The Whole30 is controversial amongst many; is it just another quick fix diet? I do not believe so, but refer to the professionals for the answer to that question. All of the improvements I noticed were non-scale related; I did not lose or gain any weight, but I did feel great mentally and physically throughout the entire experience. Prior to completing the Whole30, I didn’t cook for myself, eat much variety, or know what it felt like to consistently eat whole ingredients. I learned more life-skills during the Whole30 than any other experience I’ve ever had; I cooked most days, and always had enough food because I prepped the Sunday before.
I have included a list and pictures of foods I would make and prep for the following week:
- Hard boiled eggs
- Buffalo chicken tenders in air fryer
- 1st bowl: hot sauce, egg, almond milk
- 2nd bowl: coconut flour, paprika, cayenne pepper
- 6 mins, flip, 6 mins at 400 degrees
- Regular chicken tenders in air fryer
- 1st bowl: egg and almond milk
- 2nd bowl: coconut flour, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground cashew (I used the Ninja to ground cashews; this isn’t the exact one I have, but it is a close match.)
- 6 mins, flip, 6 mins 400 degrees
- Crispy potatoes in air fryer
- I use @eatthegains recipe
- Diced sweet potatoes
- Chicken drumsticks
- I use everclevermom’s recipe
Many foods irritate my stomach and cause digestive issues, so completing this was never about losing weight. As a result of my sensitive stomach, I didn’t eat very many foods. My diet before this consisted of mostly “kid foods” like dino nuggets, Annie’s Mac & cheese, grilled chicken, baked potatoes, turkey burgers, and tater tots. I found that while on the Whole30, I barely had any digestive issues or feelings of an upset stomach and tried many different foods and recipes. As a side note, all recipes and meals I tried included only chicken, turkey, and seafood because of preference. The transition from pre-Whole30 diet to Whole30 was surprisingly very smooth. I didn’t experience any mood fluctuations and never seemed to face the “sugar dragon”. I accredit this mostly to my bland and limited diet before. Some of the recipes and meals I tried during my Whole30 are included in pictures below:
I have included a list of my go-to Whole30 brands that I still use regularly post-Whole30:
- AppleGate Uncured Turkey bacon
- AppleGate Turkey Hotdog
- Wegman’s Chicken Sausage, Sweet Apple
- Wegman’s Crunchy Almond Butter
- Whole Foods Roasted & Unsalted Cashews
- Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk
- Sir Kensington’s Ranch
- Primal Kitchen Organic Unsweetened Ketchup
- Frank’s Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
As a personal preference, I didn’t eat any pre-made snacks during Whole30; however, I do enjoy these snack foods post-Whole30 that are compliant:
I hope this blog post is helpful in deciding whether or not the Whole30 is right for you!
*This content is all my personal opinion and is not sponsored or endorsed by any of the brands mentioned
love,
julia grace