Whole30

     Back in the beginning of June of this year I lightly toyed with the idea of going on a Whole30 challenge. I read testimonies of how it changes peoples' lives & how they felt more energized afterward. After about 20 minutes of surfing Pinterest for 'Whole30' recipes, I felt SO overwhelmed at how foreign they seemed that I decided it wasn't for me. I didn't have time to try out new recipes. Getting healthy would have to wait. About a month later I came across another mommy blogger's post of her experience with whole30. She said it was the 'lazy girl' way haha. After reading her post and getting the main idea behind Whole30, I figured I could actually try it. 

     Basically, Whole30 is a challenge where you go 30 days eating meat, veggies, fruit, and some approved nuts and oils. No pasta, bread, rice, ANY sugar (besides fruit) or dairy. So my advice to anyone thinking to do this challenge is to stick to making meals with some meat and veggies. Don't try to make elaborate 'whole30 approved' recipes off Pinterest. That might get overwhelming and make it harder to succeed. I did the same meals as before, except separated andy pasta/rice and sauces from the meat so that I could eat the meat and veggies while my family still got the pasta/rice. 

     The hardest part for me was coming up with breakfast food. We usually had toast with butter for breakfast. But since bread and dairy weren't allowed I had to come up with something else. I stuck with eggs for the most part and added different sauteed veggies to change things up. I even got used to coffee without sugar, and prefer it this way now. 

     My main goal for doing this challenge was to gain more self-discipline in the sweets department. I have a HUGE sweet tooth and the constant snacking was getting out of control. I must say that it has helped me see food differently and set goals regarding my consumption of processed sugar. Although I'm not going to fully give it up (; that would be insanity haha

     As a side benefit, I also lost about 10lbs. This was totally unexpected but was a nice surprise. I haven't weighed this much since before having children. 

     So here are some meals I had throughout the 30 days. I hope it can give someone else some ideas and make them realize it isn't too difficult to do this challenge.  

Roasted spaghetti squash, zucchini, chicken and a cucumber + radish salad. 

Leftover spaghetti squash with over easy eggs on top & some sauteed mushrooms. 

I ate SO much tuna. This was a tuna+egg salad in romaine lettuce leaves and a peach

Another breakfast. Over easy eggs on spinach, avocado, and Whole 30 approved sausage. 

Sauteed yellow squash, over easy eggs, sausage and tomato.

Spaghetti squash, grilled chicken, zuchini and asparagus 

Leftover chicken and zucchini with mashed potatoes

Over easy eggs, and sauteed mushrooms and zucchini

One of the recipes I tried off Pinterest. I wasn't impressed though. An apple "cereal" & my regular green smoothie

Scrambled eggs and avocado 

Baked salmon + roasted broccoli 

Sauteed cabbage and chicken. SO yummy!

So technically you cant eat "baked" stuff during the Whole30 even if its all made with approved ingredients. But I broke that rule a couple times when I made these pancakes. Bananas + eggs and I added some coconut flour. 

Scrambled eggs, avocado, and tomatoes. 

This was a snack. Roasted broccoli + Brussel sprouts 

Steak, sauteed mushrooms, and roasted broccoli 

One of the few times I had something other than eggs for breakfast. Potatoes, sausage, cucumbers, and tomatoes. This felt more like a lunch to me. 

Zucchini patties, sausage, egg, and tomatoes. 

scrambled eggs over spinach. I love this combo. 

over easy eggs over potatoes 

Spaghetti squash, steamed broccoli, and a cucumber + radish salad

Tuna, strawberries and spaghetti squash. 

I was even able to tweak the classic Zuppa Toscana and make it Whole30 approved, It tasted the same to me as the original. 

baked chicken thighs, green beans, and a salad. 

veggie omelet and avocado 

homemade salsa and tuna 

Snack. Bell pepper with hummus. 

Another snack. Roasted sweet potato and broccoli 

Baked asparagus, red potato, and chicken. 

     
     And that's it, folks. Hope this gives you some ideas, if not for the Whole30 challenge than just for some dinners or lunches.