Meal planning has garnered a lot of attention for its ability to save people time and money. But there’s one other thing this process can help you save: your waistline! Believe it or not, preparing your meals in advance can help you cut back on weight or manage it at a healthy level.
In the following post, you’ll learn just how meal prep benefits your weight loss journey. You’ll also find a detailed guide on how to plan your meals, including examples. Read on to learn more:
Role of Meal Planning in Weight Loss and Management
One of the best kept secrets for effective weight loss and management is meal planning. Backed by science, it’s been proven to help people eat healthier in the following ways:
Teaches Portion Control
Portion control means serving only the right amount of food that helps you achieve your daily nutritional needs.
As explained in this CDC report, you’re more likely to overeat when served a larger-than-normal portion of food. This then increases the probability of consuming more calories than you need per day, leading to weight gain. The recommended caloric intake is 1,500 to 2,000 calories for women and 2,000 to 2,500 for men per day.
Now, when you plan your meals ahead of time, you get to determine the exact amount of food to eat to reach satiety levels. This way, you won’t end up serving an excessively small or big food portion - both of which can compromise your weight loss/management efforts.
If you serve a portion that’s too small, then you’ll end up snacking later on. And chances are, you won’t snack on anything considered healthy. On the other hand, serving a portion that’s too big causes you to overeat, surpassing the required threshold for caloric intake.
Eat Healthier
It’s a no-brainer that the food you eat influences your ability to lose weight or manage it at a healthy level. What many don’t know is that this process happens by influencing your body’s hormonal response.
Depending on what you eat, certain hormones are triggered, sending signals to your brain to respond in a particular way to cravings and hunger. Here’s a more detailed overview of how different food groups impact the hormonal response:
Protein
Protein-rich foods offer three key benefits that aid with weight loss. Not only do they fill you up faster than other nutrients, but they also keep you feeling full for a longer time. This means you only need to eat a small amount of protein to feel full. Plus, you’ll be able to maintain this feeling of satiety for longer!
So how does this happen? Research shows that whenever you eat a high-protein meal, it decreases the levels of the hunger hormone called ghrelin. It also causes an upsurge of peptide YY- a hormone that curbs your appetite and keeps you feeling satiated.
The third benefit may not have any relation to your body’s hormonal response. But, it influences weight loss. This is the fact that digesting proteins requires more energy than other nutrients. This then means that consuming protein forces your body to burn off more calories during the digestion process.
Dietary Fiber
Apart from protein, another nutrient you’ll want to add to your meal plan is dietary fiber, especially soluble-fiber food sources. Fiber slows down your body’s digestion rate, the result of which is an extended feeling of satiety and decreased appetite.
Highly-Processed Foods
One mistake made by people trying to lose weight is an overemphasis on the food to eat. While this is crucial, you should also familiarize yourself with the foods to avoid. And ultra-processed products are a good case in point.
Multiple studies have shown that a highly-processed diet quickly leads to weight gain, putting you at risk of several diseases. This particular study done by NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) proves this.
They compared the calorie count and body weight changes of two groups- one ate an ultra-processed diet and another that ate a minimally-processed one. At the end of the research, the first group consumed 500 more calories and gained two pounds more than the latter.
Meal Planning for Weight Loss
Based on this information, there are a few things you should keep in mind when planning your weight-loss meal plan.
Minimize Calories
Whether you’re looking to manage your current weight or shed a couple of pounds, watching your caloric intake is key. So, consider:
- Incorporating a ton of protein and dietary fiber
- Reducing ultra-processed foods and added sugar
- Integrating fruits and vegetables
Create Nutrient-Rich Meals
When creating your meal plan, you should aim to incorporate well-balanced and nutrient-dense dishes. You can achieve this by:
- Loading up a third to a half of your plate with non-starchy veggies like asparagus, artichoke, bean sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant e.t.c.
- Loading up a quarter to a third of your plate with a protein, such as meat, tofu, fish, legumes, seitan and more
- Enhance the flavor of your meals by adding a tiny bit of a healthy fat from sources like olives, avocados, nuts and seeds
Meal Plan Examples
Just to give you an idea of how to plan meals when trying to lose or manage weight effectively, here are two examples:
Example 1:Monday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and whole-wheat toast
Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with some romaine lettuce, sliced strawberries and a tablespoon of coconut oil
Snack: Orange banana smoothie
Dinner: Sirloin steak, baked potato and steamed veggies
Tuesday
Breakfast: Rolled oats with chia seeds and non-fat milk garnished with fresh berries
Lunch: Tuna and cannellini beans served over whole-wheat pita bread and topped with salad greens
Snack: Homemade granola bars
Dinner: Fish tacos with spicy avocado
Wednesday
Breakfast: Bean, sweet potato and kale shakshuka
Lunch: Quinoa and chickpea bowl with a side of red pepper sauce
Snack: Greek yogurt sweetened naturally with honey and garnished with chia seeds
Dinner: Stuffed sweet potatoes made with chicken, beans and sauteed vegetables
Thursday
Breakfast: Peanut butter-banana toast with a dash of cinnamon for ex
Lunch: Chipotle shrimp burrito bowl with cauliflower rice
Snack: One cup of grapes with a handful of walnuts
Dinner: Chickpea and pumpkin pizza with prawns
Friday
Breakfast: Broccoli and bacon egg burrito consisting of veggies and bacon wrapped in an egg-based tortilla
Lunch: Cucumber, tomato and white-bean salad with a basil vinaigrette
Snack: Edamame hummus paired with buckwheat crackers for some crunch
Dinner: Whole wheat beef burgers made with tomato slices, red onion and lettuce leaves
Saturday
Breakfast: Banana cupcakes with a creamy spread of almond or cashew butter
Lunch: Herby cilantro sauce and ground turkey served on lettuce leaves
Snack: One cup of sliced Granny Smith apples and a half-inch slice of your favorite cheese
Dinner: Roasted potato and chicken with kale
Sunday
Breakfast: Avocado and kale omelet
Lunch: Vegetable fried rice made with edamame and eggs or a few chunks of tofu
Snack: Pear slices flavored with a tablespoon of almond butter
Dinner: Turkey fajita bowl made with turkey breast, sweet potatoes and brown rice
Monday
Breakfast: Yogurt parfait made with Greek yogurt, raspberries and oat clusters
Lunch: Tuna, egg salad stuffed peppers
Snack: Peanut butter banana bites
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast with brown rice and a mix of steamed veggies
Tuesday
Breakfast: Egg, scallion and tomato sandwich
Lunch: Kale salad with avocado and salmon
Snack: Celery sticks served with cream cheese
Dinner: Sauteed vegetables and beans served on a bed of sweet potato mash with Greek yogurt
Wednesday
Breakfast: Chai baked oatmeal made with pecans and shredded coconut
Lunch: Lettuce tacos with ground beef, bell pepper, and onion
Snack: Whole-grain vegetable burger topped with a slice of low-fat cheese, tomato and mushrooms
Dinner: Shrimp, egg, and avocado chopped salad
Thursday
Breakfast: Butternut squash pancakes flavored with ground flaxseed and topped with natural peanut butter
Lunch: Stuffed sweet potatoes with quinoa and black beans
Snack: Chia pudding
Dinner: Seared tilapia with zucchini and a dash of olive oil
Friday
Breakfast: Potato fritters prepared with zucchini
Lunch: Lentil vegetable soup made with celery, carrots, garlic and parsley served with whole-wheat crusty bread
Snack: A quarter cup of pistachios
Dinner: Grilled salmon served with steamed asparagus spears
Saturday
Breakfast: Baked oatmeal cups with almond butter and applesauce
Lunch: Avocado and black beans served on lettuce wraps
Snack: Two hard-boiled eggs, grapes and some sliced carrots
Dinner: Fat-free turkey breast with marinara sauce and steamed zucchini noodles
Sunday
Breakfast: Oatmeal cheese waffles with raspberries
Lunch: Chicken sandwich made with mustard, watercress and roasted capsicum
Snack: Non-fat Greek yogurt and handful of almonds
Dinner: Black bean soup served with brown rice
Conclusion
People try all sorts of techniques to try and lose weight. However, one of the best-kept secrets is planning your meals in advance. This helps you come up with a list of nutrient-dense meals for weight loss. It also makes it easier to portion control your servings, which also aids with weight loss.
For the best outcome, always incorporate ample protein and dietary fiber in your meals. These nutrients keep you feeling satiated for longer, minimizing the risk of overindulging. At the same time, reduce highly-processed foods as they will only add more weight.