Lindy!
Excited to get you cooking more Stonesoup 🙂
All ready to give it a go.
Awesome Lesley – look forward to hearing how you get on this week 🙂
It’s true! It does take time to get into the swing of it ? The more I am doing with Jules and her great cookery school the more I am enjoying it and the easier it’s becoming to produce your delicious meals cost effectively. Looking forward to this program!
Thanks for being proof Sarah!
So glad you’re finding it easier as you go 🙂
Thanks for the heads up and encouragement to not expect perfection the first week! I love the idea of simplicity and real food
It’s all about baby steps Sheryn – I’m a huge believer in making changes as easy as possible – it’s the secret to achieving any goal 🙂
I need to simplify my meal planning because I feel guilty about wasting so much food. I also want my family to eat healthier meals which only happen by eating at home.
Wonderful Nancy!
Meal planning is awesome of avoiding waste by reducing over-buying in the beginning AND helping you use the ingredients you do buy. Of course though there are times when your plans change so that’s why I include a ‘waste avoidance strategy’ with each of my meal plans, so you know how to preserve the ingredients for anohter meal – so no more waste. Yay!
Jx
I need to simplify my meal planning because I’m spending way too much money at the shops everyday and I’m feeling very overwhelmed with it all.
You’re totally in the right place Linda!
Thanks for sharing where you’re at… it’s only going to get better from here 🙂