Modular Meal Planning for Busy People

In this article, I’m on a quest for building the definitive meal plan. I’ll start by briefly reviewing the basics of nutrition. After the bases are set, I’ll expose the plan I created for myself. I’m calling it: “Modular Meal Plan for Busy People”.

Why do we need a universal meal plan?

Maintaining a healthy diet is hard. There’s a lot of contradictory advice about what the perfect diet should look like. Sometimes I wonder if we even need a “perfect” diet. Personally, I would be content with a flexible diet that covers 80% of my nutritional needs (Pareto principle).

Nutrition 101

Let’s start with the basics. Nutrients are substances that provide nourishment essential for growth and maintenance of life. There are two major groups of nutrients: macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients. Both of them are valuable in their own way.

Macro-nutrients (macro = body needs a lot)
- Carbohydrates
  - Main source of energy
  - Examples: fruits, veggies, legumes, pasta, bread…
- Protein
  - Helps our body build and repair tissues, supports immune function and hormone production.
  - Examples: meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts…
- Fat
  - Necessary for hormone production, nutrient absorption, insulation, and organ protection.
  - Types: saturated (bad one), unsaturated (good ones), trans (devil)
  - Examples: oils, nuts, seeds, avocados, fatty fish…
Micro-nutrients (micro = smaller amounts)
- Vitamins (cute organic compounds)
  - Support cell function, growth, and development
  - Examples: A, Bs, C, D, E, K…
  - Types: fat-soluble or water-soluble
- Minerals (inorganic elements)
  - Support bone health, oxygen transport, and fluid balance
  - Examples: calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium

Now that we know more about nutrients, let’s explore other important concepts:

Calories: the fuel of the body, all food gets turned into it. We need enough to be “alive”. Extra calories get stored as body fat (not to be confused with dietary fat).
Fiber: carbohydrate that our body can’t digest. Important for digestive health, blood sugar control, and especially feeling of fullness. Eating food rich in fiber is good for controlling appetite.
Nutrient density: how many nutrients a food contains per calorie. “Healthy” foods = Nutrient dense.
- Pizza: tons of calories, not many nutrients = not dense
- Apple: moderate calories, tons of nutrients and fiber = dense
Water: takes a sip, essential for life. Assists us in temperature regulation, nutrient transport, and waste removal.

I know that’s a lot of information. Nutrition is a complex topic. Lucky for us, we don’t need to be experts to understand the basics. In fact, you don’t need to know any of this to apply this meal plan. This section was for curious people like myself.

Meal components (ingredients)

Let’s talk about the components of our meal plan. Contrary to other plans, mine doesn’t provide a fixed schedule. Instead, it’s based on building your own. Like playing with LEGO blocks, edible LEGO blocks.

Proteins
- Animal: chicken, eggs, fish, beef (only occasionally)
- Plant-based: lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, tofu…
Complex Carbohydrates
- Whole grains: brown rice, oats, quinoa, whole-grain pasta, whole-grain bread
- Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, squash
Vegetables
- Leafy greens: spinach, kale
- Cruciferous: broccoli, cauliflower
- Colorful: bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes
- Others: cucumbers, zucchini
Fruits
- Berries: mixed berries
- Citrus: oranges or lemons
- Seasonal: bananas, apples, peaches, pineapple… (you name it!)
Healthy Fats
- Avocado
- Nuts: almonds, walnuts
- Seeds: chia seeds, sunflower seeds
- Oil: extra virgin olive oil

Perhaps you knew all the ingredients I listed, perhaps you don’t. Take your time to get familiar with each ingredient. Feel free to modify my list and create one of your own.

Assembly time-aware meals

Contrary to LEGOs, which can be mixed and matched easily, we need to be more mindful. Depending on the time of the day, our body benefits from different nutrients more than others. To make this process easier, I’ll provide guidelines for 3 meals:

Morning: initial recharge after fasting overnight
- 2/4 plate: Complex carbohydrates
- 1/4 plate: Protein
- 1/4 plate: Fruits
- Example: slice of bread + scrambled eggs + banana
Mid-day: refuel for sustained energy
- 1/3 plate: Complex carbohydrates
- 1/3 plate: Protein
- 1/3 plate: Vegetables (multi-color)
- Example: whole-grain pasta + chicken + tomatoes + spinach
Evening: nourish the body without exceeding calorie count
- 2/4 plate: Vegetables (multi-color)
- 1/4 plate: Protein
- 1/4 plate: Complex carbohydrates
- Example: spinach salad + bell peppers + leftover chicken + sweet potato

Now you’re almost ready to assemble your own meals. Before doing so, here are a couple of tips:

Where are “healthy fats”? Well, they are needed with every meal. Include a small portion of healthy fats (about 1-2 tablespoons).
- Examples: olive oil dressings, avocado slices, handful of nuts…
Alternate between animal and plant-based proteins frequently. This will enrich your meals and keep them fun and original.
Choose portions based on hunger but do not exceed yourself. Better to be short than to overeat. You can always compensate later.
Aim for variety, a “balanced diet” contains foods from each category. Especially different fruits and veggies. I personally like to keep my meals super colorful.

Batch cooking

For those of us who live alone, cooking in batches is almost mandatory. Lucky for us, the plan is quite compatible with this.

These are some of my favorite ideas:

Roast a mix of vegetables (bell peppers, carrots, onions…)
Cook a large batch of whole grains (brown rice or quinoa)
Prepare both animal (grilled chicken or fish) and plant-based (cooked beans) proteins

Personally, I don’t mind eating the same thing for up to 3 days. This is a matter of personal preference. For those who like to vary, feel free to freeze your meals. However, make sure to write down the date to prevent food poisoning.

I know, that’s a ton of information to digest. Take your time. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. Let me share my personal plan. You can see that it’s not that complicated. Feel free to use it as an example for making your own.

Side-note: I personally like to do intermittent fasting from 22:00 till 14:00. This is not required, although I encourage you to try it.

Monday - Wednesday (Animal protein)
- 14:00 (Break-fast): Greek yogurt + Muesli + Fresh fruit
- 18:00 (Main meal): Quinoa + chicken + bell peppers + olive oil
- 21:30 (Light meal): Hummus + carrot and cucumber sticks + handful of nuts.
Thursday - Friday (Plant-based protein)
- 14:00 (Break-fast): Banana pancakes + peanut butter
- 18:00 (Main meal): Whole wheat pasta + turkey meatballs + tomato sauce + spinach
- 21:30 (Light meal): Small portion of nuts + apple
Saturday
- 14:00 (Break-fast): Whole grain toast + avocado + hard-boiled eggs
- 18:00 (Main meal): Eat out
- 21:30 (Light meal): Sliced turkey + avocado roll-ups
Sunday
- 14:00 (Break-fast): Smoothie bowl (spinach, banana, protein powder) + granola topping
- 18:00 (Main meal): Eat out
- 21:30 (Light meal): Hard-boiled egg + cherry tomatoes + whole grain crackers

Putting into practice

Maintaining a healthy diet is a matter of negotiating with yourself. Build a plan that works for you using foods of your liking.

As we talked about previously, dieting is the art of nourishing your body. This is essentially taking care of yourself. In order to maintain a healthy diet, you need to be honest with yourself. It’s okay to overeat some days. However, you must forgive yourself when you do. Giving up is not an option when your own health is on the line. Keep trying. Cycle through different foods. Dive into new cuisines. Experience new flavors.

There was a time when food was not as available as it is today. Feel grateful for the food you eat. Taste each bite and learn to be satisfied with enough.

Thanks for your time.

Social Farmer

E-Ink and Nomad A6X2