Daily planning

It’s not just knowing what to eat that is the barrier to good eating habits. Eating healthy can sometimes be hard and does take some effort to be prepared and make sure you have good choices available. A little bit of effort goes a long way and there are some key times during the week when you can really benefit from a little bit of effort to make it easier in the long run.

Starting at the shops
Do a weekly or bi-weekly shop so there is food available at your house. This means you will be less likely to skip a meal or snack, or settle for unsuitable or convenience foods. It’s not just having food that can help you get organised, there is some equipment that can help make it a little easier.

Equipment
– Rectangle plastic Glad/take away containers
– Mini Decor or Tupperware containers
– Zip lock bags – sandwich size
– Glad wrap/cling wrap
– Cooler bag or large lunch box
– Thermos cup

After a shop
– Put six pack of individual tubs of yoghurt or three pack of Up and Go in the freezer
– Separate loaf of bread into four slices of bread in a zip lock bag and put in the freezer
– Buy meat in bulk, then cut into single serve portions of 180-200g, wrap in cling wrap and freeze

The night before training
– Plan the number of meals you will need the next day to make sure all are accounted for with supplies, this includes a pre and post training snack – don’t forget utensils
– Pack all dry/non perishable foods in cooler bag; this could include single serves of snacks in zip lock bags or plastic containers with cereal, nuts, dried fruit and crackers, or tinned tuna and baked beans
– Put a full water bottle in the freezer
– Prepare a fresh pack including some salads and cold meat and cheese to put on bread
– Take a piece of meat out of freezer and put on a plate in the fridge to defrost for the next day

In the morning
– From the freezer add the frozen yoghurt, sliced bread packs, Up and Go, water and the fresh pack to your cooler bag with everything else to keep it cold and all together
– If it’s early morning training, have something to eat before you go and pour cold milk into a thermos cup. When training is finished add some cereal and eat from the cup straight away
– For a hot option, pour half a cup of boiling water or hot milk over half a cup of rolled oats in the thermos cup to have warm when you finish training

If buying food on the run
– Find a Woolworths or Coles and grab an individual roll. Then go to the deli and get one slice of cheese and/or some ham to make roll – alternatively you could use any bakery and deli
– Good food court options include Subway, Sumo Salad and sandwich shops
– If you are driving and have no food and not near home a Caltex or service station should at least have a Protein Revival popper or Up and Go Energize to tide you over as a mid meal, rather than go without food or settle for convenience food which wont suit training goals.