Wednesday, October 28th, 2009...12:38 am
Plan A
I am an obsessive planner. I map out what classes I need to take and what work needs to be done at the office in extensive Excel spreadsheets. I know where and when I want to go places when I’m on vacation. Anyone who has seen my iCal is shocked… and then I show them my moleskine planner which is even more detailed. My to do lists are sometimes three pages long. Not that I don’t love spontaneity in my free time, but I like to know what I need to do ahead of time so that I can, you know, plan accordingly.
However, I don’t plan my food ahead. Ever. I go into most days having no idea what I’m going to eat after that morning’s breakfast. Well, not anymore.
I realized how detrimental my lack of food planning was when last week I went from breakfast at 8:30 am to dinner at 7 pm consuming nothing more than a Larabar I found in my purse and a few glasses of water. I just didn’t make the time to stop and get anything. I felt sick to my stomach all night after scarfing down dinner and I didn’t sleep well at all, which negatively impacted the following day as well. I sat down Sunday to make a plan for the following two weeks so that I could ensure that would not happen again. I knew that I knew what to eat, I just needed to make it happen.
First, I divided my week up into three types of days for lunches and snacks:
A Days: days that I work first and then head to class afterwards
B Days: days that I have class first and then go to the office
C Days: days that really have no planned schedule (read: weekend!)
Then, after considering the details of those days, I came up with a plan of action for each day. First I’ll share what I planned for my A Days, which are Monday, Wednesday, and half of Friday. (No Friday classes for me!)
A Days: I am at work first, so I have access to a refrigerator, microwave, and toaster oven, which means I can bring pretty much anything I choose. Unfortunately, these days start earlier than the others, so I usually (always) fail to plan ahead and end up eating something from the unreliable (and often disgusting) office cafeteria. In the afternoons, I run at the gym, so I need to pack my gym bag and a snack for before and after.
Plan: Pack Nutritionista-style “homemade tv dinners” to be warmed up at work. Bring cold items as a morning snack. Put lunch & snacks all together in my lunch box so I can grab it and go.
In Action: I just finished preparing tomorrow’s eats. For lunch, I have a mix of cannellini beans, brown rice, spinach, feta, a little extra virgin olive oil, and seasonings + an Adora disc. For my snacks I have a Voskos honey yogurt and unphotographed Granny Smith apple in the morning and half an almond butter sandwich and a coffee fruit water for the afternoon/evening. It’s all tucked away in the fridge and ready for me to take with me first thing tomorrow morning.
I realize maybe an entire post about the fact that I packed my lunch is a little lame, but I’m really excited to see how it all goes tomorrow. I’ll let you know tomorrow night. : )
What are your tips for successful food planning during the week? Any great lunch-to-go ideas?
9 Comments
October 28th, 2009 at 7:55 am
I plan out what I want to cook for each meal. then do the grocery shopping, usually I incorporate same products into at least 3 meals. Then I plan all breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Leaving Friday and Saturday night open.Pack my lunches night before…and breakfast. thats eaten at work a lot of the time.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Whenever I cook dinner, I always put some into Tupperware for the next day before even having my dinner. I also sometimes do a big cooking on a weekend, where I make a few things, portion them out and freeze some portions as well.
A Veggie burger, some veggies and a little cheese is always a great quick meal. Or hard boil a few eggs to grab when you need them. My mom also swears by small, single serve cans of tuna. Perfect for when she forgets lunch!
October 28th, 2009 at 8:13 am
When I need to take something for lunch I try to pack everything possible the night before. This makes my morning less stressful and I don’t end up forgetting things nearly as often. Also, I save money by not having to go out for lunch!
October 28th, 2009 at 11:05 am
I, too, am the ULTIMATE planner. I felt like I wrote the first couple paragraphs of this post. Right now, I’m not much of a food planner bc I have a lot of flexibility to come home and eat whenever I want or need. When I was interning more/babysitting–I would always thinking up my “eating game plan” the night before.
My favorite simple lunch idea–to switch up a canned soup rut I fell into several times haha–is cold peanut sesame noodles. If you’ve never made em, let me know and I’ll email you my recipe. It’s soooo easy and AMAZING cold!
October 28th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I don’t have any tips because I almost always eat at home, but meal planning is definitely a very good idea! Good job
October 29th, 2009 at 8:03 am
Very smart meal planning! I don’t have any GOOD tips, other than making bulk grains the Sunday before and making sure you have enough ingredients to make healthy salads and sandwiches all week long.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:08 am
sometimes i don’t feel organized enough, then other times i feel way too organized. however, i do always make time for food. not only do i think better, but i am soooo much more productive. a little planning goes a long way
October 29th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
[...] reviews Plan A [...]
October 30th, 2009 at 12:58 am
I’m a big planner, too and I hate being thrown off by things. But, for some reason, like you, I don’t plan out my meals. I know what I’m going to have for breakfast and then I wing the rest. If I make a big batch of something for dinner, I know I will eat the leftovers until it’s gone. However, if there’s nothing already pre-made in the fridge, then trouble strikes. I know I have to be more diligent about this – it’s healthier for me and will be healthier for my wallet! Love your Plan A and B idea – you are so organized! Embrace it
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