Sunday, January 17, 2016

whole30 // my thoughts

For the month of January I decided to try out Whole30. I didn't read any of the books, just educated myself online and found some recipes on Pinterest, and one of my favorite Instagram accounts @whole30recipes. I'm halfway through, so I figured I'd share some of my thoughts so far. 

First off, it's really not as hard as I thought it was going to be. In fact, I've had a lot of fun coming up with things to make, especially in the first week. See one of my favorite recipes below. 

I've realized that I like sweet potatoes much more than regular potatoes. 

Eggs, avocado and almonds have become my go-tos. 

I thought I was going to miss cheese a lot more, but going dairy-free has seriously changed my life. 

Homemade mayo is so easy and it's actually really delicious! 

I've made smarter decisions and have had much less food anxiety when out at a restaurant. Also, I've seen a drastic change in my willpower which is something I thought I could never overcome. 

So far, cutting out alcohol has been surprisingly easy, but I also haven't found myself in any social situations. 

Dishes. SO. MANY. DISHES. I feel like I'm constantly cleaning plates and pans now that I'm not always eating off Lean Cuisine cardboard. 

La Croix is a life saver if you're sick of plain old water. 

I made a couple booboos at the beginning (chewed gum out of habit, bought some food with dextrose in the ingredient list) which has made me become a lot smarter about reading and knowing ingredients. No, I didn't start over, I think it's okay to slip, especially at the beginning, and especially if it's an accident. It's not like I "accidentally" shoved a cupcake down my throat. 

I've made some good Whole30 recipes, but so far I think this one was my favorite. My husband was a fan too! This one is from @dollyessfit on Instagram:

Meatballs and Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Meatballs:
Ingredients:
1lb lean ground beef
1/2lb ground pork
1 jar marinara sauce (make sure it has no added sugar!)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Parsley, chopped

Directions:
Pre-heat oven 400°F (204°C). In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together but to do not overwork the meat. It'll become tough. Once the meatball mixture is combined, form golf ball size meatballs. You'll get about 12-15 meatballs. Place meatballs on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes (doesn't need to be fully cooked). Transfer meatballs to marinara sauce in a pan and simmer until sauce is heated through and meatballs are fully cooked, stirring occasionally.

Garlic Cauliflower Mash:
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp ghee
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Chop cauliflower into large florets. You can steam the cauliflower anyway you want. I usually use Ziploc Steamer Bags. Steam until fork tender. Transfer cauliflower and garlic cloves into a blender or food processor. Add the ghee and black pepper. Blender until smooth. Add salt if needed.

Literally the day after my 30 days is up I'm heading to Miami for a girls bachelorette weekend. Obviously there will be drinking, but I'm eager to see if I'm able to continue at least the eating portion of Whole30 - I'm definitely going to make a conscious effort to! Have you ever tried Whole30? What are your thoughts? Thanks for reading!

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