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Meal Planning

by Stella Morgan

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Eating smart can seem a bit difficult in the initial stages, especially if you are not used to it. However careful and thorough meal planning can help in trimming down both the waistline as well as the food budget. It is important to note that frequent eating out can be detrimental to the wallet as well as to your weight.

Here are some suggestions to help you in planning a healthy meal through some smart shopping and cooking tips: Set aside a budget for monthly planning and shopping. It is a good habit to determine how much money is set aside every month for food. Dividing that amount of money by four can help you to figure out the amount that you will be spending each week over food.

Have a ready plan at hand before you step out for shopping. The rest of the money can be set aside for non-food items. Use the foods that you have first while preparing a meal, and consume the leftovers during the week.

Spend some time reviewing your shopping list and budget in order to see if it fits within the realm of things in mind. Plan your diet based on the food guide pyramid. Lookout for the basics of a healthy diet such as vegetables, fresh produce, fish and meat and dairy products. This will prevent you from stacking your cart with junk foods. Lookout for higher out and lower shelves in departmental stores, as items that are economically priced are usually placed there, as compared to expensive food items that are kept at eye level. When buying fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables, buy by the bag and not by the piece. Doing so is far more economical and budget friendly. While planning ahead it is important to shop, keeping the freezer in mind. Although it's nice to have fresh food, it may not always be possible. If you have the time, prepare a large quantity of a particular dish and freeze three of four servings for another time in the deep freezer. Use healthy cooking methods when planning meals such as stir-frying, steaming, stewing, braising and oven baking. These cooking methods make food far tastier and are also excellent ways of cooking food healthily. Once you have determined a healthy meal planning at the beginning of a month and as part of your daily routine, you'll discover that doing so becomes second nature to you. Eventually you will build up an entire range of home-made meals that can be easily prepared and cooked, rather than resorting to ready-made meals that are replete with saturated fats and unhealthy ingredients.

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