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Medifast Recipe Organizer

Here is a list of the supplies you will need. You can pick them up inexpensively at any local office supply store, if you do not already have them.

1 3-ring binder (I used one that is plastic so it is waterproof and it's bright red so I can find it easily.)
6-12 tabbed dividers (I used color coded tabs.)
printer and paper, of course ;)
3-ring hole punch (They are inexpensive if you cannot use someone elses.)

1. Label your tabbed dividers with category names. I used the following: Desserts, Soups, Shakes, Green, Lean, Snacks, Misc., Tips, Holiday Food
2. Gather all of your printed Medifast recipes together and sort them into the piles that logically correspond to the categories you created with your tabbed dividers.
3. Punch holes into the printed recipes with the 3-ring hole punch.
4. Highlight the recipe title if you like and alphabetize all recipes under each category. I alphabetized mine, but then placed the recipes I used often in the front of each category for quick access. I also place sticky note tabs at the top of new recipes I want to try.
5. My 3-ring binder has a pocket in the front and the back. I place any new recipes I haven't organized into the front pocket for quick filing later. In the back pocket I put quick lists I printed from the Medifast site, like the condiments lists, vegetable list, etc.
6. The first pages of my Medifast Organizer (before the tabbed dividers) is my Medifast Weekly Meal Plan & Shopping List Template that I developed and have been using for weeks now. It works quite well and I can see what I've scheduled to eat each day for the entire week at a glance. My Medifast Weekly Meal Plan & Shopping List Template is free, so download it and give it try. It works great for me, and I cut off the shopping list section for quick reference when I go to the grocery store on Sundays. Click Here to see an example of a completed section of a page of my template.
7. Printing Tips: When I print my recipes I print only the portion of the page I need by highlighting that section, and choosing File > Print > Selection. In this way I am not distracted by other info on the page and have plenty of room below the recipe to make notes on what ingredients I used, how it worked out, and alternate recipe ideas I might use when I make the recipe again. I try to remember to date all of my notes and write a quick review of whether I liked it or not. Click Here to see an example of a printed recipes with my handwritten notes.
8. Printer Tips: For years I used an inkjet printer because laser printers were so expensive. That is not the case any longer and especially if you buy a laser printer that prints only in black. So colors will print in gray tones, but the cost of the printer and cartridges are far less expensive and the ink doesn't smudge and is waterproof. If you change the default settings of your printer (laser or inkjet) to print only in black and at a lower resolution or in draft mode, you won't use as much ink or toner.

I hope you find this method of organizing your Medifast Recipes helpful. I tried to copy/paste them all into Word documents, but it quickly became a nightmare and they weren't easy to find after printing.

Medifast Weekly Meal Plan & Shopping List Template

> Download your Free Medifast Weekly Meal Plan & Shopping List Template here. The photo above is a snapshot of how I fill it out and manage/plan my Medifast meals.

Medifast Recipes and Notes

The photo above shows how I print my Medifast Recipes and illustrates how easy it is to keep notes handy with the original recipe.

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