Ten reasons why meal planning is self-care.

Last week one of my busy mom clients, a fellow business owner working through her rather complicated relationship with food, told me about an “aha” food moment: while preparing her simple, well-balanced, gut-healing breakfast (plus leftovers for subsequent days), she noticed her frustration, followed by the sentiment, “This is a waste of my time.” Then, remembering our conversation about food as nourishment—not as a chore—she felt her body soften, followed by the transformative notion, “Actually, this is self-care.”

When I think of self-care, I consider which non-negotiables keep my nervous system balanced.  For me, nothing gives me more anxiety than when I have nothing prepared to eat on a jam-packed day.

Okay, one thing is more exasperating: when my kids complain about good food I’ve lovingly planned, prepared and offered to them. Still, when they say, “Mom, I’m hungry,” and I suggest several choices ranging from home-made baked goods to an assortment of fresh fruit with sides of nut butter, cheese or—in a pinch—something in the pantry, packaged yet pre-approved by mom, it’s so gratifying. Nutritious, delicious kid-friendly options are integral to meal planning, eliminating choices for nutrient-poor, ultra-processed, food-like substances.

My life simply functions more smoothly with organization—and yours will too. I juggle a lot, daily—and I’m sure you do, too. Meal plans save time, money and angst. They divert poor choices into informed ones. They help us consume foods that make us feel good, instead of regressing to emotional eats or mindless habits resulting in guilt, shame or physical distress.

Rather than waste my time midday when I’m hangry and craving something sweet, crunchy and salty—then move through the chaotic self-talk about preparing a well-balanced meal with “all the right things” my mind and body needs at that time—it’s a thousand times easier to have something ready. I work from home, where my conscious food choices are always available. Sometimes (especially lately) I heed to cravings and eat a mindful, satiating dozen-ish bites of organic Meyer lemon ice cream or an extra-large vegan buckeye bar from the double batch I made for a school event—instead of eating lunch. These choices, too, are planned, knowing that on overwhelmingly full days my body’s constant cortisol output requires fat, salt, sweet—and (to be satisfied) I must also ensure just enough protein to get me through the next meeting. Such a thoughtful “mini meal” to nourish my adrenals in my 5-minute bathroom and hydration break becomes essential, because sometimes there’s no time to sit down without distractions to eat (and chew) the arugula, cucumber, pepper, olive, mackerel, feta and walnut salad with balsamic vin I prepared the previous day. So, I save the salad for a late lunch—one I’ll plan to eat in the sunshine or at the clutter-free table after a few deep breaths that shift my nervous system into “rest, restore, digest.”

To be clear, meal planning does not always mean you have to design a week-long menu for yourself or your family, complete with complicated recipes, ideal snacks and homemade leftovers. Sure, you can do that! Often, I do. However, the point of a meal plan isn’t to become a stay-at-home-chef; it’s to eliminate decision fatigue by preparing foods to nourish our mind-bodies, especially during times of unexpected change, stress or illness, and when committed to a life of wellbeing.

Meal planning also does not have to be complicated, though it can feel that way, at first, as we navigate dietary needs or restrictions, individual preferences, finances, kitchen skills and, importantly, full schedules. If we have many mouths to feed, medications to consider, digestive issues to navigate, picky eating behaviors to attend—and more—it seems crazy to also consider optimizing nutrients in meals and snacks. That’s my job—I help with that. But you still must make the plan.

Years ago, I thought I could build my entire business around teaching people how to meal plan., When I began working with clients, it became that clear hat one of the biggest barriers to eating well or adhering to health goals was lack of meal planning skills. No one teaches us how or why to meal plan—or that it supports wellbeing.

We must eat; it’s the only way to remain alive. Why, then, do we move through life grappling with what to eat, rather than learning skills to make meals easy?

Imagine if carving out time every week to meal plan became as easy as other self-care commitments like attending a yoga class, hiking with friends, strength training and getting eight hours of sleep each night. Imagine the ritual of meal planning could include a favorite beverage, a few deep breaths, and ease of mind. On busier days, imagine the serenity after a few minutes of jotting down some meal ideas with pantry staples before the kids infiltrate the house, hangry with low blood sugar after school and sports. Imagine the energy and worry you avoid when you know exactly what you’re going to eat, if even for the new few meals. No ambiguity; no limbo; no chasm of indecision. Just clarity and readiness, with a strategy to execute.

In my humble opinion and, obviously, based on a decade of nutrition guidance, meal planning is a non-negotiable self-care hack to greatly reduce life stressors and, by doing so, also digest food better.

In a nutshell, make meal planning an essential part of your self-care commitments to

1.     Create expectations for everyone at home.

2.     Invite mealtime rhythms, rituals and traditions.

3.     Alleviate mental and physical anxiety associated with, “What to eat?”

4.     Remain dedicated to a healthy diet.

5.     Keep meals simple.

6.     Mindfully improve relationships with food.

7.     Promote metabolism and weight loss.

8.     Become part of a healthy lifestyle and family flow.

9.     Shift focus onto loved ones.

10.  Save money, time and disappointment.

Originally written for my weekly column at 5BGazette.com