As I sit here, sipping my strawberry-banana-and orange juice smoothie, I can’t help but feel mildly ashamed that I didn’t stick to today’s menu like I did yesterday. That was the plan after all.

But when I opened up our refrigerator and saw the strawberries already going south and that my bananas had spots, as well as a sink full of dishes from last night, I realized something: This is my first time making meal plans. I have to pay attention to my food too, or we’re gonna have unnecessary waste, and that’s something we can’t afford.

I’m not too proud to admit when I’ve been overly ambitious… but, I have been. Next week’s menu will be different because of the lessons learned here. At least I didn’t break diet.

The most important thing during the Whole46 is to stay totally Paleo, so as long as you’re not eating any grains, legumes, or dairy, you ought to be in the clear.

Here’s a totally cute infographic that some friends have been passing around on Facebook that does a good job of explaining the “can I eat it?” of the Paleo diet:

I’m definitely going to try to stay as close to the menus that I’ve listed as possible. They’re good! For instance, I know I’m going to have the Chile Verde for supper tonight because I’m in the process of thawing the pork shoulder right now.

I’m still going to go ahead and create menus and shopping lists for our family anyhow – and I’ll put them here. I’ll probably be a little less ambitious with the number of dishes that take more than 5 steps to make. 🙂 Realism aids in success every time!