CHICAGO — During National Nutrition Month®, celebrated each March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to “Go Further with Food” by preparing meals in advance to enjoy throughout the week.

“Preparing several meals on the weekends can provide balanced meals that can easily be reheated throughout the week,” says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson Kristen Smith. “It’s also a great way to eat healthfully, save time during the week and reduce food waste.”

After you choose a day to prepare meals, decide which recipes you want to use and create a grocery list, Smith says. When possible, choose meals made with ingredients you already have at home to get the most out of your food.

Cooking in bulk saves money and allows you to portion and freeze meals for later, Smith says. Instead of reheating an entire dish, only reheat a single meal. After reheating food in the microwave or the oven, use a thermometer to ensure leftovers reach a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Create a meal prep plan that includes a variety of your favorite, healthful foods,” Smith says.

To find a personalized plan that works best, Smith suggests consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist. RDNs can provide sound, easy-to-follow nutrition advice to meet your lifestyle, preferences and health-related needs.

Pam Dove, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator at Baraga County Memorial Hospital, adds that pre-planning and prepping meals in advance is an excellent strategy for those seeking to lose weight. It is not an uncommon practice for busy individuals or families to eat higher calorie, convenience type foods when arriving home after a long day if meals are not planned for in advance.

If planning a week of meals in advance sounds overwhelming than consider planning, at a minimum, one day in advance. Immediately following supper tonight, ask yourself the simple question, “what will I (we) have for supper tomorrow?” You can start by looking at the foods you have in your refrigerator, freezer and/or pantry that need to be used up as not to waste them. One could go as far as to whip together a marinade with lean protein and allow it to soak overnight for a quick meal option the next evening; vegetables you plan to eat with your meal could be pre-washed, chopped and ready to throw into a steamer when you get home; or perhaps all of the ingredients can be tossed together into a crockpot and put into the refrigerator overnight only to be pulled out in the morning to start cooking so you can come home to a ready-made meal. Simply by asking yourself a day in advance, you will be able to prevent yourself from grabbing higher calorie, less healthful, convenience foods which can sabotage weight loss and healthy eating efforts.

As part of National Nutrition Month, the Academy’s website, eatright.org, includes articles, recipes, videos and educational resources to spread the message of good nutrition and the importance of an overall healthy lifestyle for people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. Consumers can also follow National Nutrition Month on the Academy’s social media channels including Facebook and Twitter using #NationalNutritionMonth.