Join Tricia for week 2 of her Whole30 Journey. Just because you love a challenge doesn’t mean there aren’t bumps in the road.
Well, it is day 11, and we are still on this Whole30 journey and staying strong. Early on I asked my husband if he was going to bail on it. He quickly replied, “If you know nothing else about me, surely you have learned that I have a strong will when I put my mind to something.” True. Very true. For both of us. One of the things that I think is so appealing to us about Whole30 is that it is a challenge, and we both rise to challenges rather than run away from them. We want to prove to ourselves, each other, and the world that we can do this. That said, our challenge has not come free of bumps in the road.
I saw a glass bowl on the table the other day with what I thought were mini Oreos. I reached for it before snapping my hand back like it was a venomous snake. Then I looked again and realized they weren’t mini Oreos at all, but black berries. HA! Food mirages. No lie. My husband complains that he doesn’t mind the diet, but he just wants to have an Oreo if he wants an Oreo, dang it. Hmm, I think he is in the cravings denial stage.
To counter this, we started reading through It Starts with Food together and reminding ourselves about the physiological and psychological holds food has on us. It has been a battle some days more than others. And honestly, we are still in the fighting cravings stage where the sacrifices are not yet overshadowed by the benefits. We have to remember daily that it is about delayed gratification, not immediate pleasures.
Want to follow my Whole30 journey? Check me out on Instagram or my Whole30 Pinterest Board.
What We are Learning:
- I am still overwhelmed and appalled by the quantity of foods that contain some sort of sugar in their ingredients. It is ridiculous.
- It is possible to crave guacamole more than a cupcake.
- Our children are not on Whole30 with us, but they are definitely seeing their plates change through this process. I am putting more fruits and vegetables on their plates and giving a thorough look at ingredients in their favorite processed items. We will be cleaning the pantry more in the weeks to come.
- Food mirages are real.
- We need to adapt more of our favorite family meals to be paleo by omitting the carbs and finding ways to bring more vegetables and nutrients to those meals (instead of introducing gluten free “legal” flours). I am talking roasts, spaghetti sauces, etc. Look for some great recipes to come.
- When you eat the “right” things at a meal, you don’t spend the afternoon hungry and wanting food.
- I eat so mindlessly most days. Having an intent and purpose when it comes to meals is key.
- Chocolate chip cookies are not my kryptonite. Pretzels are.
Real Meals from our Whole30 Journey
I had tons of leftover vegetables from the first week, and we had freezer meals that I haven’t even touched. I found I was lacking in the breakfast protein department. We think we have that remedied now. Whew. We stayed almost exactly on track for our menu plan this week (unheard of). We moved a couple things around to different days because of unexpected company, but it worked just fine.
- Day 4 (Sunday): Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs, Ginger/Sage Sausage, and a bowl of deliciousness (blackberries, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – Beef Fajita Salad, sliced avocado; Dinner – Ranch Burgers (minus the cheddar), Guacamole, sweet potato fries.
- Day 5 (Monday): Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs, Prosciutto, and a bowl of deliciousness (pineapple, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – Leftovers, salad; Dinner – Stuffed Peppers, balsamic and bacon Brussels sprouts.
- Day 6 (Tuesday): Breakfast – Scrambled eggs, sausage and a bowl of deliciousness (pineapple, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – (On the go) Veggies, Citrus Marinated Chicken Fingers, Larabar; Dinner – Buffalo Ranch (Turkey) Meatballs, Carrots/Celery, Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Day 7 (Wednesday): Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and a bowl of deliciousness (pineapple, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – Leftovers, salad; Wild-Caught Salmon with Pineapple Mango Salsa, Roasted Balsamic Bacon Brussel Sprouts.
- Day 8 (Thursday): Breakfast – Sweet Potato Hash using Homemade Beef “Sausage”, and a bowl of deliciousness (raspberries, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – salad with Citrus Marinated Chicken; Dinner – Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce and Meatballs, Salad.
- Day 9 (Friday): Breakfast – Broccoli Egg Muffins and a bowl of deliciousness (pineapple, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – leftovers; Dinner – Out to dinner as we had a school event.
- Day 10 (Saturday): Breakfast – Omelets and a bowl of deliciousness (blackberries, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – Buffalo Chicken Salad; Dinner – Tacos in lettuce wraps with guacamole.
Next Week’s Meal Plan
We will use some freezer meals this week, and I want to get my hands on some old family recipes and adapt them to be Whole30 compliant. I have a few in mind that I am looking forward to experimenting with. We loved the Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce and Meatballs so much that I think we need some favorites done the right way to increase our enthusiasm this coming week.
- Day 11 (Sunday): Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs, bacon, sliced avocado and fresh fruit; Lunch – Buffalo Chicken Wraps/Salad; Dinner – Roasted Whole Chicken using Chipotle Spice Seasoning (we will eat this for dinner, then debone it and save the chicken for Chipotle runs this week – my husband isn’t crazy about the carnitas which is the only thing whole30 compliant) and stir fried vegetables (cleaning out vegetable drawer).
- Day 12 (Monday): Breakfast – Sausage links, sliced avocado, and a bowl of deliciousness (pineapple, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – Leftovers Stuffed Peppers; Dinner – Apple Cherry Pork Loin (freezer to slow cooker) with Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes“.
- Day 13 (Tuesday): Breakfast – Citrus Marinated Chicken Fingers with avocado, and a bowl of deliciousness (pineapple, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – Taco Salad; Dinner – Sweet Potato Soup and Sweet Potato Chicken Hash.
- Day 14 (Wednesday): Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and a bowl of deliciousness (pineapple, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – Buffalo Chicken Salad; Dinner – Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry (chicken instead) and Cauliflower “Rice”.
- Day 15 (Thursday): Breakfast – Eggs, Sausage, and a bowl of deliciousness (raspberries, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – Salad with Citrus Marinated Chicken; Dinner – Burgers, Guacamole, sweet potato fries.
- Day 16 (Friday): Breakfast – Broccoli Egg Muffins and a bowl of deliciousness (pineapple, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – leftovers; Dinner – Paleo makeover of OAMM’s Favorite Pot Roast.
- Day 17 (Saturday): Breakfast – Omelets and a bowl of deliciousness (blackberries, bananas, “caramelized” coconut chips, and raw toasted cashews); Lunch – leftovers; Dinner – Ginger Salmon with Asparagus.