How to Let Meal Planning Save Your Sanity this Fall!

August 31, 2023

Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian


Some people love meal planning, some people hate it - but it's a habit that can make a big difference in your life! Even a little bit of meal planning can save you time and energy at the end of a long day, can save your money by making the best use of your groceries, and can help you keep up your nutrition habits through busy seasons. With fall routines coming up fast and furious, it's time to talk about how meal planning can change your life.

Meal planning can be as prescriptive as you want - or not! Some people want to plan exactly what they're having for every single meal and snack to avoid making decisions later if things are busy. Great! Other people may do better with just a rough idea, or a list of ideas but no specific plan for what day they will fall on. Both approaches can help reduce stress at meal times! Maybe you plan exactly what components will be at a meal. Maybe you just plan for "sandwiches" and figure out the details later. There's still no wrong answer if it works for you!

Don't feel you have to plan everything! Especially if meal planning is a new habit, planning everything can be overwhelming. Think about which time of day is causing the most stress and start there. Or maybe it's just dinners on certain days of the week that are stressful - focus on those!

The meals themselves don't have to be "perfect"! Often people get frustrated if every meal they plan is the most perfectly healthy or balanced - that's ok. You will still likely save money and be less stressed by planning meals, even if you aren't able to make them perfectly balanced. A plan to order pizza is still less stressful than a last-minute decision to order pizza because you just don't have time for anything else, and will help avoid food waste from the meal you did plan. 

Stuck for ideas? Keep it simple. You don't need brand new meal ideas for every single meal. Start with planning for meals you already like and know your family likes. If you cook for anyone else regularly (kids, spouse, etc.) ask them what meals they would like to have. If you're still stuck, or get overwhelmed by how many options there are, create themes for different nights of the week: Taco Tuesday, Meatless Monday, BBQ Saturday, Pasta Thursday, etc. This approach gives you variety, without too many options. 

You don't need to plan a week ahead - unless you want to! Planning for the week is most common, but doesn't work for everyone. If it feel like too much, do less. Plan today for tomorrow, or the next couple days only. If you find that's going well, continue with it, or try increasing how many days ahead you plan to save time. For ultimate time-saving, some people plan a month's worth of meals at a time! While this is extreme, you can easily re-use each monthly plan, and repeat meals within the month.

The bottom line is that meal planning is flexible, and can be adapted to work for YOU! Give some meal planning a try and see if it saves your sanity and changes your life this fall!

Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com to learn more about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!

Your Summer Hydration Questions Answered!

June 25, 2025
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian We all know drinking enough water and staying hydrated is important - and even more so in the summer! But with so much information out there, sometimes it's hard to know what you need to focus on! Check out these answers to the most common hydration questions! How much should I be drinking? For most healthy adults, aiming for about 30ml per kilogram of body weight per day will meet your needs. You can also take your weight in pounds, and drink half that number of ounces of water daily. The math will work out pretty similar! In warmer weather or for those who are sweating a lot, you may need more water than this. What counts as water? Generally plain water is considered best to meet your hydration needs, although technically all fluids (except alcohol) do count. Aim to meet your fluid goals mainly with plain water, unsweetened soda water, unsweetened coffee and tea, and try to limit sugar-sweetened beverages, such as pop and energy drinks. Does caffeine dehydrate me? Some people are concerned that their coffee is causing them to lose twice as much fluid as they're putting in! While caffeine is a diuretic, meaning you will pee more often, it does not dehydrate you. Aim to make most of your fluid intake non-caffeinated, and you will stay hydrated! Can I drink too much water? Yes! Despite what you may see on social media, drinking gallons and gallons of water can actually be hazardous and causes mineral imbalances in your body, causing you to feel sick or even need medical attention. You do need to drink enough but you don't want to overdo it. You're likely properly hydrated if your pee is a pale yellow colour. If it's consistently clear, you might be drinking too much. Do I need electrolytes to stay hydrated? Electrolytes are everywhere right now! These minerals do help your body maintain it's fluid balance, and are lost in sweat. If you are working out or active for long periods of time in the heat or know you're a "salty sweater" from seeing salt stains on dried workout clothes, you may want to consider using electrolytes. However, these products don't take the place of drinking enough total fluid in the first place to help you stay hydrated. Help! I can't remember to drink water! It can be hard to drink enough when you're busy! Try bringing a water bottle with you wherever you go to encourage you to drink throughout the day. Use a straw to help you take bigger sips. Set a goal to finish your water or drink a certain amount by certain times in the day. You could even set reminders in your phone or use an app that will help you remember to drink! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more info about our Nutrition Programs or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!

4 Ways to Help the Whole Family Eat More Produce!

June 11, 2025
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian We all know that vegetables and fruit are good for us and key part of a healthy diet. They are packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are low in calories, for those watching their portions but still wanting to stay full. A diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. But actually getting those fruits and vegetables in can be hard work, especially for families! Fortunately, there's lots of ways to make produce more fun for everyone - from parents who know what they should be eating to kids who just don't want to. For kids, even if they don't love their produce, continuing to explore and be exposed to fruits and vegetables is still helping them learn about healthy eating! Check out these tips to help everyone eat more produce! 1. Explore new options! There are so many fruit and vegetable options out there! If you're feeling bored with your usual produce standbys, it's time to look for more options. Go explore the produce department of your favourite grocery store - the bigger the store, the more new options there may be. Kids especially can have fun checking out all the different new-to-them ideas. Pick one or two to bring home and try, and repeat the whole adventure as needed! Even for adults, this can add a much-needed dose of whimsy to your fruit and vegetable game. 2. Add produce to your snacks! Sometimes we just need more opportunities in a day to get that fruits and vegetables in. If you're not already, adding them to your snacks can give you just that! Easy options on the go include apples, bananas, and raw veggie sticks. It doesn't need to be complicated, and can be an easy options for kids and adults alike. For longer lasting energy, make sure to pair your produce with some kind of protein, such as cheese, nuts, or hummus. 3. Cook them in different ways! Maybe the rut you're stuck in is that you're preparing your produce the same way every time. If you always go for a basic salad or steamed veggies at dinner, try roasting a medley of whatever's in your crisper drawer. Maybe do a family experiment to see how many different vegetables you can find that make great oven fries! (Spoiler alert, it's way more than just potatoes!) For fruit, try making fruit salads, or adding them to more savory salads, baked goods, or your favourite breakfast cereal. Mixing it up might be just the way to get everyone more excited about fruits and veggies! 4. When in doubt, add a dip! Kids love dip. Adults love dip. This can be such an easy win! While dips sometimes have a bad reputation due to their higher fat content, the veggies or fruit you have with dip is still better for you than having no produce at all! In fact, the fat you find in many dips actually helps your body better absorb certain vitamins, including vitamins A, E, D, and K. While the obvious dip pairing is with raw veggies, roasted or other cooked veggies may also be fun to dip, and fruit pairs well with yogurt-based dips! Would your family try any of these ideas this summer? When the goal is to help everyone include more vegetables and fruit in their diets, sometimes you just need new ways to make them more fun! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more info, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!

What It Means to Be Fit

June 4, 2025
Written By: Coach Sienna The media portrays fitness as looking a certain way and creating this picture of a “perfect person” who eats clean and works out everyday and does everything right and never messes up. When you're always being shown this version of fitness it’s easy to start to think, is this what being fit is? ..... And suddenly you find yourself comparing yourself to unrealistic standards. Fitness is much more than the shape of our body! It's about what your body can do for you and how it can support your daily life and how movement makes you feel strong, accomplished, proud, empowered! Here is how we can overcome the negative impact that some Media has on us, and fitness in general: Redefine Fitness Fitness is more than your body, it's strength, endurance, mobility, energy and how you feel. It's not supposed to be perfect or linear, your body will change and life will happen. What matters most is showing up for yourself and moving your body. Even a little bit can go a long way! Positive Self Talk You don't have to be perfect to love yourself. Be kind to your mind and speak to yourself with kindness. Remind yourself of what your body can do for you, remember you are WORTHY! :) Focusing On The Little Wins We often have such a heavy focus on how we look but what if it was never about how we looked but more about how we felt. Do you notice after you get in a workout or a session you always tend to have a lift in your mood and a shift in perspective. Movement has the power to make us feel strong and happy and more like ourselves! Do Movements You Enjoy Fitness should be fun and functional. You are more likely to stick to it if you enjoy it! Find movements that excite you. Like lifting, walking, running, dancing, gymnastics etc. When you focus on what your body can do and not what it looks like, you can start to see how strong and capable you really are! Set Goals Related To Movement-Mood-Function Movement - touching your toes or doing your first push-up Mood - Having more energy during the day and feeling less anxious Function - Carrying groceries, running around with your kids, etc. Remember - you are already enough! You don't need to look a certain way to be fit. You just need to move your body in a way you enjoy, take care of yourself and celebrate what your body does for you everyday! If you've been feeling stuck, or wanting to start working out with a Coach, or in an environment that is inclusive, inviting, safe, honours all body shapes and sizes, we can help! CLICK HERE to book a free meeting with one of our Coaches to learn how you can get started at Degree or, email info@degreefitnessseaforth.com .
More Posts