Listen, summer is in full gear here. The kids are out of school, I'm planning for my new programs, and work is (good) crazy. Sprinkle in some vacations, which, let's face it, when you're a mom a vacation is A LOT of work...and I am left with very little time to plan out my meals.

Most of the women I work with have the same problem, and while summer is busy, life never truly slows down. If you've been around for a while or you've done any of my programs, you know that my biggest tip for a sustainable lifestyle is CONSISTENCY. So, how do you stay consistent when you don't have time to meal plan?

I've got a few tips that will take some of the work out, keep you consistent and most importantly ARE NOT CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI EVERY DAMN DAY.

First up, I want you to STOP planning and cooking for a whole week. Let's be honest, nobody wants to eat the same damn thing every day for 6 or seven days. Not to mention, by the time you get to the 4th day the food is not fresh and neither is your will to live.

The big problem with meal planning so far ahead is that is doesn't allow for flexibility. Nobody has the same day 7 days a week, and when you tie yourself into eating food you've prepared for every single day, you have to deal with guilt for wasting food if you change your plans.

Don't get me wrong, I will batch bigger meals so I can eat leftovers if I know I can freeze it or eat it the next day (hello crockpot turkey chili) but I cannot ever bring myself to portion out an entire week of meals into those little glass Tupper Wear bowls with the separated portions.

Second, I want you to start taking the time to plan ahead. This takes maybe 5 minutes to look at your schedule for the upcoming day and plan your meals. Each day looks different and what you need to fuel those days looks different too. If you have a busy high energy day you may need to start with a bigger breakfast with heavier protein and healthy carbs.

If you know you'll be running around and won't have time to prepare your own food, plan out some healthy options around your day so you won't crash and end up in a fast food line. Meal plan doesn't have to mean complicated cooking for hours at a time.

Building these healthy habits is part of building a healthy lifestyle.

And finally, Keep it simple. I mean, not plain chicken and broccoli simple but I don't want you to overthink this. I start all of my plates with protein, it's the centerpiece. I build from there with food I love, food I know will keep me full and satisfied.

I talk a lot about understanding how to build your plate in my programs. It's not complicated, it just takes some time to learn (and unlearn old dieting habits).

I hope these tips were helpful!

PS.  If you want to get first dibs on the spots for my brand new, high-touch mentorship that I will be rolling out in August.  This is an exclusive opportunity to work up close and personal with me to exponentially up-level your life in the areas of nutrition, fitness, food relationship body-confidence, stress-management, self-care, lifestyle, relationships, personal development and more!  We're going to tackle it all for women 40+ who want to finally live a lifestyle that is effortless and sustainable.

Click here for more info and to get on the waiting list!