So! I’m a few days late, but I promise I’ve still been meal planning. This is the last FULL WEEK of the Whole 30. Can you even believe that? Just yesterday we were talking about Make Ahead Meals and now we are less than 10 days from finishing. My mind is BLOWN! It’s going by pretty fast I think, and a stocked fridge and a menu plan full of ideas just keeps me chugging along.
My strategy this week is to rely on leftovers. I’m making a few larger meals for dinner and then serving them up for lunch the next day. I’m also still relying on some convenience food (Trader Joe’s Turkey Burgers and Microwave Green Beans mostly) but hey…ya gotta do what ya gotta do!
Monday
Breakfast: will be the same all week. I made an egg casserole with Chorizo + Kale + Onions and roasted up some butternut squash. Breakfast in boxes all week long!
Lunch: Leftovers (we did some fridge clean out)
Dinner: Rogan Josh (straight out of Well Fed. HOLY CRAP this is a simple, but flavorful dish.)
Tuesday
Lunch: Leftover Rogan Josh
Dinner: Paleo Minestrone Soup
Wednesday
Lunch: Leftover Minestrone
Dinner: Kielbasa Steamer with Stir Fry Sauce (Less recipe more method: Chop up Cauliflower, Carrots and Broccoli and steam with Kielbasa over the top. Serve up with Ghee and Stir Fry Sauce. Plain. Simple. Delicious.)
Thursday
Lunch: Trader Joe’s Turkey Burgers and Green Beans. Sounds kinda simple and boring but I am LOVING this meal right now.
Dinner: Turkey Curry Shepherd’s Pie
Friday
Lunch: Leftover Shepherd’s Pie
Dinner: Pork Chops — TBD — if you have a suggestion I’d love to hear it. Also, roasted brussels sprouts and broccoli.
Saturday
We are going to be gone at another all day event on Saturday — CrossFit competition season is beginning and we really enjoy spectating. Last week this is what we packed up to take with us:
Sunday
I’ll post a new menu on Sunday! THE LAST MENU. Yesssssssssssssss!
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So how many of you are still going strong?
Have a great week everyone!
Hi Holly, we’re still rocking our first Whole30 – yea! Just got back from our book club – lots of wine and 3 different desserts – yikes! We took a shredded pork frittata and oranges. The wine was tempting, the sweets not so much. Pretty amazing! Have a great week four!
Shredded pork frittata sounds AMAZING! We make something similar when I make the citrus carnitas from Well Fed and every single time I think to myself “Why don’t I do pork frittatas more!” May have to make some carnitas this weekend….
Winding down day 21 over here! A week from Thursday is day 30, I can’t believe it!
In our non Whole30 regular life Zach and I routinely eat grilled pork chops with broc or green beans (blanched just a few minutes so hot and cooked but still with some snap), and sweet potatoes. Tonight we did that (but with jerk chicken) & I baked some sweet potatoes until very tender then whipped in some ghee, coconut milk (1/2 a can? They took way more than I expected), salt and pepper. Wicked easy and wicked good!
Still going strong over here! I’m on Day 20 and am happily (though maybe a bit masochistically) browsing recipes to use during my reintroduction phase. I have been having absolutely crazy dreams-oddly enough, not food related-but other than that, my energy has been wonderful and steady throughout the day, and my skin looks better than it has in ages. The Whole30 has also made glaringly obvious the fact that caffeine is a huge vice for me. I may have to take a page out of your book and do 30 days without, though I don’t want to layer that on top of the W30 right now. I need to get to TJ’s and pick up some of these convenience foods you mentioned!
You know what’s funny, I find that I definitely use caffeine as a crutch while doing the Whole 30. I’ve only drank it after 12pm a few times during the month (today actually is one of those days) but for some reason the thought of even tempering my coffee drinking during the Whole 30 is just TOO MUCH TOO HANDLE. 🙂
That said, when I did do 30 days without it, it really was enlightening. Not because it made me want to quit forever (the opposite, actually) but because just like doing the Whole 30, you learn exactly what affect it was having on your body by eliminating it. So that part I loved. Just not enough to stop. lol
I agree- way too much to handle right now! When I even briefly entertained the notion of giving it up, some powerful voice in my brain woke up and went “DON’T YOU DARE!” I’ve definitely cut down, but I think the 30 days without may be in my future. I’m glad you understand my woes!
Lara bars are complaint? All of them or just a few? And where does one find chorizo that meets the criteria?
Some Lara bars are, you have to look at the ingredients…some are NOT AT ALL. Chorizo was tough but Whole Foods carries a brand that is compliant (Silva) but the weird thing is that same brand sold at my regular grocery store is NOT compliant. So that’s weird. I guess what I’m saying is I’ve been reading A LOT of labels!
Still going strong as well!
Already planning for some special re-introduction meals, but it’s been a great 22 days so far! I definitely have a raised awareness of my eating habits and pitfalls, I’ve tried a ton of new recipes, and I’ve realized that I have more willpower than I thought! :)Thanks for posting & sharing- your posts & tweets during my Whole30 (my first one!) have been really helpful!
Still going strong over here! I made your taco salad tonight, with the jalapeno-lime vinaigrette you posted not too long ago. It was so yum! I need to wrangle up the leftovers to have for lunch tomorrow.
Question: Will you do a post on reintroduction? I pretty much know that I am not negatively affected by any food groups, so I’m not so concerned about that. But I am definitely an all or nothing sort of person. I want to continue eating this way, but would love to eat some pizza and sushi sometime soon. Any particular thoughts on how to stay the course while still enjoying some not so healthy things?
I second this, I’d love a post about your post Whole30 plans!
Marcona almonds are the best!!!
I love that you shop at Trader Joe’s so much! I’m a poor college student and it’s quickly becoming my favorite store 🙂 I’ll have to try the turkey burgers.
I do enjoy Trader Joe’s for the convenience of things, but it’s also full of a bunch of land mines for me. I mean…I have to hold myself back from the cookie butter EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Can you post the Rogan Josh Recipe, please??
I use the one in Well Fed, but Mel has a somewhat similar one on her website: http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/07/13/paleo-rogan-josh/
Still going strong over here! This Whole30 has been so utterly different than my first one (Sept 2011). I have not had the crazy food compliance dreams… perhaps because I know the rules now and know I have so much dietary latitude inside those lines? But I have not had the “glorious sleep” for more than two nights, which is really disappointing. Part of that has to do with the fact that my four-year old keeps waking me up in the middle of the night, but even on nights she doesn’t, I haven’t felt well rested. And this is me going to bed at 9-9:30 and waking up at 5 AM for a workout (starting with fast walking for 45 mins… baby steps y’all!).
That said, I’ve definitely seen changes – particularly around my mid-section – and I intend to keep it up through February. I’m still holding out for that glorious sleep, and curious to see how the health benefits pan out over a longer period of time. I’ve got a LOT of repair to do… my poor body! It’s just time. SO THANKFUL you’ve engaged us in this challenge!
Yeah the noticeable changes around the mid section are THE BEST PART, right? 🙂 I feel like if I just kept this up for one more month it would really help catapult some body comp changes, but also ANOTHER 30 DAYS? HMMM…still on the fence. Maybe imagining a Whole 30 light? We’ll see…
Pork chops: http://paleomg.com/blackberry-glazed-grilled-pork-chops/
Amazeballs.
Still going strong here, although I think I’m a day behind you. Today is Day 21. Next Friday is Day 30! WOOO HOOO!
I had a dream last night about Dunkin Donuts coffee (with cream and sugar!) and a double chocolate donut and I felt so guilty!
I have one more full week of meal planning and I can have that coffee!
My favorite method with pork chops is to use the cumin spice rub from Practical Paleo on them. Sear in my cast iron pan on both sides and then finish off in the oven @ 375 for about 15-20 minutes. I buy the boneless, thick ones from Costco. My daughter (6) asked if she could have them for her birthday dinner. In August. ha!
Sounds good, I’ll have to check that out! I love the rubs in Practical Paleo!
Still going strong on day 24 (holy cow, that went fast!) and planning what I’m doing for February. I’m intending to stay nearly Whole30, but experiment a bit with nightshades. And eat a piece of chocolate on day 31.
I’ve been using the brine recipe from Melissa Joulwan’s Best Chicken Ever for pork chops. Sometimes I use that seasoning, but more often than not I’ll just do garlic, salt and pepper and they’re still awesome! I’m all about the brine right now.
Oooh I should try that! I really like brining my chicken breasts and I love that rub — I always have a batch in my spice drawer, so maybe I will do a little mix up. Thanks Samantha!
Still keeping on! Not much of a difference for me as for my hubby; I’m grain/soy/dairy free, but have occasional sugar and wine thru the week. I do miss my wine! Hubby’s lost 12 lbs or something crazy like that–I have a hard time even finding him!
HA! Garrett is the same way. It’s like in December we were both eating BBQ chips straight out of the bag and now he’s like 15 lbs lighter all of a sudden! I haven’t stepped on the scale but I know it’s not that dramatic. UNFAIR! 🙂
I am doing so much better than I ever imagined. I LOVE this whole 30. It is my first one and I decided to ax out all fruit as well. Carrots have become super sweet to me.
I guess people were so inspired by my efforts that my bootcamp trainer started her Whole 30 yesterday and a few friends. 🙂
Thank you for all the support your blog has been and the recipes. I am going to make the plantain dish Friday.
Happy Wednesday!
So glad it’s been helpful. I really admire the cutting out fruit contingent, because I definitely used it as a crutch the first week. But now a few weeks later I’m not really eating too much. But man, just knowing I couldn’t have ANY? You’re a champ Carina!
Where do you find Whole30 compliant stir fry sauce?? Your meals look awesome, I still need to get to Trader Joe’s for some of those turkey burgers. They sound really good wrapped in lettuce with avocado and tomato slices…nom nom. And I keep forgetting about olives, though NONE of our “regular” groceries carry sulfite-free olives. Thank goodness for Whole Foods!
I haven’t found a bottled one — don’t think it exists frankly! LOL I use a recipe from Well Fed that is a mix of Orange Juice, Coconut Aminos, Rice Vinegar (without sugar..which took some searching) Chinese 5 Spice and Red Pepper Flakes. It’s pretty delicious! And I agree, thank god for Whole Foods! I get my chorizo there and the weird part is it is made by the same manufacturer as the chorizo sold in my regular grocery store, except at Whole Foods there is only 5 ingredients wheras the grocery store version is like 25 ingredients. So frustrating!
BTW…here’s the rogan josh recipe!
Ok…I spoke too soon. today is day 24; I got out a pair of pants I guess I haven’t worn for a couple of weeks and had to get a belt–then had to move it in THREE notches! So, now I can say I’ve noticed a difference 🙂