Introduction to the Daily Meal Plan
Weekly Meal Plans never seem to work for me!
When you think of a meal plan, you probably picture a sheet with 7 blank days, Monday through Sunday. Then you might picture the tedious task of filling in each box with a creative and original meal idea, and just hoping that you’ll actually feel like eating that meal in 5 or 6 days.
Weekly meal plans seem like the first step in “getting healthier.” And everyone seems to agree that the process of writing one up and sticking to it is a beginner-level skill.
But here’s a secret. Weekly meal plans are actually Level 8. Or maybe even a Level 9. Don’t quote me on an exact number, but the important idea is that it’s an advanced skill.
Trying to set yourself up to have all those meal ingredients thawed or prepped on the exact right day? Trying to weave in and out of random social engagements, predicting what day your family friends are going to ask you out for dinner, or trying to remember that on soccer game nights, you only have time for sandwiches or the drive-thru?
It’s a Herculean task, NOT a beginner-level skill.
So if weekly meal plans aren’t a good starting place, what should I do instead?
What would happen if you started at the TRUE beginner-level, and mastered the Daily Meal Plan?
What’s a Daily Meal Plan?
Well, let’s start with what it’s not. A Daily Meal Plan is NOT for running a whole household’s food plan. And it’s NOT for trying to micro-manage 21 of your meals and 14 of your snacks in advance.
A Daily Meal Plan is a short, manageable way to dip your toe into becoming intentional with how you nourish yourself. Instead of making every decision on the fly, you’re going into the day with a rough plan for how you will stay energized.
Why are Daily Meal Plans supposed to be so helpful?
“Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.”
Just like in other areas of our lives, making a rough plan keeps us engaged and mindful of our higher goals. It prevents us from checking out of the process (which often happens when we’re stressed, super-busy, or in a mid-day fatigue fog).
Even if you don’t follow it, just HAVING a plan means your day will go better than it would have otherwise.
And most importantly, making a plan for just the next 12 to 16 hours is much easier than trying to predict 7 days in advance. It allows you to address busy days differently than you would address calm days. Your plan will reflect your REAL life (not your “ideal perfect week.”)
I know that mastering the Daily Meal Plan is one of the top 3 skills that has enabled me to maintain my 100-lb weight-loss for 6 years and counting. For me, weekly meal plans are a “nice-to-have.” But writing out my Daily Meal Plan each morning? That’s a non-negotiable!
How do I start making Daily Meal Plans?
Take 5 minutes each morning, glance at your schedule for the day, look in the cabinets/pantry/fridge, and jot down how you are going to keep yourself fed and energized for the next 12 to 18 hrs.
You can use bullet points, abbreviations, or even give yourself 2 choices for a meal if you’re not sure what you’ll be in the mood for. The important part is that the plan doesn’t stay up in your head. It gets written down or typed out somewhere.
What would life look like if you could master the simple skill of planning just 1 day of your meals at a time? How would your confidence grow, if you became an expert at prioritizing your nourishment, no matter what the day throws at you?
How do I turn this into ACTION?
You can start embodying that new version of yourself right now!
if you’d like to see a model of how this works in real life, give me a follow on Instagram. I go into detail with how I make Daily Meal Plans a non-negotiable part of my self-care. In my daily stories, you can view the ins and outs of how I set out a plan in real time. I document what happens during the day, snapping photos for accountability, and each evening I sum up the results.
I’d love to see you there!