Food planning: Tip #2…Also plan your snacks, breakfasts and lunches
Santé
May 19, 2022
AXiO Clinique de médecine sportive
When we think of food planning, we often think of the dinner, but rarely of all the other times food will be involved in the day. For some people, this forgetfulness can lead to less than ideal situations such as skipping lunch, going to a restaurant for dinner a little against their will, or coming home hungry from work since they had no snacks on hand earlier.
Do you recognize yourself in these situations? So why not try to somehow include these other times in your food planning? Here are some ideas for your breakfasts, lunches and snacks.
BREAKFAST
You want to diversify your breakfasts or you want to try to include just breakfast in your busy morning routine. Choose your trick(s):
- Include a breakfast idea each week that can easily be frozen so you can have a roll in what you eat in the morning. Waffle, breakfast burritos, French toast, breakfast bar, etc. It’s up to you to choose according to your tastes, all you have to do is reheat them in the morning.
- Prepare your lunches the night before. Several options such as overnight oatmeal or fruit parfaits will make you happy in the morning when you just have to open the fridge and enjoy.
- Choose the quick options to do in the morning. Just make sure you’ve come up with a few ideas ahead of time so you have all the ingredients on hand and find the combinations that will sustain you until the next time you eat. Classic peanut butter-banana toast, microwave breakfast sandwich, fruit and oatmeal protein smoothies, etc.
LUNCH
Do you often rely on leftovers from dinner, but do you realize that half the time you find yourself in the cafeteria, at the restaurant or struggling the same morning to make your lunch? Here are some tips:
- Plan one or two recipes exactly for the lunches you can make ahead of time. Recipes can be simple! Sandwich, salad, soup meal or one of your favorite simple recipes.
- Double up some of your weekly recipes for lunches or freeze them in single servings for those days when leftovers are scarce.
SNACKS
Ahh the famous snacks, easier to include when considered. For a sustaining snack, combine a protein source (ex: cheese) with a carbohydrate source (ex: crackers).
- Plan a few items for snacks on your grocery list: fruits, raw vegetables, granola protein bars from stores, individual cheese or soy beverages in small formats are all options that will allow you to simplify the assembly of the lunch box and improve your diet.
- When you have more time, plan snack recipes that can be easily frozen into your weekly planner. This will allow you to diversify your choices, but also to reduce waste if ever you are less hungry for snacks certain weeks. Muffins, bars or homemade hummus, the choice is yours!
To encourage you, this month we offer you not one, but two delicious breakfast recipes for your busy mornings. Good tasting!
» BREAKFAST SANDWICH (simple or double)
By: Joanie Séguin, Dt. P.
