Celebrate National Nutrition Month with Some Tips on Meal Planning

 Written By: Valerie Graham; SLU Dietetic Intern

As March quickly approaches, National Nutrition Month is nearly here! Started by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 1973 as National Nutrition week, by 1980 was upgraded to an annual month long celebration to highlight all that is nutrition and healthy eating. To celebrate this year’s theme, “Fuel for the Future”, we wanted to reach out with some helpful tips and resources. Thinking about our habits and wellness today protects our future health and keeps us feeling our best. One of the best ways to plan for your immediate future and to ensure a well balanced diet is to take a little time now to plan and cook your meals ahead of time.  

 

Meal planning can be overwhelming but here are some ways to help you tackle it! 

 

1. 1. Consider your schedule and lifestyle 

• If you have a lot of time on the weekend but not during weekdays, making entire meals ahead of time and freezing them is a great idea for dinners. You just make all your meals on the weekend, throw them in the freezer, then reheat them for weeknight dinners. 
• If you don’t have time to make entire meals on the weekends, you can keep ready to go and convenient healthy snacks available. Frozen rice can be reheated in a couple of minutes and pairs well with roasted vegetables and baked chicken breast. Sheet Pan dinners can cut down on dishes and can help you create some flavorful combinations. Below are some delicious sheet pan recipe ideas you can throw in the oven.  

• https://www.wellplated.com/sheet-pan-chicken-rainbow-vegetables/ 

• https://sweetsavoryandsteph.com/healthy-sheet-pan-teriyaki-chicken-and-vegetables/ 

• https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/257878/sheet-pan-chicken-fajitas/  

• If you find yourself in a hurry in the morning, a few minutes the night before putting some overnight oats in a jar can help you find the time to get a balanced breakfast. Experiment with different flavors to keep your breakfasts interesting. 

• https://lifemadesweeter.com/overnight-oats-8-ways/ 

  

2. 2. Search for delicious balanced recipes and go grocery shopping. 

• There are a lot of great recipe ideas online for convenient healthy meals. Pick a day to get everything you’ll need for your weekly prep. I like to come up with 2-3 dinner ideas and rotate them during a week. Lunch can be simpler and take less prep. Chopping veggies on the weekend can allow for endless salad combinations at lunchtime.  
• Some good resources for balanced meals include; 

• https://www.eatright.org/recipes 

• https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-kitchen/recipes 

3. 3. Schedule a day to prepare your meals.   

• Routines can be helpful in cementing habits. Blocking off a few hours on a day you know you’ll be available every week can help create the habit and make it easier to maintain.  

 

 

 

 

To learn more about National Nutrition Month and to find more resources on healthy eating please visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. You can also schedule an individualized consultation with a Registered Dietitian to hear the latest evidence based guidelines for healthy eating. You can also share how you plan to Fuel for your Future at #NationalNutritionMonth! on social media.