Eating healthy can be challenging but I have some good news for you! Healthy eating can be easy to plan and it does not have to be complicated or confusing.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Joel Ramdial (Instructor and Program Director of Nutrition in the Department of Allied Health, Kinesiology and Sport Sciences at Southeast Missouri State University) shared a three-step meal prep strategy based on the2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians (DGIs).

He said, “The DGIs are developed by experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research of the National Institute Nutrition to provide simplified nutrition guidance based on current scientific evidence.” According to him, applying the strategy outlined below will help you plan and prepare meals customised to meet your preferences and food group recommendations.

Joel Ramdial categorised meal prepping in two ways:

1. Meal prepping can refer to preparing entire meals in advance that can be refrigerated or frozen and conveniently eaten on a later date.
2. Meal prepping can also refer to preparing and storing ingredients in advance, so they are available to include in a recipe on a later date.

He said, “It may seem like a lot of work at first but meal prepping is efficient and saves time and money over the long run because you can buy ingredients in bulk, avoid purchasing unnecessary ingredients and complete most of the preparation steps at one time, instead of multiple times throughout the week. If you use the strategy outlined below, you get the additional benefit of having healthy, pre-made options ready to go in the week which can help avoid the temptation to choose fast foods, processed foods, or convenience foods.”

Step #1: Plan your meals and snacks using a healthy portion control model.

• The DGIs promotes theMy Plate for the Day, which is a simple portion control structure designed to help Indians obtain the recommended amounts of nutrients from the ten food groups, while providing approximately 2000 Kcals. This is a generally healthy amount of Kcals for most people, and a great place to start planning meals and snacks.
• You can operationalise the My Plate for the Day recommendations by organizing them into meal prep plan table to help identify recipes and snack options to prepare, and the ingredients you need to prepare them. I have an example below.
• Here is a table vegetarians can use or modify to plan meals for one day. You can create plans like this for every day of the week.
• Your goal is to include recipes and snacks with food group amounts that add up to the recommended amounts to consume in one day.

Note: See Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) for more information on these recommendations and examples of foods in each group :2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians

• Here is a table non-vegetarians can use or modify to plan meals for one day.

• Once you have planned meals and snacks for each day of the week, add all the ingredients you need into a shopping list.
• Here is another template you can use as a corresponding shopping list.
• Note: A place is included to show which recipes and days the ingredients are for. This is to help you stay organised and save time when you get home from the store.

Step #2: Designate a day to shop and prep.

• Schedule a recurring day and time in your calendar to go shopping and to prep your meals and snacks.
• Block out at least five hours to shop and prep your items. This may seem like a lot of time to invest, but remember: You are investing in yourself, your health, and your family’s health. You can adjust your plans for the next week if this is not the right amount of time to complete these tasks.
• Pick a day on which you will feel rested enough to have the energy and willpower to avoid tempting foods and beverages that aren’t on your shopping list.
• Pick a time to shop that will allow you to eat or exercise before you go to purchase the ingredients on your shopping list. This will help you get into the right state of mind and prevent you from shopping while hungry.
• Plan to prep your items as soon as you return home from the store, so you don’t lose momentum.

Step #3: Prepare your meal prep environment.

• Before you go shopping, you’ll need to have the equipment required to prepare your foods, a place to safely prepare your foods, containers in which to store your foods, and a place to safely store your foods.
• Obtain any equipment you’ll need such as knives, cutting boards, peelers, etc. Make sure they are clean and ready to use before you go shopping.
• Clean your food preparation area so it is free from clutter and potential contaminants.
• Clear any old or expired foods and ingredients from your cold and dry food storage areas. Clean these storage spaces so they are ready to safely store your new items.

Now you are ready to shop for ingredients and prep your meals and snacks!
If you feel overwhelmed by beginning the meal prep process, just break it down to the next possible required action. Any progress, no matter how small, is still progress. You don’t have to do it all in one day, just get started and make a little progress each day. Before you know it, you’ll be a meal prep pro.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.