My husband and I are dieting. It’s not the over-the-top, all you can have is cottage cheese and boiled chicken, kind of thing. Rather, we are reducing carbs.

In the past, I’ve done Atkins. While it was effective, it also had some not-so-pleasant aftereffects which I prefer not to get into. Cutting carbs is a viable choice for me. Celiac disease is in my family. My genealogy research suggested that ancestors may have died due to complications from it. Cutting wheat from my diet is a good alternative for me.

In the course of planning my meals, I’ve researched ways of planning my meal week to save time. For example, Mondays are vegetarian night. Fridays are beef night. I intersperse chicken, fish, and pork on the remaining days. Having a schedule makes meal planning easier. I have a starting point as I plan for the week ahead.

My rationale is this: if I don’t plan to have a meatless meal or a meal that includes fish, I may forget to include it. If I know that I will be making a certain type of meal, I save time. There is also another important reason.

I grew up in a meat and potato world. We had beef several times a week. The vegetables may have been lacking, but the beef sure wasn’t. I plan my week so that I do not overindulge in beef. As much as I like it, rotating protein sources is much healthier. My meal schedule reminds me to do so.

I’ll admit too, to needing a reminder to eat fish. I don’t care for salmon, but I enjoy other fish and shellfish. I’m reminded to include more of the other foods that I should be eating.

Of course, if you’re going to do this, give yourself the latitude to make last minute changes. Have a taste for pizza that just won’t go away? Allow yourself to change the menu now and again. Just be sure that you’re including more of the good things that you should be eating.