Whole30 Meal Planning – Week 1

Whole30 Meal Planning

Week one is over!  I successfully completed 1/4 of the Whole30 program without any cheats and slip-ups. The first week wasn’t the easiest, but I survived. I overcame the exhaustion and kill everything stage to have a delightful Valentine’s Day and Day 7 of the program! Here is a little recap of week one’s recipes:

Whole30 Meal Planning – Week 1

Read more

by

Whole30 Herb Citrus Vinaigrette

whole30 salmon

This dressing is great on our Stir-Fry Chicken, and also makes the perfect marinade or topping for fish, shrimp, or scallops, or fresh green salad. For Valentine’s Day, Brad and I used this refreshing salad dressing to finish our Whole30 Teriyaki Salmon Salad.

Whole30 Herb Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients

Read more

by

Whole30 Teriyaki Salmon Salad

whole30 salmon

Whew, we made it to day 7. The hangry phase is over, and the book says you now should be dragging. My body has realized it is not getting sugar nor carbs, but it has not 100% grasped how to use my love handles for energy. While I am a little sluggish, I am not feeling the effects like the book said.

Read more

by

Whole30 Oven-Roasted Asparagus

whole30 asparagus

A big part of Whole30 is learning how to cook vegetables, so you want to eat them. Often people talk about having boiled asparagus as kid’s and have a deep hate for the vegetable. Well don’t worry, it wasn’t the asparagus you hate, it was just how it was prepared.

Whole30 Oven-Roasted Asparagus will give a fresh perspective to this misunderstood vegetable. By roasting it, the tips will become crispy with a fulfilling component for those who have given up carbs. The spices make a mouthwatering flavor that will have you begging for seconds.

I pair Whole30 Oven-Roasted Asparagus with all types of dishes. Most recently with Whole30 Breakfast for Dinner which gave a healthy component to my comfort filled meal after a failed 1st attempt at dinner.

Enjoy what I hope becomes one of your favorite vegetables!

Whole30 Oven-Roasted Asparagus Ingredients

Read more

by

Whole30 Breakfast For Dinner

whole30 breakfast

Meal one of Saturday night was an epic failure. I took one bite and made Brad throw it away. It was awful and taught me a lesson, not every blog has quality Paleo and Whole30 recipes. There is bound to be recipes blunders, and I will gladly share my mistakes so you can avoid a headache.

So meal one is in the trash, and my stomach is grumbling. I need a quick, delicious meal stat! If I don’t find one, I am bound to find Pizza Hut’s heart shaped pizza. While I love the concept, it goes against everything on Whole30. I pull open the fridge and see eggs, asparagus and leftover sugar-free sausage from my previous meal, Whole30 Sweet Potato Hash. Immediately, I think breakfast for dinner!

My Whole30 breakfast for dinner was quick, filling and still healthy.

Whole30 Breakfast for Dinner Ingredients

Read more

by

Whole30 BBQ Sauce

Whole30 bbq sauce

Woohoo! I woke up this morning with energy! I was starting to thinking passing out from exhaustion at 9 pm was going to be my new thing.

Well, Day 4 proved that your energy will come back, but Day 4 and 5 are known as the kill all things days. Now the book describes these days as pretty awful. I was certainly feeling hangry and moody, but not ready to kill all things. On day 4, your brain realizes that the sugar and fatty food fix the previous week, and the Super Bowl is gone. You have started to deal with the stressful days without a pint of ice cream, and your brain/body is a little confused. Hang in there, beg for forgiveness and try to surround yourself with happy things.

For dinner, I decided to use the leftover Whole30 pulled pork carnitas and gave it a new life with Whole30 BBQ Sauce. I roasted squash and Brussel sprouts to finish this delicious, healthy meal.

Whole30 BBQ Sauce Ingredients

Read more

by

Whole30 Teriyaki Salmon

whole30 teriyaki salmon

For all my readers who are devout Catholics, you know that Lent does not begin until Ash Wednesday. BUT, here we are at day 3 of my whole30 journey. Brad and I decided to bypass Fat Tuesday and start a few days early due to retreats scheduled during Lent. As much as I want to promise to be compliant on that weekend, I know we will slip up hence why we started a few days early.

Day 3 was by far the worse day. The hangover was strong! I could barely keep my eyes open, and my body ached because it was still transitioning off of Snickers. On top of that, Catholic’s fast between meals and do not eat meat on Ash Wednesday. I woke up cranky thinking there was no way I was going to make it through the day with all the rules. Read more

by

Whole30 Asian Beef with Broccoli

Whole30 Beef with Broccoli

For our second night on Whole30, we made Whole30 Asian Beef with Broccoli. While it is not in the book, it is Whole30 compliant. Throughout the journey, you will notice I mix Paleo recipes into our breakfast, lunch and dinner schedule. Many of the principles are the same, but you have to beware of dairy and honey that are allowed on Paleo. My theory is if it follows the Whole30 rules than pin away and cook later.

I knew on day two I would be suffering. The book calls day 2 and 3 the hangover stage. You are beyond tired, in a fog and needing a sugar fix. I knew the only way I could get past the hangover was to cook a delicious, full flavor meal to remind me that Whole30 isn’t the end of the world.

The Whole30 Beef with Broccoli did the trick. It wasn’t as good as my usual Chinese takeout, but it did the trick and helped me get past day one of the hangover.

Whole30 Beef with Broccoli Ingredients Read more

by

Southwestern Roasted Butternut Squash

Southwestern Roasted Butternut Squash

The Southwestern Roasted Butternut Squash was the perfect pairing for Whole30 Pulled Pork Carnitas. It is also Paleo and Whole30 compliant which is key for my new recipes. The spicy kick of the Southwestern Roasted Butternut Squash is delicious with the natural sweetness of the squash and roasting them in spicy seasoning to give them a sneaky spicy kick.

Southwestern Roasted Butternut Squash Ingredients

Read more

by

Whole30 Pulled Pork Carnitas

Whole30 pulled pork carnitas

Enjoy your first day of Whole30 with this delicious Whole30 Pulled Pork Carnitas. Brad and I doubled the recipe so the pork could be thrown on salad’s though out the week. It was an awesome idea to make more than needed as later in the week we whipped up BBQ Sauce and ate it for dinner again. Who doesn’t love leftovers for a week that came from a simple crock pot recipe!

For your first Whole30 Pulled Pork Carnitas meal, pair it with spicy Southwestern Roasted Butternut Squash and guacamole. If you are pressed for time to make guacamole, find a pre-made one without sugar. I love Aldi’s Little Salad Bar Guacamole. They are individualized servings for only 100 calories. They are not only perfect for your Whole30 Pulled Pork Carnitas but also with vegetables throughout the week. Read more

by