Like everything else, eating can be scheduled. Yeah, I know some people say to only eat when you’re hungry. That’s true! But you should know what you’re going to eat BEFORE you’re hungry.

You know why they say you shouldn’t shop on an empty stomach? Because we don’t make good decisions when we’re really hungry. That’s why stores keep the candy right next to the register. Because by the time you’re done all your errands, you’re feeling hungry enough to buy all the chocolate and candy they sell, even though you vowed to stop eating sugar.

My reasons for meal planning are:
1. So I can make one trip to the store and get everything I need for the week
2. To prepare meals when I have time on the weekend so I will always have healthy food available
3. To cover my nutritional needs so I can ensure I am eating all I need and less of the bad things that I tend to turn to for snacks when I’m hungry. Bugles, Cheetos, Doritos, I’m looking at you!

I started meal planning because I was doing a lot of mindless eating – I’d eat whenever I was close to the kitchen (not a good thing for someone who was working from home) Biologically, our hunger may be sated after just a couple of bites but mentally, we aren’t satisfied until our brains have been convinced that we’ve eaten enough – not just for now but for later. Meal planning is one way to convince your brain that there’s another satisfying meal coming later so you can relax. Security. Our brains crave security. Meal planning is like a guarantee of another meal.
That being said, we should embrace hunger. Hunger is a good thing. 
Hunger is how our bodies tells us that they’re working. Okay, I’ve used up the fuel you gave me; I’m ready for more fuel so I can do more work.

G-BOMBS is the acronym I adopted from Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book, The End of Dieting. Since reading it, it’s been my goal to eat G-BOMBS every day, even when I don’t limit my meals to just those foods, I try to include these 6 things in my diet.
G- Greens
B-Beans
O- Onions
M-Mushrooms
B-Berries
S-Seeds

Click for more G-Bombs ideas: overview, salad ideas and incorporating G-bombs. 

Meal Planning for Week 1

Sunday
Breakfast: Poached Egg on Whole Wheat bread, Hot Chocolate
Lunch: Black Bean Burger
Dinner: Grilled Salmon, Rice, a Vegetable stir fry – mushrooms, onions, greens, pumpkin seeds
Dessert : Frozen Yoghurt with Berries
Snack 1: Apple slices

Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Berries, Banana, Peanut Butter, Chia Seeds, Almond Milk
Lunch: Tuna salad sandwich (with red onion slices) lettuce, tomato, wheat bread.
Dinner: Curried lentils, roasted sweet potato chunks, green salad with mushroom and seeds
Snack 1: Apple slices with peanut butter
Snack 2: Baby Carrots

Tuesday
Breakfast: Poached Egg on Whole Wheat bread, Orange Halves
Lunch: Vegetable sauté with kidney beans
Dinner: Leftover Salmon and Rice
Snack 1: Nuts and berries
Snack 2: Baby Carrots

Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Berries, Banana, Peanut Butter, Chia Seeds, Almond Milk
Lunch: Tuna salad sandwich (with red onion slices) lettuce, tomato, wheat bread.
Dinner: Red Peas Soup and Salad, Garlic Bread.
Dessert: Frozen Yoghurt with Berries
Snack 1: Baby Carrots

Thursday
Breakfast: Hardboiled Egg on Whole Wheat bread, Almond Milk
Lunch: Black Bean Burger and Green Salad
Dinner: Red Peas Soup and Veg Sauté, Tortilla Chips
Snack 1: Apple slices
Snack 2: Nuts and berries

Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Berries, Banana, Peanut Butter, Chia Seeds, Almond Milk
Lunch: Veggie Burger, Sweet Potato Chunks
Dinner: Vegetable Stir Fry with Kidney Beans
Snack 1: Orange Slices
Snack 2: Nuts and Berries

Saturday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Sandwich with banana slices, Almond Milk
Lunch: Veggie Stir Fry with Kidney beans
Dinner: Leftover Burgers or Salmon, Salad
Dessert: Dark Chocolate and Berries
Snack 1: Apple

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