The Real Benefits Of Meal Planning

Many of us plan our meals ahead and there are plenty of reasons why, from saving money to saving time. Here are the real benefits behind meal planning -

Saving pennies, the planet, and precious time 

If you've planned out your meals for the week ahead, you know exactly what you're going to eat and exactly what you need to buy. There's no "we might need this" so you buy it and never eat it. That way you're not wasting your money and you're not wasting food either.

According to the Food Standards Agency, here in the UK, we throw away 7 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year, the majority of which could have been eaten. Wasting this food costs the average household in the UK £470 a year - with bread, fruit and vegetables the most commonly thrown away foods.

But in addition to saving food from the garbage, if you've planned what you're going to eat, you only need one trip to the supermarket. This saves valuable time when you're not nipping to the shop every other day (we've all done it).

And there are health benefits too

By being aware of what's going into your body, you can better ensure that you're getting the nutrients you need from your diet. You can check that you're putting in enough protein and iron to suit your individual needs, for example. Many of us are lacking certain vitamins and nutrients that can be tackled by adding different things to our plates.

As well as realising what we need more of, meal planning can highlight what we're eating too often and prompt us to cut down. Chips three times a week? That work day chocolate bar at 3pm?

I find it really useful to use the myfitnesspal app to plan and track my food intake.

Plus, by knowing what yummy food is coming your way, you're less likely to snack and make unhealthy choices. After all, you might have planned pancakes to wake up to in the morning!

Do you plan your meals? Why? Tweet me @SVMullins