Many of the pantry, condiment and sauce recipes are called for in other recipes so it’s best to have them made ahead of time. We strongly suggest that you make these recipes before beginning Phase 1 of the diet. Below are some tips to use that will make this task feel less daunting:

• Planning. Using the Meal Planning grid review the recipes you’ll be making for Phase 1. Review each recipe and determine which recipes from the pantry, sauces and condiments section are called for in the recipes you will be making. Write them down, with the page number, and make them over several days.

• Group recipes. Choose a few similar recipes, that have either similar preparation methods, cooking methods or ingredients to make on the same day. For instance, make the almond meal, almond butter and almond flour on the same day.

• Rely on small appliances. Some kitchen gadgets and small appliances can become your best friend in the kitchen. The tools we rely on most are our digital food scales, food processors, immersion blenders and blenders. I also use my dehydrator every week. If you are not sure whether you want to make the investment in a certain small appliance or kitchen gadget, borrow one. I’ll bet if you put a post up on Facebook or email friends and family to borrow a food processor or blender, for example, you’ll find several people would be happy to loan you theirs.

• Recruit help. Maybe your young kids or spouse/partner don’t know how to cook, but chance are they can they measure, clean or chop (adults, not kids) If you have small kids, get them in the kitchen with you and have them do simple tasks like breaking the stems off the green beans. They’ll learn some important lessons from a young age and it’ll give you more time with them. Teenagers, partners or spouses can help you measure out the ingredients, wash fruits and vegetables, slice and dice vegetables and clean up the mess when you’re done.

• Measure before you start. Don’t be afraid to do the steps of a recipe in stages. Some days if I’m not feeling great or I have a long to-do list I will start a recipe and complete it later in the day. For instance, if a recipe has a lot of vegetables that need to be washed, cut and measured, I’ll do that part first. I’ll give myself a break and then finish the project later. This makes it feel less tedious.

All these tips are applicable to the later Phases of the diet. It’s a good habit to get into and as time goes on it will become second nature.