Whole 30 Tips and Tricks
I don't believe in diets. So it's a good thing Whole 30 isn't a diet. We've done 4 rounds and are almost done with our 5th. I feel like I've learned a lot these past two years. Many people ask me for suggestions or tips on how to get started with their first Whole 30, so I decided to put a little something together and post it here.
Here are my top 5 tips:
1. Do it with someone else, seriously it will make it a lot easier to have someone doing it along side you. Because, let's be honest, some days will suck and you need someone who gets you to complain to. Having a partner to encourage you and keep you going is the difference between making it through the 30 days, or giving into your donut craving 5 days in.
2. Meal plan and shop ads. Whole 30 can get expensive if you don't plan correctly. I like to make a plan on Sunday and get my groceries that day, or Monday. Get chicken and ground beef when it's on sale. Stock up if you have the space. I like to buy drumsticks when they're really cheap at Aldi. Also a good item to stock up on is frozen veggies that you can quickly steam. I like the bags that you can just throw in the microwave. We just nuke them, and then add a little salt and they're good to go!
3. Always have snacks on hand, because when you're hangry, you'll need them. Bananas are a quick grab, so are raisins that are in the small snack boxes (be careful with dried fruit, a lot of them have added sugar). I like to have almonds and carrots in my lunch so I can eat them mid day. Having something nearby can be good too when there are snacks or cake in the office. Someone always seems to be bringing in stuff to share, and even if it looks approved, you just can't always trust it.
4. Try new things. I never knew that I liked beets until my first Whole 30. They're delicious and packed full of vitamins! Don't be afraid to try a new fruit (never knew that kiwi was so delicious) or new vegetables, or even a new way of cooking something. I have picked up a ton of kitchen skills and feel pretty fearless with a frying pan. Keep basic meals for when you know you're short on time, and new 'fancier' meals for those nights when you have plenty of time to cook some chicken in case something goes wrong. (We tried cooking duck the other night....not a lot of meat on a duck, but we can say we tried it!) Crock pots are always great for pot roast or chicken, and it's done cooking when you get home from work!
5. Make sure you cook more than what you need. I try to cook for 5. My husband can eat a lot more than me, so I plan for him to eat 2 times what I have. And when it comes to meal planning, whatever we had for dinner becomes lunch for the next day. It makes it really easy when you have don't have much time to pack a lunch for work in the morning. My lunch consist of last night's dinner, carrots, apple, and pistachios. I keep apple sauce and a banana in case I don't feel full enough. If I don't have left overs, here is a few ideas of what you can do for lunch:
- canned tuna on mixed greens (use olive oil for dressing, or make your own!)
- go to Chipotle (salad, meat, salsa, guac...its delicious)
- hard boiled eggs added to a salad (guac is great dressing for salads, seriously)
My breakfast gets pretty redundant, but you can find things to help mix it up. My breakfast is 2 eggs, scrambled or over hard, with hot sauce, and maybe breakfast sausage if I made some recently (yes, I made my own, it's impossible to find some without sugar added)
Pinterest is going to be your best friend for recipes, but I encourage you to look into buying the Whole30 book. Here is my board for you to start with: https://www.pinterest.com/aubzscott/whole30-recipes-and-tips/
Here are a couple of our favorite easy dinners to start:
Shrimp Pesto 'Fettuccine"
- 2 Zucchini
- 1 bag of Shrimp
Use a veggie noodler, or just a regular peeler and peel zucchini noodles until you reach the seeds. Steam zucchini until its close to al dente, to much and they will get mushy. Peel shrimp, and steam until done.
Pesto
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup walnuts (or macadamia)
Throw all ingredients into the food processor, until blended.
Mix you veggie noodles, shrimp and pesto together. Enjoy!
- Chicken drumsticks
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Paprika
- Chili Powder
- Onion Powder
Pat drumsticks dry, and toss in oil. Lay the drumsticks on your baking sheet (put foil down first; easy clean up). Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and onion powder on both sides. Bake for 25 minutes at 375, and then flip and cook for another 25.
Hot Sauce
- Red Hot Sauce
- Coconut oil, melted
- Garlic salt or powder (optional)
Warm and mix together and drizzle over the drummies. Mmmmm...these are the best if you like spicy!
Have fun with it, it's not as hard as people think it is. There are much harder things in the world, you can do this.