My Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning Routine

Eating well is all about having the options available so you’re not tempted to reach for easy (maybe not so healthy) options.

We’ve all been there!

You get home from the gym feeling so ravenous that you inhale almost anything in sight – the chocolate bar, the chips and salsa, the 2 glasses of wine, etc. and before you know it, you’ve been on autopilot long enough to ruin your appetite for a nourishing dinner, by eating everything you never intended on eating! It happens, but the key is to prevent your body from getting to that ravenous point.

Instead, you could have brought some protein powder to shake up with water post-workout, along with an apple and almond butter to tide you over until dinner, but that requires some planning! I know, I know… the dreaded planning of meals. Maybe you’re not a planner, which is fine. Maybe you don’t like knowing what you are going to eat every day of the week (because where’s the fun in that?!). I totally get it, but as long as you have the nutritious options available in the fridge, you can mix and match flavors throughout the week and still stay on top of your ‘healthy eating’ game, without getting bored.

The flavor comes from the herbs, spices and sauces that you add in to make your dish more appealing and flavorful!

For example, on Sunday or Monday, you make a big batch of:

• • quinoa

• • pan roasted vegetables

• • a massaged kale salad (one bunch of kale + lemon and maple syrup massaged in a big bowl)

• • Overnight Oats (Quaker makes it easy with their new Overnight Oats!)

• • my easy no-bake balls for snacking

Option One: On Monday, you eat Quaker?s new Overnight Oats in the morning, the roasted vegetables (with some massaged kale thrown in) over quinoa, topped with my dreamy cucumber dill tzatziki sauce for lunch, and for dinner, you make veggie tacos by mixing black beans into the roasted veggies with taco spices, served in corn tortillas with avocado and salsa. The next day you have a kale and roasted veggie salad with hummus and crackers for lunch, then make a quinoa veggie chili for dinner. It’s more work and more cooking, but there are ways to keep your food exciting!

Option Two: On the other hand. if you’re totally into meal planning, you can plan out every single meal and do a big meal prep before the week starts. It’s all about preference and doing what works for you – there is no right or wrong way to meal prep! Make it fun and use my recipes for inspiration. With a little practice. your skills improve and the process gets easier.

I personally love to meal prep my California Kale Salad, Healthy Pumpkin Chili, the new Quaker Overnight Oats, my fave lemon coconut energy balls for snacks and mini coconut butter cups for something sweet, of course. I want to talk a little bit about Quaker’s new Overnight Oats though! Quaker recently released their newest product – single-serve Quaker Overnight Oats. They?re the first-of-it?s-kind on the market to be available nationally, and are absolutely perfect for meal prepping! Each single-serve container features a flavorful blend of oats, quinoa, flaxseed, fruits and nuts ? giving you the nutrition you want to help start your day..

Just add almond milk (or any milk of choice) and fill it up to the line, stir, cover and let it cold-steep overnight in the refrigerator.

This breakfast option is one less thing you have to worry about!

They come in?four yummy flavors:

• Blueberry Banana & Vanilla Bliss
• Toasted Coconut & Almond Crunch
• Orchard Peach Pecan Perfection (pictured above)
• Raisin Walnut & Honey Heaven

I love that they’re made up of 100% whole grain oats (+ other grains), they’re a great source of dietary fiber (10 grams of fat or less per container) and they have no artificial flavors or added colors!

Since one of the essential ways to stay on top of eating well is to have the options you like available in the fridge, you must make a proper list and do a grocery shop (preferably when you’re not hungry!).

First, you need to plan out the week ahead and factor your schedule into your meal plan. Do you have lunch/dinner meetings or dinner with your besties? Factor in your workouts too and plan accordingly to prevent ravenous hunger ha.

Then you do the grocery shopping and divide it into 1 or 2 trips (one at the beginning of the week and one mid-week, or one big shop – whatever works for you). I sometimes end up going to 3 or 4 times per week so I can pick up a couple extra things, although I try and stick to twice a week for the sake of my wallet… I also blog about recipes and food, so I’m not the average person. I don’t mind eating the same thing 3 days in a row either, but that’s just me.

Here’s an example of what my weekly meal plan and grocery list look like:

I like to write out my lists according to the store and where the items are placed. Produce, cold and frozen foods, then the remaining items in the middle aisles. Every week is different!

I hope this helps! Meal prep makes life so much easier. It begins with planning and grocery shopping! Be sure to pick up some Quaker Overnight Oats at your local grocery store or online. Hope you guys love them as much as I do!

What does your grocery shopping and meal planning routine look like? What are your tips?! Do share with us in a comment below!