Written by Menswear Style in Food & Drink on the 19th February 2021

If you’ve entered the new year with a renewed vigour and have committed to taking better care of yourself, then good for you! You’re slowly but surely on your way to a healthier lifestyle that is bound to have you feeling like a million bucks. But here’s the thing, you can’t do one thing without the other, if you really want this to work. This is why you need to integrate a proper diet along with a workout plan that you have set up for yourself. If you’re not really sure how to do this, we’ve created a simple and comprehensive guide to help you create the ultimate healthy meal plan.

Collect New Recipes 

The first thing you want to do is get down to a bit of researching. You’re planning to completely transform yourself and your outlook on life, so what you put in your body matters. Learn more about food and how it affects your body, so when you’re on the lookout for new recipes, you know what to look for and what to avoid. Initially, you can utilise delivery services that either provide ready-made healthy meals or they send you a box with the ingredients and the recipe inside, just to get you started and give you some time to explore the world of healthy eating. Get a new notebook where you can start taking down the recipes that appeal to you the most. Divide it into sections so it’s easily accessible when it’s time to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Watch videos, look up recipes, and check out forums where like-minded people share ideas and recipes as well. You’ll be amazed at the number of resources available online and in books, so you’ll have no trouble exploring and experimenting until you create meal plans that are perfect for your lifestyle and taste.

Stock Your Pantry with the Right Ingredients 

In order to make proper healthy meals, you need healthy ingredients. It’s time to go fresh, all the way. So goodbye to junk, processed, and sugary foods, because they are the enemy. Look into fresh food markets in your area, and also about where you can get local produce. When it comes to meat, pay attention and make sure that it is organic and grass-fed. As shown with Cleaver's Organic meat options, the most organic meat is always grass-fed. You want to stay away from meat that uses chemicals and growth hormones because ultimately, this just ends up in your body. You’ll find that organic food in general aims to stay away from the use of pesticides and any unnatural or harmful forms of farming to grow their food, which at the end of the day, is much healthier and isn’t running the risk of consuming dangerous chemicals. 

Create a Meal Schedule That Suits You 

We all lead different lives at different paces, so it only makes sense that you adjust your meal plan according to how your day goes. Just make sure that there are some ground rules. You have to have 3 meals a day- breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try to have your dinner early and not right before bed, because this is an issue when it comes to digestion, and always stay hydrated. These are the basics. What you do from there is entirely up to you. Just be true to yourself and eat what you love while being mindful.

Keep Serving Size in Mind 

No matter what any diet plan says, portions do matter and they do make a difference. The trick is to not to starve yourself, but also not to overeat. Always remember that our mind often mistakes thirst for hunger, so make it a priority to always drink water throughout the day and stay hydrated. Your portions should be reasonable and the golden rule is to not to eat once you start feeling full. 

It’s Not Torture, It’s a Way of Life 

You’re probably only going to put a lot of thought into this at the very beginning, then it’s just going to become a normal way of life for you. Always remember that this is not punishment and you’re not meant to be miserable. There are amazing recipes out there that are super smart and healthy, and the same goes for snacks as well. You just need to get creative and commit at the beginning, and later it’s all going to fall into place. Creating a healthy meal plan is more about how you do it, rather than it only being about discipline. You have to adapt it to the way you live and the flavours that you enjoy. It’s about the journey as you explore food and experiment with it, until you’re able to find a way to integrate healthy meals into your way of life.

We recommend collecting new recipes, stocking your pantry with the right ingredients, creating a meal schedule that suits you, and keeping serving size in mind in this Ultimate Guide to Healthy Meal Plan.