Healthy Living

Friday Faves – Whole30 Recipes

I’ve made it 29 days now eating according to the Whole30 guidelines. I’m not going to make any sweeping claims about how good I feel, how my appetite has changed, or how I have so much more energy. The only sweeping claim I can make at this point is that I have proven to myself that I can practice extraordinary amounts of self control when necessary. I have both purchased and baked cookies for my kids this week and haven’t even licked my finger or a spoon. That’s serious self-control on my behalf!

I am a stress eater to the max; hence, why I’ve gained 15 pounds this year, 10 of those in the last 2 months alone. The fact that I have made it through the first week of summer without eating a quart of ice cream, a box of cereal, and countless mindless handfuls of popcorn is really remarkable, if I do say so myself. I’m just proud that I’ve committed to something and stuck with it for more than 2 hours! Let me gloat in my accomplishment for just a second, okay?

Before I set out on the start of this round of Whole30, I tried to ease myself into eating more clean foods and acquiring Whole30 compliant ingredients. I started pinning recipes that looked doable, and didn’t call for too many expensive, specialty ingredients, to my Whole30 Pinterest board. I enjoy cooking for the most part, but I don’t do well with recipes that require lots of prep! I want to use one or two pots and one cutting board and knife! Period. Cooking requires cleaning! Cleaning isn’t my fave!

Without further adieu, here are a few of my favorite Whole30 compliant recipes that I’ve tried so far!

Creamy Chicken Artichoke Dip from Paleo Running Momma

To be honest, this wasn’t a favorite at first. It’s not that cheesy, thick consistency I love about regular spinach and artichoke dip. However, it’s delicious on sliced “potato chips” that I saute with a little bit of ghee. I’m going to whip up another batch of this and add mushrooms to it. Maj W really liked this one so it’s going to stay in our rotation for a while.

Zupa Toscana with Cauliflower from Farmstead Chic

The flavor of this one is delicious, but mine turned out pretty thin.  I like my soups thick, so next go around I’ll use less chicken broth!

Sausage Hashbrown Egg Bake from The Real Food Dietitians

Breakfast is so hard for me! Our early morning practice schedule and my desire to sleep in, do not give me time to really eat breakfast before we hit the road. I’ve eaten this one for breakfast, lunch and dinner on occasion. This is a great dish to help get you eat your veggies and get some good protein.

Breakfast Pumpkin Custard from Louisiana Bride

My oldest loves this pumpkin custard! The first time I made it, the kids all thought it was a pan of brownies sitting on the stove. They were sorely disappointed when I informed them it was Whole30, no sweetener added, custard. I can stomach this, but it would be so much better with some brown sugar in the batter. Just being honest. The crunch of the nuts on top make it more bearable. If you need something that resembles dessert or to curb your sweet tooth, this might work for you.

Easy Paleo Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from Paleo Running Momma

This is definitely one of my favorites! It should’ve been on the top of the list! Basically, it’s chili without beans, but the spice blend is so tasty. I eat it over sweet potatoes or regular potatoes or just with a spoon! For non-Whole30 followers, this would make a great taco or burrito stuffing.

Paleo Breakfast Casserole from Key Ingredient

Several years ago, I decided to give Paleo a try. I didn’t last too long because I wasn’t as willing to spend high $ on ingredients as I have been on Whole30. This Paleo Breakfast Casserole, though, became a keeper, though. A little savory – A little sweet. So yummy! This recipe only makes a small square pan of casserole. If you need more than 3 or 4 servings, you could probably double the recipe and make a 9×13 pan full. You’ve gotta give this a try! Shredding the sweet potato has proven cumbersome and dangerous at my house. I shredded the skin on my wrist once. If you have a fancy contraption to shred your sweet potato, use it!

I’m not great at taking photos of my food, so you’ll have to click through to the actual recipes to see mouth watering pictures of the original recipes!

Let me just say that if I can get through 29 days of Whole30, anyone can! I’ll admit that I am planning out what I’m going to eat on July 1st, starting with a cup of coffee with sweet n low and maybe even a slice of Vanilla Wafer Cake that I made this week while my family was in town. Oh and a large Diet Dr. Pepper will be a welcome addition to my Sunday lunch! Priorities!

I’ll share more of my thoughts on Whole30 and how I think, or hope/plan, to approach my eating going forward! If you need some Whole30 options to try, I hope you’ll take a look at these great recipes created by these fantastic bloggers.

 

4 Comments

  1. Jen W

    June 29, 2018 at 11:16 PM

    Again, I’m so proud of you! Whole30 is no joke, my friend!

    1. Jen Wade

      June 30, 2018 at 3:57 PM

      It’s honestly not been that terrible! After getting over my constant thoughts of Diet Dr. Pepper and a good cup of coffee, it was smooth sailing.

  2. Crystal

    June 30, 2018 at 11:58 AM

    29 days? Whoo hoo! Keep it up. These recipes look amazing.

    1. Jen Wade

      June 30, 2018 at 3:58 PM

      I never thought I’d make it through the first week, but it’s been pretty doable.

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