Guys, if you know me, and I feel like most of you do because I’m on a real over-sharing kick over here, then you know that I have less than enviable eating habits. But it’s 2013, and it’s been fun and cool to be a woman who loves food more than any other thing (since Liz Lemon made her first sandwich joke in 2006. Thank you Tina Fey for letting us be our true snacking selves, we all owe you one).
The only problem is, while I’m sociallyable to get away with a Treats Are People Too mantra, I’m also mentally getting away with it. Like, I’m forgetting to eat well. All the time. And I’m suffering for it. Like: why am I always tired? Why is my hair so brittle? Why are there these weird ridges on my nails? These are questions I am constantly asking myself. And more often than not, after hours of Web MDing, the only answer I am left with—the only one that isn’t just, “Probably a tumour”—is: “Oh yeah, I haven’t eaten a vegetable in a week.” Because I don’t keep track of my eating habits, and I don’t buy groceries regularly, and I’m too buzy (“busy” and “lazy”—let’s make it work) to cook. And I love treats.
SO when I found this super cool site called Eat This Much, I was really excited! It’s an “automatic meal planner” designed to create customizable weekly menus for users. Each menu comes with a nutrition breakdown, shopping list (broken down by food group), and cooking instructions. The best part is that you can alter the ingredients and recipes based on a whole slew of things like time limit, budget, dietary restrictions, and… HOW MANY MEALS YOU WANT TO EAT IN A DAY! I WANT TO EAT FIVE MEALS, THANKS!
I love how clearly organized and easy to navigate the generator is. The site allows for three options: lose weight, maintain health, or build muscle, and goes into super detail about how many nutrients you want/don’t want in a day. That being said, the site is not a replacement for medical advice, and its author is nota certified dietician (though the information is drawn from the USDA food database). The site is simply a great tool for creating mock-up meal plans, and its layout and content are great for unimaginative bunk eaters like myself. Or “buzy” (lil’ wink) people who like to be organized. Or people who want to be more mindful of their eating habits. AND the recipe ideas aren’t too difficult or costly. And you can add your own favorite meals. The free planner on the site provides daily menus, so give that a go if you don’t want to sign up for the monthly fee.
Play around with how many and what kind of meals you want to eat. I’m going to sign up for the free trial! I’m going to do it RIGHT. NOW. And then I’m going to eat a popsicle. A fruit popsicle. For my health.