After a long, hard day at work, the last thing you probably feel like doing is going home to slave over a hot stove to cook a meal. Whether you cook for yourself or prepare meals for your family, you know how much time it takes to prepare and get food ready each and every day. And you already know that eating at restaurants may be convenient, but they're not an ideal option if you're trying to eat healthily, as meals can be high in calories and have poor nutrient profiles.

The best way to reduce the tedious time spent preparing meals and still stick to a healthy eating plan is to pick one day per week to plan and prepare your meals for the entire week. That way, you don't need to worry about cooking every night. All it takes is a couple of hours of planning, and cooking can be one fewer thing that you'll have to worry about in your busy day. The short amount of time needed to prepare your food for the week is broken down below.

		Why Plan Your Meals for the Week?     Saves money – By preparing your foods on one set day of the week, you'll reduce the amount of food that gets wasted.       Saves time – Not only will reduce the amount of time that you'll need to shop, but after the initial once-a-week prep work, meal preparation will only require reheating.       It's nutritious – Making your own food with well-chosen ingredients is healthier and will help you avoid the temptation to indulge in fast food.       Reduces chances of giving in to quick but poor food choices – Your food will be ready when you get home, so you won't need to grab that bag of chips as a quick fix while making dinner.

Communicate (10 to 15 minutes): If you have a family or are cooking for others, find out what they'd like to eat for the week. Search through your favorite cookbooks or check out some of the great recipes for some ideas. Make a master list of all the meals that you want to prepare for the week and any needed ingredients.

Take stock of your inventory (5 minutes): Find out what you've got in the house, and determine what ingredients you may be missing.

Make a list (10 to 15 minutes): From there, make a list of everything that you'll need at the grocery store. This is important. It's frustrating to return from the grocery store and realize you forgot to purchase one simple but important item.

Ultimately, these 10 to 15 minutes of planning will save you a lot of time over the week. Print off a free grocery list here to help yourself stay on track.

Go grocery shopping (1 to 1½ hours): Go to the grocery store and purchase the foods that you need for the week. It's important that you follow your grocery list. And don't give in to any tempting but unhealthy options at the store.

Cook and prepare your food (1 to 2 hours): Pick one day of the week and prepare all the foods that you will need for the upcoming week. Pick a day that's not too busy or hectic and one that will allow you the time to let the food cook and do any necessary prep work. Use your time wisely. While you're waiting for one food to finish cooking, use that time to start chopping vegetables.

Store your food and clean up (20 minutes): After you've finished preparing your food, store it in a resealable container. You can measure out and divide up your daily meals for individual storage ahead of time, or you can store your food in a large container to be measured out each day. It's also a good idea to clearly label your containers so you won't have to guess what's in each one.

And there you have it – your meals for the week prepared in one day! All it takes is a little planning and a dedicated day once a week to get your plan on track. Cooking and preparing foods shouldn't be a time-consuming hassle. By planning your week and preparing your foods ahead of time, you won't have to rely on takeout food or make unhealthy choices at the end of your busy day.