Prospre: Meal Planner
Meal plans based on macros
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September 21, 2023
Meal planning can be the most effective way to stay on track with your food and fitness goals. Matching your nutritional needs to your fitness needs sets you up for measurable success. However, meal planning on a budget means that you don’t have a lot of room for error. Each ingredient must be carefully selected to do a specific job, whether to meet macros or provide essential calories.
A meal plan with zero waste ensures that your nutritional journey is also an environmental one; keeping extra food out of the house eliminates poor choices from happening and unnecessary landfill waste. Find out why more people turn to meal planning to not only effectively meet their fitness goals but to reduce food and budget waste.
You plan for the week in terms of appointments, job hours, and the occasional date. Why not include planning for meals as an essential item on your to-do list? To stay on track with your fitness goal, meal planning is critical.
When you shop on an empty stomach, you can be sure you’ll head home with items that weren’t on your list. These items are likely not ingredients in your meal prep for the week. Usually, there are two possible outcomes for the things you buy in hunger. One potential result is that you eat snacks and other foods you didn’t need at all. Another outcome is that you feel guilty and throw the food you didn’t need in the trash. Adding to landfill waste is not an acceptable result of shopper’s remorse, so eat dinner first and then head to the store.
A fitness goal can be met with a bit of dedication and a lot of planning. Once you identify your macros goals, meeting them is as easy as staying on track and eating the meal you plan and prepare for yourself. Shop for just the meals and snacks on your list to reduce waste.
Saving money is something that everyone can benefit from. Rather than scrimp on the quality of your food, plan to reduce waste by eliminating any unnecessary food that doesn’t meet your goals for the week.
Buy four and get the fifth item free or "buy one get one free" deals are tempting and sometimes beneficial. However, don’t go crazy and stock up on items just because they are on sale. This practice can save you some money but may cost you in the long run. Some problematic aspects of this buying practice include:
Two of the most problematic aspects of buying in bulk are storage and expiration dates. The cost may seem to be a deal, but it may not work out that way in the long run. Saving pennies on a product only to have to purchase a pricey way to store it is not beneficial. Bulk items can also expire before you know it. If you do not carefully mark containers, you could experience the unfortunate effects of spoiled food.
Buying in bulk can be helpful for items like oats or protein powder, but be cautious about buying other food items that are not as versatile. When you stock the pantry, fridge, or freezer with one kind of ingredient, you run the risk of getting bored with your food selection and going off diet.
It’s no secret that the environment is a hot-button topic right now, and rightfully so. There have been more catastrophic natural events crammed in the last few years than spanning many years before. Temperatures are rising and the ice caps are melting. Landfills packed with waste are either burned, creating more hazardous gas that damages the ozone, or crushed and melted down to the same effect. Many landfills are already overfilled. Reducing your carbon footprint as well as the amount of trash you throw out is a good deed well done.
You can reduce the amount of waste you create by making a few changes and taking small steps to help the environment. A zero waste meal plan is a great way to start the week, even if you end up deviating a little from your goal. You can accomplish this by planning your meals for the entire week based on your nutritional requirements. Shop only for the items and ingredients you need to make your planned meals with no waste. Be sure to set aside time to prepare your meals, and compost any food waste for gardens or landscaping if possible.
To expertly plan all the meals for your week to meet your nutritional goals, download the Prospre macro meal plan app for recipes and shopping lists of all the ingredients you need.