Friday, August 8, 2014

The Whole 30: Food Edition














If you need a run-down on the Whole30 food guidelines, go here.

In a nutshell it's a 30-day (or more) diet of whole foods with these restrictions:

  • No sugar or sweeteners of any kind
  • No alcohol
  • No grains
  • No legumes
  • No dairy
  • No carrageenan, MSG or sulfites
  • No baked goods, junk food treats or treats with approved ingredients

Although I was initially intimidated,  I had confidence from my round of gluten-free living that I could do it.

Right off the bat, I found it wasn't really that hard to come up with meals.

Almost every one went something like this:   combine a protein (fish or chicken or beef or pork or eggs) with a fruit or vegetable.  My husband or I sauteed, grilled, roasted, fried (in coconut or olive oil), or braised the meat.  We did the same with the vegetables and fruit or ate them raw.  Since I cook a lot anyway, this approach to eating seemed like a simplified version of how we normally ate...just without the complication of making the muffins or the cornbread or the casserole.

It was a huge benefit to do eating program in the height of summer when there's an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables.

I don't want to make it sound easy.  It wasn't.  However, for me, the biggest challenge came from the emotional aspects instead of the food restrictions.  I'll talk about that in the next post.

The Whole30 people provide plenty of recipes and food options, but I just made my own food--oh, except the mayonnaise.  I made the mayo three or four times.

All the meals were satisfying, but when I combined that mayo with left-over roasted chicken, chopped apples, chopped grapes and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, my belly reached a whole new level of fullness.  I was just so perfectly satisfied.  I guess it's the fat.  It was so good.

I also followed Melissa Joulwan's recommendation, and bought some coconut aminos.  Boy, that is great stuff.  Add it to the skillet while sauteing chicken, cabbage, carrots, and onions, and you've got a very tasty meal.  It's very reminiscent of soy sauce.


Daddy Hinkle's All Natural Seasoning and Rub was another go-to product.  My husband and I already used this a lot to season meats.  I was pleased when I read the ingredient list and found it to be Whole30-compliant.  Very delicious!


Although the no dairy thing was a little challenging.  I found that Lindsay Naturals California Green Ripe Olives lived up to their billing and had a nice buttery flavor making them a fine dairy substitute.  They had the texture of beans with a taste that had the essence of cheese, which made them a winner with Whole30-style taco salad.


Necessity led me to another great discovery -- all the breading and the coating and the frying of okra is unnecessary fussiness.  It is one vegetable that is great no matter how cooked and even tastes great raw!

I'll leave you with a confession.  I did not eat out once until the last day when I choked down a restaurant salad seasoned with oil and vinegar (my least favorite meal of the month).  Every other meal, three times a day, was prepared by me or my grilling husband at home.  It's not necessary or even recommended to seclude yourself this way while doing the  Whole30.  I just found it to be easier for me.

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