Simply Tasheena: meal planner

This year one of my goals for my family is to eat better while on the go. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to share with you guys what's currently working for my family. With my daughter finishing up her first year in college and me trying to ensure that she doesn't stray away from her healthy eating habits. Also, with Michael being active with sports and appointments, meetings and everyday life. It's so easy to get off task while on the go.

4 Tips to Eat Better This Year While On The Go

Menu Plan

If you've been following my blog for a while. You know that I menu plan for my family on a weekly basis. I typically will menu plan the Thursday before and also review my grocery shopping needs while reviewing my schedule for any appointments, meetings and/or games. I create my grocery shopping list based on my menu plan and schedule. For example, If I know that I'm not going to be able to make breakfast Saturday morning due to a game or during the week when Michael is off to school. I can easily warm up a Jimmy Dean Delights® for him while he's heading out the door. When I'm shopping at Sam's Club. I always make sure that I pick up a box of Jimmy Dean Delights®. Menu planning is essential if you want a better lifestyle for your family. It makes it so much easier as a mom when you walk in the house from a busy day and dinner is in the crockpot or when you're running late and you can easily grab a Jimmy Dean Delights® which is a “better-for-you” protein solution which is the perfect way to start a busy morning.

Shopping List

As prior mentioned, I don't go to the store without a shopping list. Having a shopping list is essential. It's so easy to get distracted by all of the cute displays at the store or even sale items that you get off task and walk out with items that you didn't even need. I'm a lister so I love writing lists with pen and paper. Yes, I'm old school. I am not perfect by no means and often will forget my shopping list in my purse or even leave the list in the car, oh and let's not mention leaving the list on the pad at home. Yes, I'm guilty of that too. One of the tips that I have for you is taking a picture of your list once it's complete. If you forget your list at home or leave it in the car. You'll have a picture on your phone to remind you of the items needed. Nothing is more rewarding than going to the store and coming out with the items you actually needed. Especially when it's items for your menu plan. You've saving time by not having to run to the store because you have all the items needed. As a busy Mom, time is like gold.

Shop in Bulk

It's so easy for me to stay on task with better choices by shopping in bulk. I typically shop at Sam's Club. I love having their membership Sam's Club. They make it super easy to live a healthy lifestyle and meal prep for my family for the week. The Sam's Club membership has especially come in handy with a kid in college. A lot of times I'll have my daughter order the items that she needs prior to our drive to visit her and all I have to do is a Club pickup. Sam's Club has a huge selection of healthy foods. One of her favorites is the Tyson Grilled & Ready® Chicken which is a better alternative for her. She always raves about how fresh the grilled chicken taste and how juicy and tender it is. She loves that it's so easy for her to warm up and add to a salad or quinoa bowl. Also, most Sam's Club locations have a gas station next to them which makes doing grocery shopping and filling my tank a breeze. Plus, I save both time and money by being a Sam’s Club member.

Meal Prep

I'm one of those people who love the convenience of items being prepped so that's one less thing that I have to worry about doing. I'm a huge fan of freezer meals. If possible, I try to set aside a couple of hours to prep for the items that when will need for that week/month. I love purchasing bulk veggies like mushrooms, cleaning, slicing freezing and bagging them. It makes it so convenient when making a meal that requires mushrooms. One less item that I have to worry about slicing. The mushroom is proportioned out and all I have to do is just add them to my meal when cooking. This also works well for making individual smoothie packs too. Buy the bananas, berries, spinach, and bags at Sams Club and all I have to do is add the portion I want to a freezer safe bag. Freeze the bags until I'm ready to make a smoothie. Which is perfect for on the go. I also use this method for snacks. I have a snack basket in the kitchen. While we're leaving out. I'll typically grab a couple of snacks for myself and if the kiddos are coming too. I'll grab some for them as well. This makes accomplishing your goals for easy, on-the-go solutions for every meal occasion obtainable.

Eating better while on-the-go doesn't have to be a stressful task. It can actually be guilt free with a membership from Sam's Club and great quality groceries like Tyson® Foods.