Plan a week's worth of dinners at a time

5 ways to make more time for your health

Try these tips to make more time for fitness and nutrition and make your health a priority

By Dana Sullivan

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Plan a week's worth of dinners at a time

All of a sudden it's four o'clock and you have no idea what's for dinner. Sound familiar? You're in good company: Research has shown that the majority of people don't know what they're having either. And lack of planning is probably what leads you to the drive-through or has you dialing for takeout. Both options can sabotage your health (and budget). A better idea is to keep a few go-to dinner recipes‚ ideally ones that your spouse or teenager can prepare‚ in a kitchen folder, and keep the key ingredients for them on hand in the pantry and freezer. Think one-pot meals like chicken stir-fry, pork chops with cabbage, or pasta with white beans and spinach.

Another time-saver: Sit down on Saturday or Sunday and plan out your dinners for the week. Make a list of all the ingredients you'll need for each one, and vóilla, that's your shopping list. "If you have a list, you won't wander the aisles aimlessly," says Duncan. You can also take meal planning to a new level and devote two hours on a weekend afternoon to preparing several meals you'll eat later in the week. "You'll be shocked at how much time you'll free up and how much less stress you'll feel at dinnertime come mid-week," says Duncan, who adopted the "cook ahead" tip from her mother.

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