Meal planning and prep

How does batch cooking help on busy weeks?

It isn't clear yet that batch cooking saves time or energy, so treat it as your own experiment: cook a larger batch once and notice whether the week feels easier. The problem it aims at is real. Lack of time is the main reason people give for not being active⁵, and planning ahead tends to improve how active people are¹.

For a busy week, use the same idea for movement. Pick one predictable busy day and decide in advance what small bit of activity you'll still do, such as a short walk or taking the stairs. Planning when, where and how you'll walk also tends to raise your confidence that you'll do it even when you're short of time⁶. Plan for obstacles you can see coming, too: if rain is likely, decide on an indoor walk instead⁴.

What are the benefits of planning meals ahead?

Planning ahead tends to help people follow through on what they intend to do. For activity, setting out when, where and how you'll do it improves how active people are by a small to medium amount¹. The effect is a little larger for people living with a health condition than for people without one¹.

Plans also tend to work better when they are followed up rather than set once and forgotten¹. That is why checking back on your plan from time to time is worth the minute it takes.

Extra activity from a plan can fade once the support or the plan is dropped. In adults who weren't active enough, the sense of a walking habit lasted after the planning stopped, but the extra walking did not^6,7. How long the benefits last isn't clear yet, so keep your plan going and adjust it as your week changes.

What's a simple way to plan a week of meals?

Keep it to three things: when, where and how. That is what action planning means⁸. The same shape may suit food: which meals you're planning for, when you'll shop and when you'll cook.

• Make the plan small and specific. For example: "I'm going to walk for 10 minutes, three times a week"⁴. Adding "after breakfast" makes it even clearer.
• Tie it to the same time of day or the same point in your routine. These were the cues most clearly linked with actually being active³.
• Jot down what you did. Recording your progress may help you stay focused⁴.

A plan for the week doesn't need to be long or detailed. One or two clear lines you can read at a glance are enough.

How do you meal-prep for an active week?

Start with a plan for your activity that fits the week you actually have, and fit any food preparation around it. Choose a regular time and place that suit your routine. The priority is that activity happens regularly and fits your day, rather than picking a time of day for its own sake⁹.

Decide now what you'll do on a rainy or busy day. Finding an alternative in advance, such as walking indoors when the weather is bad, helps you keep going⁴.

If you can, make your plan with someone in person, such as a friend or a health professional. Planning support delivered face to face tended to work better than support delivered online only, which had relatively little effect¹.

How do you build a routine around healthy eating?

Build it from one small thing, repeated in the same setting. Repeating an action after the same cue makes it feel more automatic over time¹¹. In adults who weren't active enough, those who planned their walks in the same context each time developed and kept a sense of habit⁷.

• Link it to something you already do every day. This is described as a simple approach because you don't start from scratch³.
• Keep it in the same place and at the same time of day where you can.
• Expect it to take a while. Habits can take a very long time to feel automatic, and the time varies a lot from person to person^10,11. Yours may be quicker or slower than someone else's.

For eating, the same pattern may work: pick one small thing and attach it to a point in your day that already happens.

How do you pack a healthy lunch for work?

A packed lunch works best as part of a plan you set in advance, and your break is also a good moment to move. Breaking up long spells of sitting with frequent short bouts of standing and activity has health benefits².

Walking suits a busy workday because it can be done almost anywhere, can be spread through the day and needs no equipment or gym membership⁶. Use part of your break for a short walk, on your own or with a colleague. If you sit for long stretches, stand up or move briefly now and then.

As with any plan, make it specific: decide when your break starts, where you'll walk and how long you'll go, then repeat it at the same time each day.

What are some healthy breakfast ideas?

Breakfast is a handy anchor for a little movement: try a short walk, or a few minutes of gentle movement, before or after you eat.

Time of day appears to matter less than doing it regularly. Exercise at any time of day is a sound goal¹², and for sleep, exercise itself may matter more than when you do it⁹. Doing activity at the same time each day is linked with being active³, so choose the time that suits you and stick with it.

If mornings don't work for you, move it to another time. A plan you keep beats a perfect plan you drop.

When to check with a health professional

If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first.

Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe.

Start gently and build up gradually, which may reduce the risks of exercise². For anything else, such as a sore muscle or joint, ease off, and get advice from a doctor or other health professional if it persists or gets worse.

For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. If you live with a long-term condition such as diabetes, ask your doctor or a condition service about any symptoms that worry you, and before making big changes to how you eat or exercise. Many people fear making symptoms worse, which is understandable¹³.

If planning or tracking food or activity starts to cause you distress, or you're worried about your relationship with eating, talk to your doctor or contact an eating disorder support service (findahelpline.com lists them by country).