And it’s usually my youngest daughter, Ellie, who asks me this cruel question when she gets home from school while I’m busily working in my office. MOMMMM!

“What’s for dinner?”

What an evil girl. How dare she!

Well, I’m happy to say that most days (not all – cuz I’m not perfect), this question is no longer a big stressor in my life.

Why?

Because of the second ‘P’ in the 5P process which is PLAN.

Hopefully you set your foundation with the PERSONALIZE step and made your own clean food “rules” based on what you know about your body, your lifestyle, the clean eating principles and your goals. Download the guide here if you haven’t already.

If you did complete the template, then you know from the right hand column which foods you’re choosing to allow in your eating plan and which foods you’re choosing to avoid (on the left).

Here’s my plan:

So you can see that I have tons of foods to work with and also – by looking at the ‘avoid’ list, I know what to watch out for when I’m heading to the store.

From this list, I want you to start to build a framework for what you’re going to be eating for dinner in the coming week or even just a few days in advance. You can use the Dinner Builder Template for that.

Read the PLAN section of the guide to get ideas on selecting different cuisines and macronutrient components to change things up (the latest edition of the guide also has 3 super fast recipes to try).

From the dinners you create, transfer all the ingredients you need to buy onto the shopping list template (or I just use the Notes app on my phone).

Most people don’t stress about what to eat for breakfast and lunch, so add those items to your shopping list too and don’t forget any staples you might be low on like oils, coconut milk, spices, canned goods, condiments, edible underwear, etc… 🙂

BAMMO – there’s your list!  From there, the other planning piece that’s NOT covered in the guide is a crossover with the PREP step which we’re going to cover in 2 weeks, but here’s the related tip:  PLAN your food prep in your calendar or to-do list.

So for instance, say Tuesday’s dinner plan is Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps.  If you don’t put the pork and seasonings in the crockpot before you leave for the day, you’re plan is messed up.

Sure, you can always switch dinners around or try and cook the pork faster when you get home, but that’s more stressful.  Put the prep ‘to-do’ in your calendar/on your to-do list and/or take out the crockpot the night before so you have a visible reminder to take that 5 extra minutes to set it up.

Voila!  This is a short one this week! and YAY! You’re another step closer to customized clean eating!

And if you’re thinking about skipping this step, I urge you to try it first.  You’ll find that:

Planning takes less energy than scrambling.

So now, tell me what you think? Is this doable, overwhelming, useful? Reply here or on the Nourished Path Facebook page to give me your tips, planning or clean eating wins or challenges. I want to hear from you!

Be sure to check your inbox next week:  We’ll be covering the PICK step!  SUPER important for clean eating because those evil food manufacturers are always trying to trick you.  ;> Stay tuned!

As always, thanks for being here!