Whole 30 Update

Today marks day 4 of my Whole30 challenge.  So far it has not seemed like much of a challenge.  I'm eating lots of great things and I am not craving sweets!  I was really hungry on day 2 and ate an insane amount of almonds.  But, all the other days have been good.  Here are some pictures of what I ate so far this week.  I also had lots of great snacks consisting of celery, carrots, peppers, pears, apples, oranges, bananas, pecans, pistachios, almonds and cashew butter.  Looking forward to week 2!   Check out my menu plan, having a plan has been great and has so helped to keep me on track. 

 
 Day 2
  



 

 

Whole30 Menu Plan Week #2

I loved having my menu all planned out this week!  It helped me to be able focus on what I can eat and gave me a guideline for when I was hungry.  So, here I go with week 2.



Everyday:  Coffee with collagen & coconut oil.  Water with lemon or lime juice.

Day 1
Breakfast:  Grapefruit and turkey sausage patties. Omit the sugar, but use this recipe.
Lunch:  Chicken Salad lettuce wraps
Supper:  Beef Short Ribs, oven roasted red potatoes, broccoli
Snack ideas for the day:  Cashew butter, celery, banana, pistachios

Day 2
Breakfast:  Veggie Omelet
Lunch:  Salad with leftover beef, avocado, tomatoes, celery, olive oil, vinegar, salt & pepper
Supper:  Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy, roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts
Snack ideas for the day:  Blueberries, almonds, peppers

Day 3
Breakfast: These pumpkin pancakes omitting the syrup topped with roasted pumpkin seeds
Lunch:  Winter Squash & Beef Chili
Supper:  Mango & Avocado Salsa on Salmon, Roasted Veggies, Mixed Berries
Snack ideas for the day:  Pecans, apples, carrots

Day 4
Breakfast:  Guacamole Deviled Eggs, turkey sausage patties
Lunch:  Salad with leftover salmon
Supper:  Grilled burgers, sauteed mushrooms, potatoes, broccoli
Snack ideas for the day:  Almond butter, celery, oranges

Day 5
Breakfast:  Banana Nut Porridge with organic raisins
Lunch:  Leftovers
Supper:  Grilled chicken thighs, roasted butternut squash, salad, applesauce with cinnamon
Snack ideas for the day:  Strawberries, cashews, carrots

***I do plan to use some butter, since I know I'm not sensitive to it & I don't care for clarified butter***

What to do:
Sunday- Prepare turkey sausage patties, wash grapefruit, make chicken salad, wash and trim celery, thaw chicken for Tues.
Monday- wash blueberries, wash and cut peppers.
Tuesday- wash & cut apples, thaw soup, thaw salmon.
Wednesday- Make guacamole deviled eggs, wash oranges, wash & trim celery.
Thursday- Soak nuts for porridge, wash strawberries, thaw chicken thighs
Friday- Evaluate what needs to be eaten and prepare for the weekend.  Make sure to have a plan for week #3!

Chocolate Granola with Berries

Chocolate, granola and berries are some of my favorite things, so this recipe looked really good to me!  It was fairly quick to assemble and once in the oven, it doesn't need to be checked on very often.  The result is delicious! 

The winner of my last giveaway is getting this quart jar of granola and some homemade coconut milk.

Paleo Banana Bread

So, this recipe was just ok.  When I mixed it up, it was a very thick batter.  I baked it according to directions and it baked perfectly.  It just seems like it needs some more flavor.  If I made it again I would add some cinnamon.  I thought the texture wasn't quite right, maybe a bit less coconut flour???  I've been eating mine warmed up with butter on top.

Whole30 Menu Plan Week #1

Well, I've been working out what I will eat the first week of my Whole30.  I plan to start in a week.  The Monday after Easter Sunday just seemed like the right time for a new beginning!  Having it all planned out will definitely help me to succeed.  I plan to have these snacks ready to eat so I can even make a good choice during a middle of the night baby feeding session.  I will check in and let you know how it is going and post what I plan to eat on week #2.  I have only included 5 days in my plan since we often have leftovers, so 5 days worth of cooking will often last 7 days.  I will also report what my 7 days of eating entailed and if I needed to plan another meal or 2.

Everyday:  Coffee with collagen & coconut oil.  Water with lemon or lime juice.

Day 1
Breakfast:  Grapefruit and turkey sausage patties. Omit the sugar, but use this recipe.
Lunch:  Lettuce and/or spinach salad with avocado, hard boiled eggs, olive oil, salt & pepper.  Add leftover meat from the weekend.
Supper:  Beef pot roast, garlic mashed cauliflower, green beans & applesauce with cinnamon
Snack ideas for the day:  Cashew butter, celery, banana, pistachios

Day 2
Breakfast:  Sausage & sweet potato hash
Lunch:  Salmon Salad celery & pears
Supper:  Greek Chicken, roasted carrots, bacon wrapped asparagus
Snack ideas for the day:  Blueberries, almonds, peppers

Day 3
Breakfast: Fried or scrambled eggs
Lunch:  Lettuce and/or spinach salad with leftover chicken, avocado, peppers, carrots, celery, olive oil, salt & pepper
Supper:  Spaghetti Squash Bolognese (swap beef broth for white wine), green beans 
Snack ideas for the day:  Pecans, apples, carrots

Day 4
Breakfast:  These pumpkin pancakes omitting the syrup topped with roasted pumpkin seeds
Lunch:  Leftovers from the week
Supper:  Dijon Almond Crusted Fish, baked sweet potatoes, peas
Snack ideas for the day:  Guacamole, celery, oranges

Day 5
Breakfast:  Banana Nut Porridge with organic raisins
Lunch:  Salmon Salad, red pepper, apples
Supper:  Grilled steak, roasted potatoes, and broccoli
Snack ideas for the day:  Strawberries, cashews, carrots

***I do plan to use some butter, since I know I'm not sensitive to it & I don't care for clarified butter***

What to do:
Sunday- Prepare turkey sausage patties, wash grapefruit, thaw beef roast, wash and trim celery.
Monday- make homemade mayo & prepare salmon salad, wash blueberries, wash and cut peppers, thaw chicken breasts & put in marinade
Tuesday- wash & cut apples, thaw ground beef & ground turkey
Wednesday- Make Quick & easy guac, wash oranges, wash & trim celery, thaw fish
Thursday- Soak nuts for porridge, wash strawberries, thaw steak
Friday- Evaluate what needs to be eaten and prepare for the weekend.  Make sure to have a plan for week #2!

Giveaway winner has been contacted via email.  Thanks for all the ideas & inspiration!

Sausage and Sweet Potato Hash

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated
1/2 lb sausage
1/2 tsp chives, dried or fresh
1/4 tsp Simply Organic All-Purpose seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
fried eggs, optional

Melt coconut oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and sweet potato.  Saute until vegetables become tender.  Crumble raw sausage into pan and continue cooking on medium heat.  Add in spices and cook until sausage is cooked through.  Top with fried eggs, if desired. 

Skillet Frittata

This is a technique that can be used to make many variations.  All you need is skillet with a tight fitting lid.  Pictured is a bacon, asparagus and leek frittata.  You can swap out about any kind of veggie & meat combinations.  The best part is it only dirties one pan!

 
  
Ingredients:
coconut oil
chopped leeks
chopped bacon
few asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
2 eggs, scrambled
chopped peppers

Melt oil in pan.  Saute leeks, bacon and asparagus for a few minutes.  Turn heat to low, add eggs, salt & pepper.  Top with peppers.  Cover with lid.  Every couple minutes gently lift the side of the frittata and allow the raw egg to run to the bottom of the pan.  When egg is completely cooked, it's ready to serve.  This is enough for 2.  Or just eat it by yourself out of the skillet, no plate to wash!  :)