# Flexible meal planning



## taro (Nov 16, 2013)

Hi everyone 

I have had IBS-D for almost 5 years. Fortunately I have been able to start identifying certain foods that do not suit me, and perhaps this post is better-suited for people who have also been able to control symptoms through diet.

As a young professional working long hours and living with IBS & food intolerances, it can seem impossible to control what I eat and to avoid resorting to food court fast-food that often makes me sick. For my first few months at work, I felt miserable because of this. All I did was work, go home, and feel sick. It can also be difficult to restrict my schedule to a strict daily meal plan, since I never know when I'll have to stay at work until 10PM or when I'll make last-minute dinner plans with friends or colleagues.

If you want to set up a meal plan strategy that suits an unpredictable schedule, hopefully this can be of help. Here is my meal plan strategy:

1. MONTHLY: once a month, take one day to prepare many meals to be frozen & that can be quickly prepared.

It is important that these freezer meals can go from the freezer to your plate in under an hour. You will see why in #2.

2. WEEKLY: every Sunday, prepare the meal plan for the week. I don't plan for exact days, just for an exact number of ''fresh'' meals that can be made during the week, leaving breathing room for impromptu nights out, with freezer meals as a back-up plan.

My meal plan consists of:

7 fresh breakfasts

6 fresh lunches to be taken to work (remaining 2 will be either restaurant or quick freezer meal) (see at #3 why I plan for 8 lunches)

4 fresh dinners (remaining 3 will be weekly family dinner at mom&dad's (1), and restaurant or quick freezer meals (2))

10 snacks for the workweek

Of course, adjust these numbers to suit your weekly schedule & lifestyle.

3. WORK BACK-UPS: for those long days that turn into long nights at the office, here is what I do (and why I count 8 ''lunches'' in my meal plan):

Every Monday, bring 2 lunches to the office. Then, bring one per day for the rest of the week. This way, there will always be a (fresh) meal in the work fridge if you have to work late one night, and as long as you don't use it, every day you will be able to choose between two meals! If by the end of the week you haven't had to use the ''spare'' lunch (yay!), either take it home to eat during the weekend, or give it to a person in need on the way home from work.

If you know you usually work late more than 1 night a week, you can plan for more of these back-up meals, or see #4.

4. NOTE: ALWAYS HAVE LAST-RESORT OPTIONS: even with a solid, carefully thought-out meal plan, there can always occur unpredictable situations in which you won't have a home-cooked meal.

For instance, I choose to only plan one back-up work meal, but it can often happen that I need to work late several nights a week.

This is why, in addition to planning meals, it is important to have what I call ''last-resort options'', such as:

- At least one (preferably 24-hour) take-out/delivery place that you know works for you.

- If fast-food options are available near you, see if some can work for you. If you have IBS or food intolerances, places like Subway can be a good last-resort option, since they allow you to choose every ingredient that goes in your meal.

- Always carry little snacks in your bag/briefcase, and keep some in your desk, car, etc.

This can surely seem a bit complicated and overwhelming at first, but if incorporate this into your routine and stay motivated, it can become very simple!

I also recently discovered an app called ''Menu Planner'', I haven't tried it yet but it seems really helpful!

Hope this can be of help


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