- I drink Shakeology every morning for breakfast.  So, I write ‘Shakeology’ in my chart under Breakfast for every single day (all three weeks). 

- Under where I wrote Shakeology, in the same box, I add in Kale, Frozen Strawberries, 1-2 tsp coconut oil, and 1/2 a banana.  So, right off the bat I've knocked out 1 Green, 2 Purples, 1 Red, and 1-2 tsp.

NOTE: For those of you who have a hard time getting in your veggies and fruit, this is a good approach - get it out of the way!

- Next, I plan my dinners for ALL THREE WEEKS! This is where I switch things up a bit. I choose a different cuisine with a different protein each night. We typically choose from Mexican, Italian, BBQ/Grill, Breakfast for Dinner, Fish, etc.  As I choose the dinners, I note which containers I've used.

- Once Dinners are chosen, I tackle lunches.  Lunch (for me) is super easy because I use leftovers from the night before!! Monday night’s dinner becomes Tuesday’s lunch; Tuesday’s dinner becomes Wednesday’s and so on and so forth. Once again, I note which containers I've used.

NOTE: I ALWAYS make sure I have some pre-cooked chicken or Turkey Meatballs in the freezer, portioned out and ready to be thrown over a salad in case of a lunch emergency! (They have happened!)  One trick to this is, if there is ever a night where you have a TON of meat leftover, portion out what’s left and put them into small freezer bags.  I do this with chicken, turkey meatballs, black beans, quinoa and brown rice.  Why waste it, right? And, it can be a MAJOR lifesaver when you perhaps don’t have leftovers for lunch the next day, or you don’t have time to prep ahead.

- After I've filled in all of my lunches, I move onto snacks.  I start with the first snack of the day, and typically go for a yellow (like oatmeal) and a fruit (Like frozen berries).  That’s perfect for after a workout (if you're an early exerciser like I am), and you've knocked out a Yellow, and a Purple! 

- For the 2^nd snack, take a look at which containers you have left over, and build your snack based upon that. I tend to always have 1 Red left, and sometimes a Green.  So, I’ll have 2 Hard Boiled eggs, and Red Pepper strips.

Once you've planned, make your grocery lists!

- I make three different lists (one for each week - I like to plan ahead)

- I ONLY list the foods that I need, and that I've planned for.

So that's that! It's SO much easier than you might think. The first couple of times planning might be a bit overwhelming, but DON'T give up on it! Just keep trying different methods, and tossing the ones that don't work.

If you have any questions about planning your meals, email me at: alison.blaisdell@gmail.com!