What a whirlwind January was! We moved into our new apartment this weekend and decided to kick off February with our first Whole 30. For those who are unfamiliar with the Whole30 - it’s 30 days of a total “reset” of eats where you eliminate grains, dairy, sugar, and legumes from your diet and just stick to the basics. That means simply vegetables, meats, eggs, fish, seeds, fruit and nuts. It’s been known to aid in the healing process for people who deal with those systemic, chronic health issues by eliminating the major inflammatory food groups. Nate and I are just looking forward to a total health reset, getting creative in the kitchen (me!), and seeing how our bodies react to going back to these basics!
To be honest, M-F I almost completely eat like a Whole30 as it is, but on the weekends, I enjoy Thai food and pizza and alcohol and plenty of treats. So while I knew the weekdays weren’t going to be that difficult to comply with the rules…I am a little apprehensive about how Nate and I will do on the weekends. Thankfully I didn’t have to travel this week and I could spend my evenings unpacking our apartment and food prepping and cooking in my own new kitchen.
Speaking of my new kitchen…
Right away, we learned that Nate would need QUANTITY. Supposedly on Monday he raged all over work looking for almonds and snacks that were compliant to eat since he’s used to having brown rice bulk up his meals, or oatmeal for carbs for breakfast. Lessons learned…
Joining up with the rest of the WIAW crew to show a day’s worth of Whole30 eats. You should really check out all of the other bloggers who participate in this link-up - its one of my favorites!
BREAKFAST
Nate went to the gym while I prepared breakfast in our new kitchen. I’m still getting used to the setup, but I love the space and all of the built-ins! We had a 2 egg/egg white scramble with spinach, mushrooms, pepper, and ham. It was difficult to find breakfast meats that didn’t have any sugar added to them - Whole Foods to the rescue! Blueberries and coffee on the side for me, plus orange juice for Nate.
We’ve also been covering pretty much everything with Papalote sauce. Papalote is a local Mexican restaurant that makes “crack” salsa, and thankfully it became so popular that they sell it at Whole Foods. We go through jars of it like its our job. Hallelujah it is Whole30 compliant!
I jogged to Core40 for pilates and back, getting used to the new routes around my apartment. I then settled in among the boxes and all the stuff strewn about in our apartment for calls and work. (Note for San Franciscans - I will be switching over my Spinning classes to teach at the Core40 Soma studio starting this Friday!)
LUNCH
I massaged kale with tahini and lemon juice, and added a bunch of rotisserie chicken. Also had a couple of fork-fuls of sauerkraut on the side, and some kombucha. We have an entire shelf in our refrigerator dedicated to kombucha right now…
SNACK
I know snacking isn’t encouraged on the Whole30, but I know already that I need a mid-afternoon snack so that’s just how it’s going to be. I was also pretty hungry by this time too. I had a large honeycrisp apple and some almond butter - unpictured! I used to not consider myself an almond butter lover but I learned that if I just sprinkle a little salt on it, it’s as good as PB.
I worked all afternoon from my couch and then spent a lot of time unpacking and bringing stuff down to our storage unit in the basement of the apartment building. It’s about an 8×10 room, and given that we live in on of SF’s trendier neighborhoods and rent here is insane, we have wondered about how much someone would pay to live in it…
DINNER
Spaghetti squash bowls with some of Aidell’s meatballs and tomato sauce with fresh basil! Versions of this are part of our normal rotation, but we usually add cheese to the top. I found these chicken meatballs at Costco, and was happily surprised with their short list of ingredients, all Whole30 compliant!
I totally underestimated Nate’s hunger and he ate his portion and what was supposed to be his leftovers…
I ended the night with some tea and green grapes, and did some “research” for Whole30 meals to come…
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Anyone who has done a Whole30 with their boyfriend or hubby, any recommendations for how to make enough food for them throughout the day without totally breaking the bank or having them resort to eating a ton of almonds and raisins?
Thanks for stopping by! 
Oh no! That’s tough!! I bet my hubby would be the same way. Honestly, I’d be the same way too! I know I need some carbs in my life
Not to take away from what you are doing though- I think it’s a great tool to reset a diet and am impressed by anyone who does it.
Julie @ Running in a Skirt recently posted…5 Reasons Why You Should Hike in Winter
Thankfully I LOVE sweet potatoes!
Love the window in the kitchen! Men eat way too much food! My boyfriend is the same way, all about the volume. Too many times I’ll put away a serving or two, and they are both gone when I wake up in the morning… boys
Hahhaha! So much for portion control!
Yay for Whole 30! I hope it goes well
I’ve documented a ton of your recipes!
Those spaghetti squash bowls look delish! I’ll have to try that!
rachel @ athletic avocado recently posted…BBQ Beet Power Bowl + Love Beets Review
absolutely! one of my favorites!
Oh man… my husband is the same way. We rarely ever have leftovers. Then I remember that he is a good bit bigger than me so probably need a good bit more than me.
All the food looks really good- especially the spaghetti squash dinner. Totally buying one next time I go to the store!
Kate recently posted…A humble dinner and more (WIAW)
I love spaghetti squash! It’s awesome when you are really hungry and feel like eating a lot in quantity, but it’s only a vegetable
Ahhh I can totally relate to Nate! I did Wholearman (lol) in 2014 and documented it too but for me, I had to make ‘amends’ like include cheese and potatoes (at the time it wasn’t compliant). I literally ate a kilo or more of roasted potatoes every day. I also made a huge batch of pulled tandoori chicken (i can send you the link if you like, it should be under mains on my site) which was filing and ridiculously easy!
Arman @ thebigmansworld recently posted…Healthy 1 Minute Mint Chocolate Brownie
I’ll look into that!! Yeah I don’t know what he would do if potatoes weren’t allowed…eat a lot of squash I suppose.
I am doing something sort of similar to Whole 30 - am taking a Forks Over Knives cooking class where we are learning to eat plant-based whole foods. It is hard! We have modified our diet a little bit but not 100% yet. It looks you are eating good stuff on your plan though!
Anna-Marie @BeautyandtheBeets recently posted…Kale and Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad + WIAW
How fun! I love that movie - super inspiring!
David and I have been eating a paleo lifestyle for over 2 years and it really is a matter of realising you need to eat A LOT more in order to word off hunger. For example, Both our breakfasts would always be a minimum of 3 eggs plus a carb like potatoes. For lunches and dinners, apart from the usual potatoes etc trying upping the amount of meat and fats - use nut butters in sauces along with coconut milk, try ‘fattier’ cuts of meat like chicken thighs over breast and ground beef with a higher fat content. Melissa Joulwan.com of well fed fame and nomnom paleo are 2 of the best sites for ideas.
Hope that helps a little!
Jen @ Chase the Red Grape recently posted…Friday Favourites - Feb 5!
That does help! I’ll look into that!!