20/10/2026
Why these mindsets arenât helping you! đđ»
1. Cooking a brand new recipe at every meal and snack is a sure-fire way to burnout and mental fatigue. You must keep your meal plan familiar and simple. Plan a maximum of 1-2 new things; otherwise, stick to what doesnât suck your mental energy.
2. If you donât stick to the meal plan perfectly, you havenât ruined anything! Itâs there to serve you; not the other way around. Simply swap meals around, pivot, be flexible, and come back to the plan when youâre able. This kind of black and white, perfectionist thinking has no place in long-term healthy eating.
3. Many people see buying takeaway food as a ânaughtyâ or âbadâ thing to do and they see meal planning as a âgoodâ and âhealthyâ thing to do. This means that they plan this perfect diet and then as they progress through the week they canât stick to it or they want to buy food out because theyâre tired, which then feels like âcheatingâ or âdeviatingâ from the meal plan which makes them feel guilty. This guilt creates an unhealthy relationship with food. Instead, see all food choices as neutral, neither good nor bad. Even better is to plan to buy food away from home and include it as part of your meal plan. Donât feel bad about it! Enjoy your night off from cooking!
4. If planning your meals for the week is taking longer than 30 minutes, youâre not doing it right! It doesât need to take hours, or take over your weekend! Planning your meals with the Ayla Health App, with a ready-to-go shopping list with exactly what you need, takes 10 minutes or less with the Ayla Health App!
Give it a try! FREE to download for iPhone or Android.
