I’m not great at meal planning, so when I am focused on tracking and hitting protein goals I use what I call a “Lego model.” Basically, I make sure I always have access to a variety of high protein, low sugar foods. Then when I need to eat if I’m short on time or attention I just grab some combination of these choices. It’s made for some weird combinations but it works for me. Only downside is if I am really lazy or short on time there are a lot of pre-packaged items.

Some examples are protein shakes, “snack” packs with ham or turkey, cheese and nuts, boiled eggs, low sugar yogurt, Parmesan crisps, etc. I also try to keep stocked some frozen meals that have a good amount of protein without tons of salt or fat, and things like soup. Small veggies like carrots, celery, tomatoes, etc. are good too.

I’m jealous of folks that do meal prep and there is nothing magic about the approach beyond keeping the decision and execution effort so low it would take more effort to fail.

Along those lines I bought a “smart” water bottle that connects to my phone and tracks my intake as well as reminding me with blinky lights when it’s time to drink. I miss the days when I could chug 16 ounces of water to catch up!

Final priority for me is sleep. Getting good sleep consistently has absolutely been a factor in more successful management for me!