Here’s what the science says about meal planning.

Meal planning helps people choose, purchase and prepare healthy foods on a regular basis. Research has shown that individuals who plan their meals are more likely to have better dietary quality, adherence to nutritional guidelines, and increased food variety.

Meal planning saves time, reduces stress and decreases food waste. One of the biggest barriers to eating healthy is a lack of time, and meal planning can help with this. It can also help reduce the stress associated with mealtimes and increase the likelihood of family meals. Another added benefit of meal planning is that it decreases household food waste.

Meal planning can help manage chronic diseases. With certain medical conditions like PCOS, studies show that meal plans can help teach about portion sizes of carbohydrate foods in a practical way, which can improve PCOS self-management skills and clinical outcomes. Learning how to meal plan can also help to build self-efficacy, which plays a major role in dietary adherence.