How to make time for healthy eating

Healthy, home-cooked meals are usually the first thing to go during busy exam season. But those nutritious options play a huge role in boosting productivity, helping you focus, and ultimately, scoring high grades.

To reap the benefits of healthy eating while cramming for finals, you need to get organized in advance. A meal plan will take the pressure off, giving you a list of nutritious options to turn to instead of relying on campus food trucks.

Follow these 4 simple steps to create your very own meal plan:

1. Start by planning your planning time. Set aside 15 minutes each week to write down the meals you want to have for the coming week. Use this checklist to ensure you’re hitting the mark on nutritional requirements.




2. Use a weekly (or even monthly) calendar to map out the healthy breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners you came up with during your 15-minute brainstorming session. (Try this template from Eat Right Ontario.)




3. Make a grocery list based on the ingredients you’ll need to prepare the meals you’ve added to your plan. The list will help you save time and money at the supermarket: by only picking up the things you’ve planned to eat, you won’t wind up throwing away extras that go bad before you have a chance to get to them.




4. Get a head start on food prep when you get home from grocery shopping: chop onions, wash and dry lettuce, or slice up some peppers. When it comes time to actually cook your next dinner, you’ll be one step ahead.



Do your future self a huge favour, and make a meal plan for exam week now. Next time you’re cooking dinner, double the recipe and freeze the extra portions - you’ll have ready-to-go dinners waiting for you on those stressful nights of last-minute cramming.

Although it seems like extra effort at first, making a meal plan will save you time and worry in the busy weeks ahead. With a meal plan in hand, you’ll never have to improvise when dinnertime comes around.

For more meal planning tips, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, where we share healthy eating advice every Friday.