Time-saving tips

We created this meal planner because we understand it can be hard to balance healthy eating with our busy lives - work, family, and social schedules. Research has found many benefits to meal planning. We believe it’s one of the easiest things you can to do to set yourself up for eating well! 

Whether you’ve started on the Blue Zones Meal Planner to eat more nutritious food, save money on groceries, reach a health or weight goal, or streamline your schedule, there’s one thing that we can promise: Our nutrient-dense recipes are taste-tested, nutritionist-approved, and easy to make.

And these time-saving tips from our team will help:

• The power is in the peel: Don’t bother peeling produce like carrots or sweet potatoes. The skin contains beneficial fiber and nutrients—and roasts great in the oven! Just make sure to scrub and wash them first!
• Get out all the ingredients from the recipe before you start cooking and clean up as you cook to save time with the dishes later!
• Read through the whole recipe before you start so that can cook with confidence. 
• Watch the Rouxbe Cooking Videos (how-to videos that will help you pick up basic cooking skills in a snap!) if you don’t know how to do something (they’re at the bottom of each recipe).
• You can create as many Menus as you want, so it might be a great idea to plan several weekly Menus in advance! When you are ready to make that Menu just click ‘Sync with grocery’ and the Meal Planner will automatically create your grocery list for you! Also, once you find your favorite meals, you can even reuse that Menu and shopping list week after week.
• Adjust servings to make enough for leftovers! For example, choose one breakfast and scale up the servings to 5 to have enough make that breakfast recipe each weekday morning with no prep needed.
• Schedule time in your calendar for cooking and food shopping to make sure it happens.
• Email or chat us if you’re still stuck!

Also, are some quick and easy meals that our members love:

• BLUEBERRY, SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE SMOOTHIE
• THE VEGG SALAD SANDWICH
• EGGPLANT CURRY STEW
• PLANT-POWERED PAD THAI

In the Blue Zones regions, eating well doesn’t just mean eating delicious plant-slant meals, it also means enjoying good food with friends and family. We hope the meal planner takes the stress out of meals and gives you more time to enjoy more quality time with the people you love.