What is Whole30? {Whole30 Meal Ideas}
Happy 1st Day of Spring 2013! I’m ready for some warm weather, aren’t you?! If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook then you know that I’ve been doing the Whole30 eating program. Today is Day 18 and I am thrilled with how I feel. Several folks have asked for more information on what I’m doing, so I thought a blog post would be the perfect way to share that!
The basic concept of Whole30 is an elimination diet {no dairy, no grain, no sugar} to figure out what makes you feel bad. I thought it would be hard, but truly it’s been one of the best things I’ve ever done.
My digestion is so much healthier and I don’t miss sugar or grain at all. When the 30 days is done, the first thing I’m going for is a little bit of cheese! However, the changes I have made are for the better especially since I’m working really hard these days to lose the baby weight. Over the last two weeks, I’ve lost 5.6 pounds. Yay!
Here are some photos of breakfasts that I’ve had over the last two weeks. I LOVE how colorful my food is. Seriously, it makes me so happy!
- Spinach-Sausage Scramble
- Sweet Potato Hashbrowns
- Monkey Salad
- Eggs {fried or scrambled}, Berries, Citrus fruits, Sauteed Peppers and Onions are also my favorites!
Now, on to lunch and supper…
- “Grilled” Chicken Strips
- Taco Meat with Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Spaghetti Squash
- Pork Carnitas
- Roasted vegetables, sauteed vegetables, salad greens and fruit make wonderful sides.
For an occasional snack, I enjoy a handful of nuts, monkey salad, easy peasy laraballs or an apple with cashew butter.
My Whole30 Tips:
- Create a meal plan – trust me.
- Prepare food in bulk so you don’t have to cook complete meals three times a day. I usually prepare a roast or chicken and then eat on it for 2 days. I don’t mind leftovers because I combine them differently for more variety.
- I highly recommend reading the book It Starts With Food.
If you’re looking to get healthy and break habits with grains and sugars, I highly recommend looking into the Whole30 diet. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how marvelous you feel!
So, I’m curious! Have you ever done a Whole30? Would you ever consider trying it?
xoxo
Myra
My husband wanted to do this a few weeks ago, and he ended up only accomplishing a Whole 7 {just 7 days instead of 30}. I think we need to do it at a time when we’ve actually planned out all of the meals, like you suggested, and maybe even during the summer when produce is more readily available for less $. I’m glad it’s worked for you! Maybe I’ll have to give it a try after I have this next baby in July.
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I’ve had it bookmarked, joined their fb page….and wonder if I can commit to an entire 30 without grain and dairy. Your dishes look really appealing, though. I will have to do more research and make a plan. I’d love to get rid of my acid reflux and I hear this is a good diet that works on ridding that ailment.
I would love to know if you try it!!! 🙂 It’s so worth it!
That looks like a lot of food. I do not think I ever eat that much for breakfast or lunch. The sweet potato has sounds crazy good! Sugar is something I am trying to move away from. It is so hard.
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I eat right at 1200 calories a day. I’ve lost 42 pounds since having Cameron, so it’s definitely working. 😉 I love that Whole30 is a “diet” that you can eat as much as you want on and still lose un-needed pounds. 😉
Way to go Myra! I love seeing your gym posts on Facebook too. It’s very motivating! 🙂
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Thank you for sharing these recipes Myra. We have been taking a lot of grains and dairy out of our diet. Although, we do more cultured dairy now then before which has been fun learning about the benefits of cultured dairy. I’ve already started pinning some of the recipes you’ve shared today! Thank you friend. I’m going to check out that book you recommended, its sounds like a fantastic read.
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We get raw milk each week, so I’m anxious to begin doing some cultured/fermenting projects. 😉
I think you’ll really enjoy it. Kefir is one of the easiest things to make. In the beginning, it was just getting into a routine of doing it once a day but it takes less then five minutes. I can’t wait to try yogurt and cheeses.
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Congrats on your accomplishments! I struggle with sugar and have given up desserts for lent and find I am not really missing them much. Do you folllow the template the Whol 30 advises, with protein at each meal/snack and just a little fruit each day?
I follow the Whole30 template loosely. I’m still nursing, so I allow myself plenty of fruit to keep up my carbs for a good milk supply. 🙂 I do eat protein with everything though.
I love your blog. Trying to keep up with you. 🙂
I did the no sugar, bread, pasta from June to October and dropped 33 pounds. Got off of it and just can’t get back on it. I would miss my greek yogurt if I did the no dairy, but I really need to do this. I have recently quit drinking diet coke and we don’t eat at fast food anymore. If we want to eat a quick meal out we go to Subway. I”ve been drinking cucumber/ginger water and other water concoctions(sp) and don’t miss the diet coke at all. I felt so much better in those months that I lost all the weight and it was SOOOO easy. I don’t know why I can’t get back on it. I will look for that book…thanks!
Even though it is sunny out and cold, Spring fever is here!!! Now if the white stuff would STAY AWAY we’d get motivated! 🙂
In Christ,
Kim Ridgway
You can do it! It’s hard to get back on something once you’re off, but I have full confidence that you can do it through Christ. 🙂 xo
My husband and I are on Day 20 and we are healthier than we’ve ever been! It has been a long, but very worthwhile journey! Having a plan and cooking in bulk have been key for us, too. Congratulations on your success!!
Wonderful, Jennifer!!
Is this compatible with breast feeding? I have a few pounds left to lose but don’t want to compromise my supply.
Hi Mary! I’m sure everyone is different, but it hasn’t hurt my milk supply at all. My baby is 8mos and he’s beginning to eat a few solids here and there. I’m eating approximately 1200 calories a day and have good milk supply as well as losing weight. I hope that helps!
Trying to lose weight, unsuccessfully, and feeling poorly all the time I thought I would give this a try and started two days ago. I’m still trying to find the balance of getting enough calories. It’s an awakening when I realized my diet consisted of mostly dairy and grain products with a few fruits and veggies thrown in, but I’m committed to it and finding more food alternatives. I’m a snacker so I wasn’t going to meal plan much but that’s not working. Thank you thank you! for your ideas for meals!!!!!! I look forward to reading your successes!!!
Good for you for jumping in, Meredith! You can do it! 🙂
Way to go, Myra! I’m on day 10 of Whole30. I was already gluten free, but eliminating everything else was easier than I imagined. I do miss an occasional mocha at the coffee shop though. And the energy I have..after day 6 I really noticed a big difference!
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Yay, yay, yay! 🙂 I’m so glad to hear that it’s going well for you!!
I love this Myra, I have done just that for the past couple of months. But really have been focusing more of taking sugar, flour out of my diet. I have been needing some recipes so this is amazing!! THank you for sharing with us.
Blessings,
Adrienne
I am on Day 14 and feel great! I am enjoying all of the fruits and veggies! I started it 30 days before my 43rd bday- it’s my bday present to myself. Looking at it as a gift of health instead of deprivation. It’s all in how you look at it! 🙂
Myra, I was wondering your thoughts on grains after you finish the 30 days. Also, do you feed Ridley grains?
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We are pretty careful around here with grain. Before Whole30 I used organic spelt flour, gluten-free oats and organic (non-GMO) tortilla chips. I feel so much better grain-free, but I’m going to try to add back in oats for me. Ridley does the best without gluten, although he does get some here and there. I’d say we keep grains at a minimum…more treat-like…rather than a diet staple. I think I just talked myself in a circle. 😉
Good for you on your journey to better health! I have been slowly working my way to a paleo lifestyle and plan on doing a whole 30 in about 2 months. Something that has been really helpful to me is the Paleo Plan by Emeals. They send you a family dinner meal plan and recipes for the week. I think I paid around $20 for three months. I am a nutritionist and a foodie, so I was skeptical that I would like the food. I have been pleasantly surprised. It has made it so much more doable that I don’t have to scour the internet and my cookbooks for recipes that are paleo compliant and that my kids will like. I know I sound like a commercial, but I really don’t work for them!C;-) The cool thing is that they have a sample menu plan on their website that you can check out. I don’t know that it is totally whole 30 compliant but with a small bit of tweaking, it could be.
When I was reading through the website I was wondering if Whole 30 was the same as Paleo. I had noticed that emeals had a Paleo plan, and if I were to do a strict plan like this I would need specific menus made up for me. I have a really hard time planing foods without those ingredients.
I’m not sure I could this at this stage in my life. Your food looks wonderful, though!
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Thanks for sharing all these meal ideas, Myra! I’ve been following your journey on Instagram as well. I’m planning on doing Whole 30 in April. I’m starting to shop for it (little by little), but it’s really discouraging how many foods have additives I didn’t know about! (C’mon… why does bacon have sugar?) But I’m gearing up for it! Thanks for your tips.
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Hi Myra.
I just found your blog today while researching info on low-calorie diets, which linked me to your last post in this category, about the success you had on the Dynamite 180 diet.
I found this post when I decided I wanted to hear more about what you had to say and see how it was going because the D180 post was like 2 years ago. I wanted to see how that story ended!
But this appears to be your first post since. So it *appears* that something went horribly wrong and you’ve gained weight and are trying something else. But rather than assume, I thought I’d ask.
So, what gives?!? 🙂
I’ve been eating a “crazy-low” number of calories and am not really hungry–which is really something given how much I love food! It’s been a week and I’ve lost 6#. But I hear all the scary stuff about starvation, etc. I’m taking super-supplements (Raw Food replacement stuff) and only eating healthy stuff, and I’m just not sure how it’s any different from anyone who has had gastric bypass and such. No one’s fear-mongering them about starvation!
If you could share the end of the last experience you shared, and maybe WHY you’re dieting again… and why a different diet if the last one worked… I really would appreciate it.
I popped over to their site. I don’t see any real meal plans. I’m horrible at creating meals from thin air from plans like these.
Does the book “It Starts with Food” have meal plans?
How do you some up w/those wonderful looking meals you posted?
I would love to try whole 30. I am wanting to limit the unnatural sugar in my diet. I think this would really help me lose the baby weight this summer and fall. Thanks for sharing your pics and motivating experience.
I’m starting Whole30 Monday. I already eat a mostly clean, real foods diet, but I tried GF last January and it kicked my butt! I’m a little nervous about giving up the dairy, but willing to give it a shot to see if I can identify any foods that are triggering my fatigue. It is very inspiring to read through all the comments of those that are in the process now and feeling so GOOD!
Yay Myra!
You are awesome! I am so excited to give some of your recipes a try. I am on day 3 and feel like all I have been doing for 3 days is researching, planning, shopping, and cooking. I did this totally on a whim with zero preparation which is kinda tough…oh AND I started the day after Easter! Kids with the scent of jelly beans and chocolate are starting to get to me.
I am super tired today, but feel good and am so energized to be something super healthy for myself. I am with ya on the cheese-that will probably be the first thing I try when it is all said and done.
Thanks for sharing and now I am going to go pin some of those recipes:)
xxx
Kim
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Your meals look great! I’m on day 3 of my first whole30! Great inspiration here!
Just curious…Do you drink coffee on this plan? I am interested in starting this, Thanks!
I’m not a coffee drinker, but coffee is Whole30 approved…as long as you drink it black. 🙂
Thank you for this post! I am on day 3 and while I feel great, I do miss the stevia in my coffee and tea. any suggestions on satisfying drink options?
Thank you so much for inspiring me with your blog and the Whole 30. ( I am on day 4 and am feeling healthier!!!)
Thank you so much 🙂
Hi, we just finished the whole30 and I swear it has changed my life forever! Coincidentally, I had bloodwork done at the beginning and then near the end. My thyroid went from horribly underactive to normal! It has kinda killed the joy of junkfood for me – the consequences seem so much worse and I am so much more aware! I am now working on a good balance. Do you find it tough to add foods back in like dairy and beans?
we recently went paleo due to a host of digestive disorders. after 2 months we are feeling and operating at about 90% optimal health. it feels amazing! as you know, with restriction comes invention! would love to hear about any recipes you’ve loved or created! keep on keeping on! it’s so worth it!
Hello Myra,
You have a really neat website here! I just discovered it through Pinterest, and I just pinned your meal ideas above. I love that you wrote about the Whole30, which is an amazing, eye-opening experience. I actually wrote about mine and published it in the form of a Kindle book called, My Journey to Healthy. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQJZ55W . I’d love it if you checked it out. Thanks for your great post!
I’m on day 11 of the Whole 30, it’s actually much easier than I thought its would be. I thought I would not to be able to survive without cheese and cream in my coffee (and wine…who am I kidding? 🙂 But I don’t miss them (besides the wine…that I miss). Thanks for the recipes! I’m always looking for new ideas besides only eggs and veggies in the morning!
I have done this one a month ago, and it is really effective. I love the effect it gave to my weight and my health as a whole. I am continuing this Whole30 until today.