The lifestyle in Dubai is considered fast-paced. However, this city’s life is also associated with a sedentary work style, long office hours, and long commutes, combined with hot weather. Lack of exercise and healthy meals are leading to a rise in Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Not just adults but students are also showing visible signs of lack of immunity. Moreover, both Emiratis and ex-pats love eating out. Dubai has over 20,000 restaurants offering a wide range of food choices.
So, if you think Dubai is ruining your diet. Think again! The city also serves an exhausting range of healthy food choices. There are also several healthy meal delivery services in Dubai, and some of the best ones are featured in Dubai’s lifestyle digital magazine, DubaiMatic.
Most of the grocery stores in Dubai stock the world’s best quality fresh and healthy food range. It’s not the lifestyle but meal time stress, distractions, lack of planning, and lack of time are the main culprits that are the main roadblocks on your health path.
Planning your meal ahead of time can make a huge difference in your health goals. Whether you are trying to lose weight, eat healthily, or follow a specific diet routine, meal planning keeps you focused and reduces mealtime stress. A wide range of options is available if you are looking for meal plans in Dubai. However, creating a meal plan is not rocket science. Just spare a few hours of the weekend, and you are all set for the week.
What is meal planning?
Meal planning is nothing but an act of planning, shopping, and prepping your weekly meal in advance. You can plan your entire family’s meals ahead of time and enjoy wholesome meals every day. You can be as rigid as you want with your meal plan or go completely flexible. Moreover, you can accommodate seasonal fruits and vegetables, immunity-boosting spices, and much more in your weekly diet. There is no standard meal plan, and it’s always advisable to customize your plans as per your health goals.
5 Benefits of Meal planning
The benefits of meal planning may vary from person to person, but 5 common advantages are proven to be beneficial to all.
- Saves Time
This benefit may be most appealing to busy Dubaians. When you are struggling to find time to keep up with work and personal life, nutrition takes a back seat. You win half the battle when you know what to cook and prep the ingredients in advance. Spending a couple of hours on the weekend to plan, shop, and prepare your meals can save you a tonne of time throughout the week. You can also modify your meal plan to meet your time and energy levels for the next week.
- Save Money
Planning your meals can help prevent food waste and efficiently utilize the leftovers. You may see the impact on your monthly grocery bills. Moreover, when you know what you need, you shop only for what is required. The practice prevents you from wandering into the junk food aisle. A handy meal plan keeps you focused. Focusing solely on the necessary ingredients helps you shop better. This way, you can also eliminate unnecessary purchases from your shopping cart.
While it is not possible to reduce wastage to 100%, meal plans can make a significant change. For instance, if you plan to eat spinach quiche on Tuesday dinner, then use leftover spinach the next day in your breakfast omelet. Simply finding ways to utilize everything in your pantry reduces food wastage and saves money.
- Healthy Eating
Elders told us health is wealth. Sadly, the majority of people have forgotten this simple life lesson. Eating wholesome foods devoid of chemicals and preservatives is the foundation of a healthy diet. Lack of a meal plan may push you to include processed foods like canned sauces, beans, etc. If you prepare ahead of time, you can shop wisely and ensure that you don’t eat anything that has excessive salt, sugar, or chemicals that may derail your health goals.
You can add diversity to your meals because you have complete customization at your disposal. It would help if you made sure that each of your daily meals contains the proper amounts of the five dietary groups: complex carbohydrates, protein, fats, minerals/vitamins, and water. Additionally, by switching the ingredients every day, you may add more variety to your food. For instance, you may eat different protein sources daily, such as chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, and lentils.
- Portion Control
This is one benefit that every weight watcher struggles with. Even the healthiest and calorie-deficient meal can have adverse results if you don’t know how much to eat. Cooking and dining at home make it much simpler to manage portion amounts. Most restaurants serve large portions; in a way, they supersize your meals. However, no one needs to consume that much food. When you plan in advance, you can ration your food accordingly and eat only the required amount. Additionally, you can teach your kids the importance of a balanced diet at an early age.
- Easy to follow restricted diets
Though meal planning is an efficient tool for everyone, fitness experts suggest it can be more helpful for people who follow an alternative diet routine. For instance, if you follow a keto meal plan or gluten-free diet, you need a higher level of customization. Meal planning is the key to following your restrictive diet routine efficiently.
Conclusion
A balanced diet not only gives you the energy you need for your day-to-day task but increase your mental ability and immunity, as well as provides fuel for your exercise and recovery afterward. What you eat affects both your physical and emotional health. A balanced diet is nothing but consuming the right food in the proper amount at the appropriate time. It is the key to a healthy way of life, and only a well-rounded meal plan can help you achieve that. A customized meal plan enables you to stay on track in a disciplined manner and helps you achieve your health milestones.
