Oh, summertime. How I love thee. But even with all the fun in the sun, vacations, and extra daylight, it seems like I always need a vacation from my vacation. Can you relate? This feeling undoubtedly stems from the anxiety that overcomes me when I feel rushed back into “reality” & unprepared for the coming week. #Ugh. Just ugh. OK guys, but here’s the thing… we can change this dreaded feeling and situation! No more measly meals of PB sandwiches (with the bread loaf butts), no more fried fast food at lunch and no more overpriced take-out for dinner. Sounds pretty sweet, right? Here’s just how you do it! 1) Count how many days there are in between the day you return from vacation and your next grocery trip. Not only will this force you to look ahead at your calendar to see what’s coming up, but it will help you think through just how many meals & snacks you need to prepare for before you head out of town. 2) Decide on meals & snacks for these days. Now that you’ve figured out exactly how many meals & snacks you need to plan for, you get to fill in the blanks! Use our Printable Weekly Meal Planner to complete this step. Focus on super simple meals and snacks you can throw together each day, for example:
3) Go grocery shopping! Whether you pick-up your ingredients curbside or send your Shipt assistant out for the goods, make sure to designate a day & time before you leave to stock up on all your essentials. You might also find it helpful to post your Weekly Meal Planner on your refrigerator door so you’ll remember all the meals and snacks you have.
4) Commit to ending your vacation when your vacation ends. While we all enjoy rest & relaxation, nothing will side track your healthy habits like dragging out your return to your regular routine. Make getting back on the horse easier for yourself by putting your plan into action! And even though it can be so difficult to think about what you’re eating when you return home (admittedly because we’re so consumed by what we want to eat while we’re away) taking just a little extra time & energy to set yourself up for success will be worth it. We promise! What are your tips & tricks to eating healthfully after vacation? Tell is in the comments below! lindsey P.S. Interested in how to eat healthy while traveling. Check out all of our tips here!
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Hey friends! We are in the peak season for so many tasty fruits and vegetables. Summer is the best time to find some of your favorite fresh produce! In Nashville, we are very lucky to have a wide variety of farmers markets all over the city on any day of the week. They are a great way to spend a sunny afternoon, but farmers markets can be overwhelming at times. Here are my top 5 tips to navigate your local farmers market! 1. MAKE A MARKET PLANIt is so important to make a plan before going grocery shopping, no matter where that takes place! Planning is particularly important at the farmers market. Trust me, it is easy to walk up to the market, see the first vendor with all the glorious produce, and you want it ALL. This could potentially lead to wasted food (because you didn't make a plan for those ingredients) and the cost adds up quickly. By having a plan for what you need/want to purchase, there will be no guessing as to "What do I do with this?" and it will help you too stay on task when you browse and shop. Prepare for your farmers market visit by downloading one of our FREE WEEKLY MEAL PLANNERS. 2. BRING CASHMost vendors these days take credits cards, however, there is often an additional charge and/or tax on the items. If you bring cash, it's likely a flat rate for the item(s). Plus, there is the potential for haggling with cash vs. with credit cards there's not really. **PRO NOTE: In addition to cash, most markets these days accept EBT and WIC vouchers. Farmers markets are a GREAT way to eat healthfully on a budget! 3. TAKE A LAP AROUNDThis goes along with tip #1. It is so easy to see the first vendor and want it all, but before purchasing, take a lap around the market. See what other vendors are there that day, what they have available, and their various prices. You're sure to find different deals throughout. Then once you've found the right fit, go get it! 4. ASK THE FARMEROne of the best things about farmers markets is the ability to talk and meet the person that has grown and harvested the food before you. Don't be afraid to get their advice. Ask them how to prepare particular vegetables, how long will it last, or how to properly store it. The farmers' are always so happy to share their knowledge and tips with you! 5. TRY SOMETHING NEWEven though we recommend going to the farmers market with a plan (see tip #1), I also recommend being open-minded and flexible with your meal plan when shopping at a farmers market. You may come across a new-to-you food that you have never seen of, heard of, or tried before. This is a great place to change that! Let's say for example that this Tuesday, you plan to roast broccoli, but you see some gorgeous asparagus that you can't say no to. Let seasonal produce at the market inspire what fruits and vegetables will be a part of your meal plan for the week. You'll expand your tastebuds and cooking skills! Find recipe inspo for any farmers market find over on our Pinterest Boards. What are your top tips for shopping at your local farmers market? Share with us in the comments below or by tagging us @themealplanningmethod.
christy Hi y'all! One of the best things about summer are vacations! We just got back from our vacation to the Pacific Northwest and Olympic National Park. Add it to your list! Because, it is incredibly beautiful out there. As much fun as vacations can be; it can be somewhat tough to eat healthfully while traveling. But, with a little bit of planning ahead it can be made easier. Here are some tips to help you on your next adventure. Plan AheadFirst, we need to take some factors into consideration. Time. What time of day will you be traveling? This question is important to ask yourself because it will determine how much you need to pack as well as for when. For example, If I am traveling mid-day, I know I will need to pack something for lunch as well as at least 1-2 snacks (for those in-between times). People. How many people are you traveling with? Again, this helps determine how much. Are you traveling solo or with family? Make sure you pack enough for everybody. Type of Transportation. This is important because this determine how you pack. If you are traveling by car, you can most likely pack a bit more due to having more space. Plus, you can pack a large cooler full of goodies. I you are traveling by air, you will have to be a bit more strategic with your packing. You can bring food and a small cooler. But, ALL liquids have to be 3 ounces or less. Still have TSA approved food questions? Check this out. Eating Necessities. What will you need to eat? Pack ahead any silverware/plasticware, straws, napkins, ice, and trash bag with you. Trust me. Have all this with you will make eating on the road (or air) so much smoother. Also, think ahead to how you will transport the food. For road trips, I always pack a cooler for the cold items then another bag or cooler for the shelf stable items. Makes for easy and organized packing and eating. For air travel, I typically will put all of my snacks into a gallon sized plastic bag and throw into my carry-on for the flight and a soft sided cooler (or insulated reusable grocery bag) into my checked luggage. These fold flat and don't take up much room in my bag. Then, I can head to a grocery store once I land to pick up additional foods for the trip. Travel FoodNow, let's get to the food! Here are some great foods ideas to pack. (items that need to be chilled will be marked with an (*) asterisk.) Trail mix. Make your own! Combine your favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruits and some dark chocolate. Have fun with this one and create combinations with foods you love! They can be sweet, spicy, salty, or a a combination of all three. My favorite: walnuts + almonds + dark chocolate chips + dried blueberries. If you are prone to nausea while traveling, add some candied ginger to your mix to help alleviate the nausea plus add an amazing spicy zing. Raw vegetables + Hummus. This is a great way to get vegetables, protein and fiber while on the go. Slice your vegetables before you go and store in plastic baggies or small tupperware. Veggie ideas: grape tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, bell pepper and celery. Pre-pack the hummus using this tip. You can also buy the individual snack size containers typically located in the deli section of your grocery store. Fruit + Nut Butter. Pack your favorite nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, etc) in a small plastic container with your favorite fruits such as bananas and apples (or vegetables like celery and carrots). You can also find many prep-portioned nut butter packs in most grocery store like this brand. Hard-boiled eggs*. Hard boiled eggs are a great snack on the go. Eggs are a nutrition powerhouse. They contain high quality protein and 13 essential vitamins and minerals, including iron. You can even pre-peel the eggs for ease. Then, store in a plastic bag or container and throw in the cooler. PB&J. This is a classic, but oh so good! This is such a great food on the go because it is easy to put together, delicious and you can customize it to your liking. Choose your favorite whole wheat bread + nut butter + jelly. Don't like jelly? No problem! Try adding sliced fruit such as strawberries or a fruit compote or jam like a blackberry flavor. YUM! String cheese + grapes*. This is a simple, but delicious and healthy combination. You get protein from the cheese and carb from the grapes - it's perfect! There are also many varieties of string cheese nowadays such as classic mozzarella, pepper jack, colby jack and more. Yogurt*. Try topping the yogurt with the trail mix you made for an added crunch. Don't want to deal with a spoon? No worries! Grab a yogurt tube like this one. Delicious food has no age limit. Fresh Fruit. Fresh fruit is a easy and healthy snack. And a lot of them come in their own container for easy tossing into your snack bag such as clementines (cuties, halos, sweethearts - different names depending where you are), bananas. For other fruits, pre-cut and store in a plastic bag or container. Fun tip: add cinnamon to sliced apples. The cinnamon helps to slow down the browning process. Plus, it adds great flavor! Homemade air popped popcorn. Popcorn is awesome because you get a lot of bang for your buck. 1 serving = 3 cups of popcorn! That's a lot! But, we have to be careful not to get doused in butter, which most of the ones in the microwavable pouches do. I love to make my own and it is super easy! You can get creative here and try many different combinations with spices, herbs, nuts and even chocolate. Popcorn is a blank canvas - works with both sweet and salty. By making your own, you are in control of what goes in it and how much.
Reusable water bottle. I know this isn't a food, but it is so important to drink water when you travel. Traveling, especially air travel, is dehydrating. So, it is important to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This is will also make you feel great while away. Bringing your own bottle you can continuously fill it up without any additional charges. (If traveling by air, make sure it is empty! You can fill it up once you get through security.) Get more ideas on how to drink more water here. What are your favorite foods to take on your road trip? Let us know by sharing below!
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