Whole 30 Binder

Hello essential people!

I wanted to introduce you to my Whole 30 binder! This is not a necessity to starting Whole 30 and you shouldn't feel bad if this isn't your type of thing. But, it is MY type of thing! I have been grocery shopping, meal planning, and recipe organizing with this baby and I am so happy I decided to make it.

Supplies:

Binder

Protector/sleeves

Whole 30 downloads - printed

     - I chose to insert the shopping list, low histamine shopping list, common additive cheat-sheet, and Guide        to Sneaky Sugars. I highly suggest printing these for your binder (plus whichever shopping list YOU              prefer)

This wonderful menu planner!

Recipes printed

A piece of loose leaf

pencil pouch

sharpie

dry erase marker

pen

I chose to put the protective sleeves on the shopping list so that I can reuse it over and over instead of printing new ones each shopping trip. HOW does that work? You just slip the shopping list into the sheet protector and then you can write directly onto the sheet protector and wipe it off when you are finished!
I chose to write on it with a sharpie so that it will not smudge off (like a dry erase would)(Or you could use a Visa-Vis). BUT I am using the dry erase marker to REMOVE the sharpie. Do you not know this trick? Just color over the sharpie marks with your dry erase marker, let it sit there a couple of seconds, and then erase. The dry erase takes off the sharpie mark and tah-dah, a clean sheet! (You can do this with your menu, too!)

(Update: I have also found that the protectors are great for when you are cooking! I spilt a LOT of different things on my binder and sheets and all I had to do was wipe them off!)

The first shopping trip was a challenge. I had my list but quite honestly didn't really know what I was looking for. (I mean, who really knew what ghee was before this?) It REALLY helped to have the additive cheat-sheet and Guide to Sneaky Sugars to point me in the right direction. For instance we saw an ingredient labeled "xylitol" and had no idea if it was allowed. Hint: it's not! Thank you sneaky sugar guide! And when we stumbled upon beta-carotene we double checked and saw that it was a green light. Toss that baby into your cart! These sheets prepared me and guided me in my shopping.

The meal plan is great for well planning the week and knowing what you need to buy! It also helps to see that we will be having steak in a day so eating this butternut squash soup doesn't seem as bad ;)

ORDER:
You can print on both sides of the paper so that you can use the sleeves for two things! (i.e. Both sides of the shopping list in one sleeve). I reuse paper so I had old paper with something printed on one side. I just printed on the blank side and slid both sheets into the protector.

Pencil Pouch

1st sleeve, menu planner - One side. I use the back blank sheet as a reminder page like (make ketchup today. Or Don't forget to pre-boil chicken)

2nd sleeve, Shopping list - Two sides

3rd sleeve, Low histamine shopping list - One sided and the back is a piece of lined paper. I use this for other groceries I need at the store like toothpaste or dog food. (or in this picture the number to Fresh Market to order meat!)

4th sleeve, Common Additives cheat sheet - On the back side is the Sneaky Sugars list

5th sleeve, Recipes - Front and back

It's really not fancy. It's really not complicate. But it IS worth it for me (:
Get CREATIVE. Do what works for YOU and your family! Cut out recipes and stick them in a spiral notebook, decorate, sparkle, and bedazzle your binder, create an online recipe book, or add a whole bunch of pictures to your phone with this information.

Do what works for YOU! Just prepare yourself for success!

HAPPY PLANNING!