How to Let Meal Planning Save Your Sanity this Fall!

August 31, 2023

Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian


Some people love meal planning, some people hate it - but it's a habit that can make a big difference in your life! Even a little bit of meal planning can save you time and energy at the end of a long day, can save your money by making the best use of your groceries, and can help you keep up your nutrition habits through busy seasons. With fall routines coming up fast and furious, it's time to talk about how meal planning can change your life.

Meal planning can be as prescriptive as you want - or not! Some people want to plan exactly what they're having for every single meal and snack to avoid making decisions later if things are busy. Great! Other people may do better with just a rough idea, or a list of ideas but no specific plan for what day they will fall on. Both approaches can help reduce stress at meal times! Maybe you plan exactly what components will be at a meal. Maybe you just plan for "sandwiches" and figure out the details later. There's still no wrong answer if it works for you!

Don't feel you have to plan everything! Especially if meal planning is a new habit, planning everything can be overwhelming. Think about which time of day is causing the most stress and start there. Or maybe it's just dinners on certain days of the week that are stressful - focus on those!

The meals themselves don't have to be "perfect"! Often people get frustrated if every meal they plan is the most perfectly healthy or balanced - that's ok. You will still likely save money and be less stressed by planning meals, even if you aren't able to make them perfectly balanced. A plan to order pizza is still less stressful than a last-minute decision to order pizza because you just don't have time for anything else, and will help avoid food waste from the meal you did plan. 

Stuck for ideas? Keep it simple. You don't need brand new meal ideas for every single meal. Start with planning for meals you already like and know your family likes. If you cook for anyone else regularly (kids, spouse, etc.) ask them what meals they would like to have. If you're still stuck, or get overwhelmed by how many options there are, create themes for different nights of the week: Taco Tuesday, Meatless Monday, BBQ Saturday, Pasta Thursday, etc. This approach gives you variety, without too many options. 

You don't need to plan a week ahead - unless you want to! Planning for the week is most common, but doesn't work for everyone. If it feel like too much, do less. Plan today for tomorrow, or the next couple days only. If you find that's going well, continue with it, or try increasing how many days ahead you plan to save time. For ultimate time-saving, some people plan a month's worth of meals at a time! While this is extreme, you can easily re-use each monthly plan, and repeat meals within the month.

The bottom line is that meal planning is flexible, and can be adapted to work for YOU! Give some meal planning a try and see if it saves your sanity and changes your life this fall!

Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com to learn more about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!

4 Super Simple Meal Prep Ideas!

August 8, 2025
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian What comes to mind when you think of meal prep? Is it just plain chicken with rice and broccoli? If you love that as your meal prep, great! But many people don't want to be stuck eating the same thing over and over, or don't want to be assembling full meals ahead of time. Maybe you just don't know what you'll want to eat tomorrow, let alone later this week! What if we made meal prep easier? Instead of making whole meals, what if we made components of meals that could be put together in any number of different ways. This would allow us to still get healthy meals on the table fast, but not have to eat the same thing! Check out these 4 super simple ideas for meal components you can prep ahead of time! 1. Raw veggies! Most of us know we should be eating more veggies, but often they're the afterthought of a meal. Try keeping some washed and chopped raw veggies on hand to pair with your meals with little effort! Even taking a few minutes to cut up some carrot sticks can make a difference! Want to make it even easier? Choose veggies that don't need any further prep, like baby carrots, mini peppers, baby cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. Or you can buy a pre-cut veggie tray! If the veggies are ready in the fridge, there's a better chance you'll eat them. 2. Proteins! Try cooking a bulk batch of a protein option or two that can be used in different ways. Cook chicken in your slow cooker and then use it for sandwiches, chicken salad, or stir-fry. Cook some ground meat on the stove and use it for pastas, burrito bowls, or tacos. Hard-boiled eggs can be quick snacks or top salads. Cooked beans can be used in place of any of these ideas! Want to make it even easier? Grab a cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and skip having to cook it yourself! Canned beans and fish are also low-prep options. 3. Whole grains! Whole grains bring in more fibre and nutrition than their more processed counterparts, but can take a smidge more prep. Try cooking up a pot of your favourite grain, like brown rice, quinoa, or barley. Use these to make a filling salad, to pair with a stir-fry, or for a bowl-style meal! To make it even easier, check out the microwaveable options in the grocery store. There are many low-prep whole grain options out there that can be ready in minutes! 4. A fun sauce! What makes a meal more satisfying? A sauce! And when our healthy food tastes good, we're more likely to eat it. Healthy fats from our sauces actually help us absorb more of certain vitamins from our vegetables and fruit! Try whipping up a quick homemade salad dressing, salsa, peanut sauce, hummus, or veggie dip. A quick internet search will give you thousands of recipes, or you can wing it and taste as you go! Meal prep doesn't have to be fancy and take a lot of time, and it doesn't have to mean boring meals! Try one of these super simple ideas to make healthy eating easier this week! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!

Just Start Somewhere!

July 23, 2025
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian So often we put off making changes in our health and fitness because it's just so overwhelming. There's so much information out there and it feels like we need to do everything at once! Making big changes like joining a gym or overhauling your diet can be intimidating, even if we know how beneficial they would be. What if instead, we just started somewhere, right now? It doesn't have to be big or flashy. What's the smallest move you could make in the right direction today? Will one small change solve all your problems? Probably not. But one small change leads to another and another. And small changes maintained over time do improve your health overall. It's always better to do something than nothing! Here's some small changes you could try today or tomorrow to get the ball rolling: Not drinking enough water? Aim for one or two glasses more today. Want to eat healthier? Add and extra serving of vegetables or fruit today. Worried about your protein intake? See if you can include a source of protein at your meals today. Want to get moving? Go for a 10 minute walk at whatever pace feels good. The point isn't to tackle everything at once. The goal is to just start moving things in the right direction as you work towards your goals! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!

How Exercise Can Change Your Day (For the Better!)

July 18, 2025
Written By: Coach Sienna Training your body through exercise can provide more benefits than just improving your physical health. It can also support emotional wellbeing, mindset, mood and mental health! As much as working out can physically be tiring and challenging. It also challenges your mind which is just as good. Here is what is going on in your body when working out… Endorphins (happy, feel good hormones) Your body releases these when you are exercising and can impact how you feel. Example of this would be runners high. This happens when a release of these feel good chemicals occur during or after a workout. This happens biologically and is a mood elevator! Dopamine (motivation chemical) Is the brains reward chemical which also makes an appearance during exercise. This chemical affects your motivation and focus and overall sense of accomplishment and the “I can do anything!” Mentality. Serotonin (mood regulator) Serotonin helps balance your mood and keep you happy! Regular exercise can increase the production of this hormone.Overall change your day and even your life. Reduces Cortisol (stress hormone) Cortisol is our bodies stress hormone which can affect our mood negatively and make us feel like blah. During exercise this hormone is than kicked to the curb and replaced with our happy ones. Regular exercise can also help reduce this hormone over time overall leading a happy life. Confidence Since working out gives you a sense of accomplishment and that you did something hard. This can improve your confidence and help you release that you can do hard things. Confidence from a workout can help you flow into your work day with that same feeling and mindset. Movement as a Emotional Outlet Exercise can be hard and this can be a place to let out built up energy in your body instead of storing it. Maybe you had a hard week a work or something isn't working out in your favour. Exercise provides this outlet for these feelings and can help process them. Exercise is more than just a workout. You rewire your brain and change your mindset. It Improves your mood calming your nerves and provides an emotional outlet. Exercise isn't just for your physical health it also supports your mental health which is just as important! Ready to get moving? Book your Free Consultation by CLICKING HERE , or email us at info@degreefitnessseaforth.com to inquire.