It’s been about a month since I completed my first whole30. I thought it was a good time to check in and share what I’m eating + how I’m feeling nowadays. Whole30 was so good for me, and I got immediate results, but the goal was to change my life for good – so if I went right back to my old habits it wouldn’t have been worth it.
So far, though, it definitely has been! This is what I am eating lately:
Breakfast
I have the same breakfast now that I did while on whole30. I fry or scramble five eggs (Meredith usually eats about two of them, but if she doesn’t I eat them all – I love eggs!) and I cut up a banana, a few strawberries, and toss in some blueberries. If I can find unsweetened coconut flakes I’ll add those to the mix.
One change that I’ve made is that if I am drinking hot coffee – which I have been lately because it’s cheaper (I grind it at the store and make it in a French press) – I add a splash of creamer. I never found the taste for black hot coffee. I use the Natural Bliss brand, so while it does have a bit of sugar, at least it contains all real ingredients. But if I am drinking cold brew coffee I just add coconut milk.
Lunch
At the beginning of each week I cook about two pounds of chicken breasts in the crockpot (season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, cover with about two cups of chicken broth, cook on low for 8 hours) and shred it up. Almost every day for lunch, unless I have good leftovers from dinner, I make a salad and add some of this chicken and strawberries. For dressing I use olive oil & raspberry balsamic vinegar. This is whole30 compliant and I love it!
In addition to the salad I eat a cup of Greek yogurt. One day I would love to try making this myself but for now my favorite brand is Chobani. In my research I found that dairy in general isn’t too bad for your health, and yogurt in particular has benefits because of its fermented nature. I do notice slight bloating after having it, but it doesn’t last long and it’s worth it to me to keep it in my diet.
Notice that my breakfasts and lunches are still very healthy. They are also easy to make and I find them delicious. I’m grateful that I’m the type of person who can eat the same thing almost every day and not get sick of it. (My junior year of high school I ate a hot pocket and small package of Oreos every single day for lunch. I cringe to think about it now!)
Dinner
I have been a little more lenient with dinners for a few reasons. One – lately I’ve begun to enjoy trying new recipes and having the freedom of variety. Two – my family is more likely to eat what I cook. Three – it gives me something to look forward to! In general, though, I am still trying to cook real, healthy food.
Side note: I cannot say enough good things about the blog Don’t Waste the Crumbs. It is all about eating real food on a budget and her meal ideas are simple and yummy and things that even kids and picky husbands will eat. She is also inspiring me to try to make more things from scratch, and I am getting really excited about it. I think I’m going to try my hand at sourdough bread soon!
So anyway, when I make my dinner meal plan every Saturday, I pull from a list of go-to ideas and then I’ve begun looking at the above website to fill in the gaps with a couple new meals. Three meals per week are already taken care of: one for leftovers, one for dinner at Mom & Dad’s, and one is breakfast for dinner. Usually we end up having another meal at my in-laws’ house as well.
Here are some of the meals that we’ve eaten recently: crustless quiche, tacos, egg salad with bacon lettuce wraps, southwestern salad.
I do want to mention that if we eat at someone else’s house I will just eat whatever they serve, even if it isn’t too healthy. Moderation, right? :)
Snacks & Desserts
This is where I have to be honest. I have become kind of addicted to dark chocolate covered almonds! They are technically paleo-approved, but I’m sure I’m eating way too many. Right now I’m okay with it, though.
I have also been having ice cream several times a week. It’s funny, because when I was pregnant with Liam I ate whatever I wanted but ice cream was one thing my body couldn’t tolerate. I didn’t eat it for almost a year and I didn’t miss it. Now that I’m eating healthier though, I want it all the time! Maybe because it’s summer? Anyway, I don’t buy it for myself but my husband loves to treat me. And my parents always have it. So…I’m working on it. :)
I haven’t been eating many sweets or desserts other than those things. However, I discovered the cafe at work (which serves Starbucks) accepts our name badges for payment, meaning it comes right out of our paycheck. So I’ve had a few too many mochas lately as well. I think the solution to this is to bring my own K-cups and creamer to work (we have a Keurig) so that I can have a good second cup of coffee without all the extra sugar and expense.
My Body
The weight that I lost while on whole30 has so far stayed off, mostly. I have been weighing in about 1-2 pounds higher, with clothes on in the middle of the day. My clothes have become even looser, I think, although I haven’t done any more measurements.
I’ve started half marathon training and I’m feeling stronger. My energy remains high for most of the day, still no afternoon crashes.
My mood isn’t quite as high as it was the last week of whole30 (I think I felt the best I ever have in my life that week), and I do notice a correlation between eating a lot of gluten and irritability, but in general I’m in good spirits!
Overall I am still eating soooo much better than I did before. My outlook is different, I feel better, I’m happier with my body, and I have an excitement surrounding healthy, real food that I never had before. I used to dread cooking and planning meals, but now it’s kind of fun. Things that seemed impossible before are now no big deal!
If you have ever thought about trying whole30 for yourself, I highly recommend reading the book It Starts With Food