The #1 Tool I Recommend for Healthy Meal Planning

I will be the first to say that meal planning gets borinnngggg! Yet here we are again, kicking off a new week, and for most of us, that means staring down the fridge and trying to figure out what the heck we’re going to eat all week. It is a never-ending, revolving responsibility. 🤪

Whether you’re feeding just yourself or a full household, meal planning can feel like a full-time job. And when you’re trying to balance healthy, delicious, easy, andsomething the whole family will eat, it’s enough to make you want to throw in the towel and order takeout. (Hi, it's me 🙋🏻‍♀️)

With busy weekends and packed schedules, the will to get or stay on track puts up a good fight, but I’ve got a couple of tools to make your life so much easier. Because while I also don't love it or look forward to it, I will be the first to say that meal planning is absolutely critical to weight management and healthy diets.

✅ A Quick Meal Prep Hack You’ll Actually Use

I pulled together a food prep guide that lays out simple, effective ways to make meal planning super easy. It helps eliminate decision fatigue without sacrificing nutrition or spending hours in the kitchen. This is especially helpful for me because I don't like to cook! It’s full of tips on batch cooking, building balanced meals, and using leftovers wisely. Download it below!

Why this matters:
Meal planning isn’t just about convenience. Studies confirm that planning meals in advance is linked to a healthier diet and better weight management outcomes. People who plan meals also tend to eat more veggies and less processed food, and they’re less likely to be overweight.

👩‍🍳 Real Talk: How My Sister Pulls Off Weeknight Magic

I’ve mentioned my sister a few times before because she’s such a rock star on her own weight loss journey. Full-time job, three kids, and somehow still manages to cook dinner every night for her entire family. And not just any dinner... she’s a vegetarian, but her family includes:

• A daughter who loves fish but isn’t into meat
•  A husband and son focused on low-carb meals and muscle gains
• And one kid who eats anything (bless him)

So how does she do it without losing her mind?

📱 The App That Changed the Game for Her: Mealime

This is not sponsored. But my sister swears by Mealime—an app that helps her plan, shop, and prep with zero stress. Here’s what it does:

• Choose your eating style: low-carb, keto, paleo, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, etc.
• Customize around allergies, dietary restrictions, or just foods you (or your picky eaters) hate.
• Select meals based on macros like protein, carbs, calories, or sodium.
• Automatically generate a grocery list (and sync it to Instacart if you’re shopping online).
• Adjust portion sizes to feed 2, 4, or 6 people.
• Sync with Apple Health if you’re tracking nutrition.

And the kicker? It’s only $2.99/month (and there's also a free version that I use). That’s cheaper than a latte and saves her so much time and stress every week.

🔥 Why This Helps More Than Just Your Sanity

No matter how you do it, meal planning is a massive win for your health, especially if you’re on a weight loss journey. Here’s how it helps me and how I think it will help you:

• Reduces decision fatigue: The fewer food decisions you have to make in the moment, the easier it is to stick to your plan.
•  Supports calorie and macro goals: Apps like Mealime make it easier to hit your protein targets, avoid hidden fats and sugars, and stay consistent—all of which have been linked to long-term weight loss success.
• Lowers stress: Chronic stress can tank your metabolism and increase cravings (hello, cortisol), so anything that makes your week easier actually supports better health overall.

Let’s Make This Week Easier

Between the prep guide and the Mealime app, you’ve got two solid tools to take some of the guesswork (and stress) out of your week. Give them a try, save your brain some bandwidth, and stay on track with your health goals without losing your mind at 6 p.m. every night.

Let me know if you try them or if you want some healthy recipe ideas! I’d love to hear what works for you.

Xx,

Andrea