First, you’ll know exactly what foods you need for the week and you can go grocery shopping armed with a list. When the urge to buy unhealthy foods strikes, you can keep yourself on track, and if you don’t have them in the house, you’re much less likely to give into temptation later on.

Second, a menu helps to tackle the impulsive element of overeating. When you’re hungry or stressed and you’re trying to make a decision about what to eat, it can be difficult to choose wisely. If you don’t have to choose at all because you already know exactly what you’re going to eat, you’re less likely to act on impulse.

2.) Have a Weekly Shopping Day

Having a menu makes it easier to do your grocery shopping. Avoid aisles, displays and sale signs at the grocery store. Whole foods tend to be on the perimeter of the store. Be cautious of items on the shelf placed at eye level as these are intended to get your attention. Shop alone to avoid influences from others and stick to your plan and list.

3.) Have a Weekly Prep Day

Include several bulk meals in your menu, and then set aside an afternoon to prepare large batches of healthy dishes for the week. Divide them up into portions, then refrigerate or freeze them. When you’re in a rush later in the week, or you simply don’t have the energy to cook, you can reach for a pre-prepared healthy dish, rather than an unhealthy snack or convenience food.

4.) Pre-Chop Your Veggies

Chopping vegetables is surprisingly time-consuming, and it’s probably the last thing you want to do after a long day. Pre-chop, dice or grate your veggies during your prep day and store them for later. When you’re cooking later in the week, you can simply grab what you need and go.

5.) Fall Back on Go-To Meals

Fancy meals are wonderful, but realistically, they’re not a regular feature of a busy schedule. If you demand too much of yourself, cooking healthy meals will start to become a chore. Keep a few recipes on hand for healthy dishes you can whip up without much effort, and save the more complicated meals for those days when you have more time. Regular staples like oatmeal, smoothies, salads, soups, wraps, and trail mix can be easily changed by simply swapping out a few ingredients.

6.) Plan for Tomorrow

During a busy day, it’s tempting to grab an unhealthy meal or a snack on the go. Avoid this by preparing and packing your lunch the night before. The next day, when you’re rushing out of the house or snatching a few minutes at work, you’ll have a healthy meal ready to go.

7.) Maximize Your Leftovers

Who doesn’t love leftovers?! Use them wisely and you can save time, effort, and money. Plan a meal you can make with leftover ingredients the next day, like throwing your leftover veggies into an omelet or soup. Alternatively, cook an extra-large lunch or dinner and save the leftovers for tomorrow.

*Use the Slow Cooker*️

Slow cookers are a gift as far as cooking on a busy schedule is concerned. There are plenty of delicious, healthy meals that require nothing more than throwing the ingredients together and getting on with your day. And the best part? Minimal clean-up afterwards!