We just finished one full week on Whole 30. Here is a recap.
Successes this week
- For the most part this week went very well. We did not have sugar withdrawal headaches, and we ate enough fat to keep our hunger at a minimum.
- We planned ahead and had breakfast and lunch options for most of the week.
- We learned that we were wrong and potatoes are allowed on the Whole 30. We decided to only have sweet potatoes occasionally because one of our goals is to lose weight.
- We were able to curb our cravings without a lot of effort.
- Both Amanda and I had busy weeks at work. Keeping our minds occupied helped keep us from daydreaming about running to Shake Shack.
- I thought I would still need kefir for my digestion. I gave it up for this week and haven’t had any issues, so I think I’ll continue to avoid it for the month.
- It is flu season, so eating healthier is likely keeping us from catching it. We’ve been healthy so far this winter, which was not the case last year.
Difficulties this week
- The most difficult thing was that we ate out three times for dinner during the week due to our schedules. We found compliant options, but it was not easy. It took a lot more willpower than we were expecting. If we hadn’t committed publicly to our friends, we might have caved.
- I’ve been writing the new Cocktails section here on my blog and there are some new recipes I’ve been itching to try before I post them.
- I’m aging two different kinds of cocktails right now and also aging some pear brandy. I usually sample them once a week to keep track of their progress. The anticipation is killing me!
- I decided to try making a root mash out of celeriac and parsnips. We had one at a restaurant last year and loved it. Mine was not good and I made enough for three meals. Bleh.
This week’s meals
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chuck: Black coffee, Amanda: Smoothie with blueberries, kale, protein powder, avocado, strawberries, bananas, and MCT oil | Chuck: Leftover sous vide pork and roasted carrots, Amanda: Kale salad with chicken, hard boiled egg, and veggies | Dinner out at Hu Kitchen because Amanda had an evening meeting in the city. Everything is paleo and most things are Whole 30 compliant. Chuck had the meatloaf with cauliflower purée and veggies. Amanda had the roasted chicken with roasted broccoli and puréed cauliflower. |
| 2 | Chuck: Black coffee. Amanda: Smoothie with blueberries, kale, protein powder, avocado, strawberries, bananas, and MCT oil | Chuck: 4 soft-scrambled eggs with ghee and an avocado. Amanda: Veggie soup (leftovers) | We were out shopping, so we went to Whole Foods. Chuck: London Broil, broccoli rabe, Brussels sprouts. Amanda: Salmon, Brussels sprouts, broccoli rabe |
| 3 | Chuck: Black coffee. Amanda: Black coffee, omelet, avocado | Chuck:Leftover London broil, Brussels sprouts, broccoli rabe, and an apple | We had to meet someone at Bareburger, so we had burgers wrapped in collard greens, pickles on the side |
| 4 | Nothing | Sweet potato hash with onions, peppers, and bacon. Scrambled eggs, avocado, and aioli on the side. Black coffee. | Spiralized zucchini with cherry tomatoes, garlic, sausage, and pine nuts |
| 5 | Nothing | Leftover sweet potato hash, bacon, eggs fried in the bacon fat, and avocado | Roasted chicken, roasted root vegetable mash, and brussels sprouts slaw |
| 6 | Chuck: Black Coffee. Amanda: Black coffee and omelette | Chuck: Scotch egg, jamon serrano, and an apple. Amanda: Leftover roasted chicken, root mash, and brussels sprouts slaw. | Sous vide steak, leftover brussels sprouts slaw and roasted root mash |
| 7 | Chuck: Black coffee and 10 slices of Speck. Amanda: Smoothie with almond milk yogurt, avocado, blackberries, strawberries, bananas, kale, and MCT oil | Chuck: Leftover zucchini noodles Amanda: Salad with shrimp and salmon | Pork carnitas in lettuce wraps, homemade guacamole, and radishes |
Here are some photos I snapped. Not everything we ate, but a lot of it.
On to next week!
Cook Like Chuck 