Plan B – Being organised and prepared when it comes to food is great, in fact it’s ideal. Knowing what you need to buy in the weekly grocery shop can help reduce the risk of mid-week ‘drop-into-the-shops-and-buy-a-perfectly-postitioned-chocolate-bar-at-the-counter-on-my-way-through’ situation. Not only does it set you up for good habits, and reduce ‘thinking’ time during the week when it comes to food, it can also save you money. This pre-planning is ideal, but unfortunately ‘ideal’ is not always possible. There will be times when planning goes out the window, taking with it your motivation to do the right thing. This is when you need a Plan B. Non-perishables are great for Plan B meal or snack options. They are convenient to carry around, usually don’t need to be refrigerated and if you don’t use them one day, they are perfectly fine for the next. Think:
- 40g almonds in the car for the drive home (less likely to pick up that pie at the petrol station)
- tinned soup in the draw at work (minestrone works a treat)
- tinned tuna or chicken in the cupboard (high protein satisfying as a snack or added into a meal)
- frozen veggie steam bags in freezer (pop in the microwave for a vegetable boost at lunch)
- keeping a loaf of grainy bread in the freezer at work for a quick toastie rather than dropping into the takeaway store next door.
So next time you do the groceries, pick up a few Plan Bs.
Post by:
Samantha Rand
Bsc. (Nutrition and Food) & M.NutrDiet
Accredited Practising Dietitian, Accredited Nutritionist
