A handful of years ago I decided that I needed a career change. After being a nurse for almost 20 years it was time to do something a little different. I had spent a good number of years thinking about this upcoming career change and was being drawn towards becoming a dietitian. As soon as I went back to college to complete my degree I was bombarded with meal plan requests!
“You’re going to school to be a dietitian? Oh great. Can you make me a meal plan because I want to lose weight?”
In the years since graduating I can tell you it is almost impossible to create a meal plan for someone. At least one that they are happy with when you’re done.
Sure you probably have come across meal plans but how many changes did you make because you didn’t like something? Probably a good number.
Here’s why it’s so difficult …..
Everyone has different likes and dislikes. Trying to discover and work with all of them becomes extremely difficult.
Everyone has different eating schedules. Some people like a bigger breakfast while others might not have anything to eat until lunch. Those that travel to work may need to have easily portable lunch options while those who are at home during the day can cook whatever they want at any time. Some people are ok with eating the same thing more than once in a week and other hate the thought of eating leftovers.
If these variations weren’t enough there’s also cooking skill level, available time to prepare meals and those who hates cooking and wants to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible.
These are just a few of the many challenges with creating a meal plan. But what does this have to do with meal plans you might ask.
Over the years I’ve noticed that the people who have had the best success at meeting their health goals and losing weight were those who had a meal plan or were able to quickly prepare their meals. If it’s going to take too long to cook, you’re missing ingredients or you have no idea what to even make then it’s easy to fall back into old habits.
Those people who could prepare their own food and had some ideas about what to prepare were more likely to stick with a new way of eating. They didn’t come home each night with the same question…. what are we going to eat?
Forget the constant struggle of trying to figure out what to make. There’s an easier way to create delicious meals that you will enjoy without having to constantly depend upon a set recipe. A way that will allow you to easily swap out ingredients for things you like or what you have on hand.
How is this even possible you might ask?
You can do it by using a meal template.
What is a meal template?
A template is a pattern that can be followed again and again. You know what the end result will be because you’ve made the item before and know that if you follow the template that it will turn out well again.
Stop and think about pizza.
You know the meal template for a pizza….. take your crust, top it with some sauce, add various topping, sprinkle on cheese and bake. It’s done the same way over and over again. So why doesn’t every pizza taste the same? Because they have varied the ingredients in the template. But the template is still the same over and over again.
How can a meal template help you?
Do you feel frustrated because you are trying to follow a recipe exactly but don’t like some of the ingredients or don’t have some of the ingredient’s available?
Knowing the meal template will help to ease those frustrations because you will quickly know how to replace missing ingredients or ingredients you don’t like with something you have available.
Think you will fail in making something delicious because you feel you don’t have the cooking skills needed?
Then a meal template can help to boost your confidence in the kitchen. The process of making the food item is the same process over and over again. Each time you are successful it will help to create more confidence in the kitchen. And, you’ll become quicker at making the meal too!
Don’t really like cooking?
Then working with a meal template can allow you to put all those prepped foods you find in the grocery store to good use. Many grocery stores now have a wide selection of pre-sliced, diced and chopped vegetables. There are bagged salad mixes, shredded coleslaw and salad green blends available. Let’s not forget about the variety of healthy frozen vegetables, rotisserie chickens and canned foods that can assist you in putting together a meal with a minimum amount of chopping and slicing.
Think you don’t have time to create a delicious, healthy meal at home?
Forget fast food, take out and frozen dinners. These days most grocery stores have recognized that people are looking for ways to save time and offer larger numbers of prepped vegetables, fruits and meats. These can assist you in saving time in the kitchen.
Meal templates come in several basic forms.
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One Dish Meals
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Soups or Stews
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Entree Salads
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Combo Meal
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Sandwich/Wrap
Each of them has an easy mix and match format. Simply pick some of the ingredients, match them with some seasoning blends and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the meal template forms.
One Dish Meals
One dish meals combine a protein with a selection of vegetables and are made in one dish. These are often called skillet meals as everything is cooked in the same skillet. Stir fry meals are also one dish meals. Sheet pan dinners would also fall under this type of meal as all the ingredients are mixed with some type of seasoning and placed on one baking sheet to cook.
These meals are super easy to make. Keep it keto by taking your choice of protein and adding in 2 to 3 types of vegetables. Top with seasoning or some type of sauce and cook until done.
If you or your family include carbs with you meals then this becomes a mixture of your choice of protein, 2 to 3 types of vegetables and a carb options (rice, pasta, quinoa, potatoes, etc).
Soups or Stews
Soups or Stews are similar to a one dish meal except there’s more liquid added to the pot. Both of these start with some form of protein, a variety of vegetables, herb/spice mixes and some type of broth (chicken, beef, vegetable, etc) or some other liquid such as tomato juice, milk, heavy or whipping cream and coconut milk. Stews are similar to soups except they are thicker and have less liquid.
Entree Salad
Entree salads are more than just ice berg lettuce with a few other vegetables sprinkled on top. This is a salad that will fill you up.
It starts with a base of some type of greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula, cabbage, etc) and is topped with a variety of vegetables (raw or even cooked), your choice of protein, a bit of nuts if desired and healthy fats. It makes a super easy keto meal.
Not on a keto or low carb diet? You can include a form of carbs into your entree salad such as some type of grain, croutons, roasted sweet potatoes, lentils, beans, fruit, etc.
Both types of salad are topped with healthy fats in the form of avocados or dressing.
Combo Meals
Most people would recognize this meal template as often described as the classic American “meat and potatoes” meal. This traditional meal was made up of a type of protein/meat, some form of starch such as potatoes/pasts and a side dish of a vegetable. The combo meal can be made keto friendly by serving up a protein with 1 or 2 types of low carb vegetables as a side dish.
Sandwich/Wrap
Who doesn’t love a sandwich? This meal template is another classic that everyone recognizes. A protein and vegetables are sandwiched between some form of bread (slice bread, rolls, biscuits, tortillas) or, for a delicious keto version, they may be between lettuce leaves, keto bread, low carb tortillas, fathead dough. While a sandwich can be made with a few simple ingredients, they can also be a complete meal. Included in this category can be things such as burritos and tacos. Add some veggies on the side and you’ve got a delicious meal.
Interested in trying out a meal template?
Then check out some of the following meal templates and learn to quickly whip up meals that are fast, easy and delicious.
Chicken Zoodle Soup Meal Template
Mexican Chicken Zoodle Soup Meal Template
Chicken Curry Zoodle Soup Meal Template
Check back as we add to our list of meal templates.
If you are looking for other low-carb/keto recipe ideas, be sure to check out our growing Recipe Index full of low-carb/keto recipes!
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