Between work deadlines and Lagos traffic, many women skip proper meals, not because they don’t care, but because eating healthy feels like a luxury. It doesn’t have to be.
Eating Well Without Breaking the Bank
For many women, eating healthy meals, especially maintaining a balanced diet, feels like a task amidst the chaos of waking early to prep meals, beating rush hour traffic, and the never-ending to-do list. Honestly, eating well doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.
Sometimes, it’s not about trying to save cost. Someone who has an 8am resumption time will most likely skip breakfast or have it late. Most women only prioritize lunch, while some skip dinner or have it early if they are on a diet. But it’s all about intentionality, weight loss or not.
The rising cost of food cannot be overlooked, but eating well doesn’t have to be expensive. Choosing affordable alternatives will help you save costs and eat healthier meals.
The Hidden Cost of Convenience
Let’s critically explore why we overspend on food. There are times when you have to choose between eating well or convenience, and convenience always wins. We’ve all had that moment when we are scrolling through food delivery apps at work, tempted by the promise of a quick and easy meal. But the truth is, ordering lunch every day comes at a cost.
Spending ₦3,000 a day ordering food online can amount to ₦60,000 a month. If you plan well, that amount could be better spent on nutritious meals. Weekly meal plans will help you normalize poor eating habits, balance your diet, and save you costs.
Understanding Meal Planning
Planning your meals is about being intentional with your diet to avoid repeating the same food all week. It’s a way to organize your meals, save time, and make better decisions about what goes into your body while taking cost into consideration.
Meal plans are not a new concept. Women have been creating meal plans for years, saving frozen stews, bean porridge, and proteins for weekday breakfasts and dinners. It’s time to recycle that practice in an intentional way.
How to Create Affordable Meal Plans That Actually Work
For your meal plans to actually work, you need to be smart about time, ingredients, and preparation.
- Plan Your Week
Start small. Make a list of your favorite quick meals and note what you already have or might need at home. Plan for 5 days, not 7. That way, the working days in the week are sorted. A simple meal plan could be oats for breakfast, jollof rice for lunch, and boiled plantain with vegetable sauce for dinner. - Shop Smart
Buy in bulk from local markets and store them properly. Pick ingredients that can serve multiple purposes, like tomatoes for stew, sauce, or jollof. - Batch Cook & Freeze
Working women can dedicate a few hours during the weekend for batch cooking. Make rice, beans, or protein in bulk and portion them into reusable containers. Freezing helps preserve freshness without losing taste. - Reuse & Refresh
Don’t be discouraged from remixing leftovers. That leftover rice in the fridge can be made into fried rice or jollof rice.
Create a 5-day timetable of the different foods you like that are affordable to stock at home and easy to prep before leaving for work, and stick to the plan.
Why Affordable Eating Is Self-Care
Good eating habits are linked to productivity, mood, and confidence. When you eat well, following a strict diet, not out of haste or habit, it becomes an act of self-care. Meal plans aren’t just about saving money; they’re about showing up for yourself every day with energy, focus, and confidence.
If you can, start your meal plan today. Start small, be consistent, and remember that the goal isn’t perfection, it’s progress. Affordable, nourishing food is within your reach. You just need to plan for it.
