Many people seem to forget that eating well can significantly improve their mental health. Thoughtful meal planning can help regulate your emotions, reduce anxiety, and even support long-term mental stability (especially financially). Current research supports that family meals provide a time for families to feel connected and help children learn social-emotional skills. By planning out meals, you have more time to spend with your family, or to yourself, instead of meal prepping and worrying about all the dishes from cooking.

Saves Time: When your life is busy, maybe with work, school, or other priorities you may have, meal prepping can help save you lots of time.

Stability and Routine: Meal prepping contributes to a large sense of stability and routine. Knowing what to do during meal time can save a lot of stress and make you feel more confident in your routine.

Healthy choices: Meal planning encourages healthier choices by allowing individuals to plan balanced meals that provide nutrients that support brain health. Poor diet is linked closely to mental health issues, and meal prepping prevents last-minute meals such as instant ramen, pizza pops, quick snacks, or resorting to using DoorDash. You will feel so much better about your schedule, and your body will thank you:)

Financial Stress: For me, the biggest issue with not meal prepping originally was the amount of money I would waste on food that would go bad anyway. Also, the amount of money I ended up spending on grocery trips wandering through the aisles blew my mind. By learning how to meal prep, not only will you decrease financial stress, but you will also have a lot more structure to your days, making it so much less stressful come meal times.

Meal prep today, stress less tomorrow!

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How to Start Meal Prepping

Sometimes it can be difficult to actually start meal planning. I know for myself, it was difficult to actually figure out a list of meals and groceries in order to be ready for the next week. One solution to this could be trying to meal plan for a couple of days at a time. You can begin planning around what food you have, grabbing extra items if necessary.

Start picking out some fun recipes you want to try! Choose easy recipes that don’t take too much time or effort, and be mindful of the health aspects, because it’s important to eat meals that fulfill your dietary needs. One way to start this, is by checking out the Canada Food Guide.

It is important to consider that many people have certain dietary needs and preferences. For example, people with Celiac disease have to avoid gluten, and people following a vegetarian lifestyle do not eat meat. By meal prepping, you have full control over what you are going to be eating. This means you can tailor your meals to meet your individual needs.

Here is a look at some of the online resources I used. Instagram and YouTube also provided me with lots of good meal prep inspiration, which makes me believe that it is a routine that anybody can learn.

Healthy Habits for Everyday Wellness

Many habits go hand in hand with meal planning, helping you create a better daily routine and a better mental state:

Stay Hydrated:
Dehydration can lower your energy and make it harder to focus. Keep a water bottle, tea, or even a vitamin water nearby, and take sips throughout the day to stay hydrated and feeling awake.

Prioritize Sleep:
Try to keep your meal times consistent, as it can help your body recognize when it needs to calm down for bedtime. Choose dinners that are easily digestible, and avoid caffeine and unhealthy snacks later in the day to support a good night’s sleep. If you are hungry before bed, try a nice warm cup of tea, a banana, or some yogurt. Look for foods that are light and won’t upset your stomach.

Balanced and Mindful Eating:
Include different foods on your plate: colorful vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. This keeps your energy up and helps your body get the nutrients it needs to thrive. Also, TAKE YOUR TIME! Appreciating your food and slowing down gives your brain time to catch up, helping you stop when you’re comfortably full.

In Summary

Eating well can significantly improve mental health. Thoughtful meal planning helps regulate emotions, reduce anxiety, and supports long-term stability, both mentally and financially. Research shows that family meals strengthen connections and help children develop social-emotional skills. By planning your meals, you gain more quality time with family or yourself instead of constantly cooking or cleaning.

When life gets busy with work, school, or other priorities, meal prepping saves time and creates a sense of stability and routine. A poor diet is linked to mental health issues, but by preparing meals in advance, you can ensure nutritious, balanced options all week. It also prevents unhealthy, last-minute meals like instant ramen or takeout.

Final Thoughts

By creating this blog and exploring my interests, I feel as if I have experienced a positive shift in my mental state, and I am quite sure that it is because of how good I’ve become at planning my meals. When I am busy throughout the day, I find myself coming home and feeling absolutely drained, without the energy to provide a good meal for myself. Thankfully, meal planning has taught me a thing or two about staying on top of my schedule, and I have felt so much more in control and fulfilled in my daily routine.

And of course, thank you for checking in with this week’s blog post!