Primary physician Robert J. Winn provides a few tips on how to build an effective meal plan.

1. EFFECTIVE MEAL PLAN
H O W T O B U I L D A N
Dr. Robert J. Winn

2. PLANNING A WEEK'S WORTH OF MEALS ALL AT
ONCE IS INTIMIDATING.
Endless menu options and budget restrictions inevitably conflict, leaving you
wondering if you'll ever be able to pull together a weekly food rotation that
isn't either boring and repetitive or costly and time-consuming. But don't
despair! Difficult as it may seem at the outset, anyone can build an effective
meal plan if they devote enough time and thought to the process. Here, I've
listed a few guiding tidbits for a starting planner to follow. Happy cooking!

3. DECIDE ON
YOUR GOALS
What do you want to get out of
your meal plan? Are you trying to
build muscle, lose weight, or simply
eat more healthfully? Each of these
intents requires a different type of
dietary plan - after all, a
bodybuilder wouldn’t eat the same
quantity and type of food as a
ballerina! After you settle on a goal,
conduct some research to find your
nutritional guidelines. Remember
to check in with your primary
physician if you think that changing
the composition of your diet could
have some adverse health effects.

4. Odds are, a person who works
from six in the morning to six at
night isn’t going to have the
energy to whip up a three-course
meal when they come home.
Know your limits! If you have the
time and energy to cook a
comprehensive meal each night,
go for it - but if you don’t, you
should plan to accommodate a
low-energy evening. Meal-
prepping ahead of time or making
extra food when you cook may
help you avoid ordering pizza on
particularly tiring days.
ASSESS YOUR
CAPABILITIES

5. BE STRATEGIC IN
THE KITCHEN
Strategy is everything to a savvy
shopper. Cut down on food costs by
planning out a week’s meals in
advance and choosing recipes with
overlapping ingredients. To further
avoid overwhelming or confusing
yourself, pin a calendar outlining
what you plan to cook or eat on
each day onto your refrigerator.
When shopping, make a firm
grocery list and stick to it; impulse
purchases tend to add up quickly!

6. Meal prep should be every busy
professional’s go-to strategy for
eating healthy. Cut down on the
time and effort required during
the work week by pre-chopping
and portioning your ingredients
into marked plastic bags. If you
do so, the only action you’ll need
to take during the week will be
tossing the food you prepared
into a pot!
PREP AS
PREFERRED

7. T H E B E N E F I T S
M E A L P L A N N I N G T A K E S T I M E
A N D F O R E T H O U G H T - B U T T H E
H E A L T H A N D T I M E - S A V I N G
B E N E F I T S I T P R O V I D E S I S W E L L -
W O R T H T H E P L A N N I N G I T
R E Q U I R E S !
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8. T H A N K Y O U !
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