Meal Planning - LifeWeigh | Bariatrics

Meal Planning
Lifeweigh August Support Group
Elizabeth Prendergast, RDN, LDN
Meal plans can help us to decide…
∗ What to eat
∗ When to eat
∗ How much we should eat
Detrimental cycle
Don’t make time
to plan
Wait too long to
eat
Grab something
quick and easy
Eat too fast, Eat
too much
Feel too tired to
meal prep
Choosing what we want to eat
beforehand, can really help!
∗ Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and
Carnegie Mellon found
∗ When subjects ordered meals simply an hour before meal
time, there was a significant reduction in calorie intake
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2016/07/vanepps/
Calorie Comparison
http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/nutrition/eating-out-vs-eating-at-home
Where to start ?
∗ Make sure you have the right tools available
∗ Measuring cups
∗ Measuring spoons
∗ BPA-free containers
∗ Think of this as an investment for your health!
What’s out there?
∗ Brands:
∗ Pyrex , Rubbermaid , Snapware , Gladware ,Bentology
∗ Plastic or glass
∗ Sets range usually from $20 and up ( BPA free)
∗ Available at:
∗ Costco, Sams Club, Target, Walmart, etc.
Make a Plan
∗ Look at the timing of your day…
∗ When is it realistic to eat
∗ Avoid going less than 2 hours or more than 3 hours inbetween meals and snacks
Example schedule
∗ Wake up at 630 AM
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Breakfast @ 8 AM
AM snack @ 1030 AM
Lunch @ 1 pm
PM snack @ 330 PM
Dinner @ 630 PM
Bedtime snack @ 830 PM
∗ Go to bed around 1030 PM
∗ Avoid eating 1 hour or less before bed
Deciding what to eat
∗ Should be foods you like
∗ If you don’t like it, you probably are not going to eat it.
∗ Aim for protein and produce every time you eat.
∗ Goal is at least 10 gm protein for each meal/snack
∗ Look at foods that you can use in more than one
recipe
∗ Also look at low calorie sauces and seasonings you can
use to help with variety.
Make a Meal Planning Grid
Meal Planning Grid- 6 times a day
Decisions made easy
∗ Plenty of sample meal plans and recipes online
∗ It’s all about what you like!
∗ Where to find recipes…..
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Pinterest- Lifeweigh Bariatrics
Yummly
My Fitness Pal
Eating Well
Food Network
∗ Once you have found recipes you like hang on to them
∗ Create on online folder or print them out and make a meal
plan binder
Breakfast Ideas
2 Hard Boiled Eggs
1 Hard Boiled Egg + 1 packet of oatmeal
½ cup cottage cheese + ¼ cup fruit
Greek yogurt
3 egg white omelet + 1 slice of cheese + spinach +
mushroom
∗ 1 slice of whole grain toast + 1 slice of cheese +1 egg
*Protein shake + ½ c. frozen fruit blended
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Lunch Ideas
Chili
Salsa chicken + veggies
Salmon/ tilapia + veggies
Lean Protein + salad
To-go pack of tuna+ 1tbsp light dressing + 6 multigrain
crackers
∗ Sandwich- low calorie bread with 3oz of turkey, 1 slice
of cheese, mustard
∗ Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Smart Ones
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Snack Ideas
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Cheese stick rolled in ham or turkey
Portable protein pack by Oscar Meyer
Protein bar
Protein shake
Cottage cheese
Greek yogurt
2 hard boiled eggs
Cheese stick + piece of fruit
Carrots and hummus
Dinner Ideas
∗ Spaghetti squash + turkey meat sauce
∗ Recipe at: http://paleogrubs.com/spaghetti-squash-pasta-recipe
∗ Turkey Chili
∗ Recipe at: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2015/11/seriouslythe-best-healthy-turkey-chili/
∗ Salsa Chicken
∗ Recipe at: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/2-ingredient-slowcooker-salsa-chicken-recipe/
Dinner Ideas
∗ Turkey taco lettuce wraps
∗ Recipe: http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/28/taco-lettuce-wraps/
∗ Southwest Chicken Salad
∗ Recipe: http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/southwest-chickensalad-with-skinny-salsa-ranch/
∗ Salmon + Asparagus
∗ Recipe: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/02/salmon-andasparagus-in-foil/
∗ Pork chop + veggies
∗ Recipe: https://www.easyrecipedepot.net/recipe/easy-oven-porkchop-recipe/
Sample Plate
Base meals around a
protein!
Make a List
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Make your list of necessary items .
Make your list according to where items are located.
Overlapping ingredients can help decrease costs.
Lists can help us from impulse buys.
∗ Try to avoid grocery shopping while hungry.
Cost Comparison
∗ Grocery shopping sometimes feels like we are
spending more money
∗ Spending the money at one time, as opposed to little by
little.
∗ Salsa Chicken (4oz) + veggies ( 1 cup)
∗ $ 1.75- $2 / serving
∗ About 200 calories
∗ Value Meal from McDonalds
∗ $4.99/ meal
∗ About 600 calories
I’ve got my food now what..
∗ Time to prepare it!
∗ You can prepare food for the whole week or simply
for the next day
∗ Choose foods that will stay well.
∗ Portion it out
∗ If you log your food add a recipe with your exact measurements
Sample methods of cooking
∗ Crockpot
Sample Methods of cooking
∗ Bake or grill in bigger batches
∗ Cook more than one meat at a time
Sample methods of cooking
∗ Boiling or baking in bulk
∗ Example- Hardboiled eggs
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Put 1 egg in each of 12 muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Plunge baked eggs in a large bowl filled with ice water until
cooled completely, about 10 minutes.
Meal Prep in Real Life
It may not be easy…
∗ But when things get busy during the week, you will
be relieved when your meals are already set and
ready to go!
Make sure to have a Plan B!
∗ Other options could be My Chef or Blue Apron
∗ Ingredients and Recipe come to you!
∗ If you have to eat out, look up the nutrition facts
ahead of time!
∗ Determine a choice that will fit in your meal plan.
∗ Keep a back-up in a backpack, purse or car truck
∗ Protein bars or shakes