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3 Reasons To Meal Plan

By Chris Scott

An ideal meal plan design does not exactly mean taking away the fats and sodium from your dishes. In certain amounts and coupled with effective and regular exercise, cholesterol, salt and carbohydrates remain an essential part of a healthy diet. By weaving into your meals the variety of nutrients that your body needs, you will be decreasing the chances of indulging on junk food and sweets to compensate for the lack.

1. Balanced nutrition for the whole family is ensured.

No matter how serious you are in taking your supplements, there is still no match for a well-balanced meal. This is especially important to consider if you have young kids in your family. In addition to making sure that they eat the right kinds of foods, you play an important role in teaching them to form the right eating habits early on.

While you may not be able to control what they eat outside the house, you can as least plan for nutritious meals and fill your pantry and fridge with fiber- and vitamin-rich foods for them to nibble on. Without hovering over them at all times, you can rest easy that they are not putting themselves at risk for obesity or diabetes.

2. Prep time is shortened.

In striving for better nutrition, the daily grind will often rob you of your good intentions. If you have to work late, for instance, ordering a pizza or a Chinese takeout would be more convenient. Doing this once in a while can hardly lead you to a stroke or heart disease, but if you find yourself reaching for the phone most evenings, then it may be time to give meal planning a chance.

Because you have an idea on what to prepare, you can either cook in advance or set aside a few hours on weekends to do the prep work. Come crunch time, you will only need to heat up your casseroles or soups without breaking a sweat. You can even have the added bonus of being able to spend more time with your family since you had cut away those times when you agonize over what ingredients to shop or cook.

3. The savings pile up.

Designing meal plans also has one perk though, Sure, you can look forward to easing up your food budget since planning can cut down on waste and your need for dietary supplements. However, a balanced meal on a regular basis will soon translate to your family being less prone to sicknesses, less unplanned visits to your doctor and less prescription medicine. The savings should be enough to keep your pocketbook happy.

About the Author:

Chris Scott, CFNS, CPT is a certified personal Trainer and Nutritional Consultant in san antonio, Texas. His website is located at http://www.nutritionwellnessfitness.com