Newbie - Starting on April 3rd!

[kelliemcd]

Hi there!

I am completely new to Whole30 and would absolutely love some advice! I'm very excited to begin next Monday, and am reading up on everything my eyes and brain can handle before then to get myself ready. Because of my work schedule and budget, I am most apprehensive about the cost of all these groceries, and how often I should typically cook meals (leftover lunches work great with my work schedule, and I am beyond tired when I get home in the evenings after work, so cooking lengthy meals probably wouldn't work well for me). I do love a good variety when it comes to meals, I get bored quickly of eating the same things over and over again which in the past has led to snacking, or eating things I know I shouldn't! 

I am currently trying to plan a good weekly schedule with the meal planner tool that is available online..Any advice for a newbie cook on how many dinners to cook to consolidate grocery shopping and minimize costs for one person? Any advice is greatly appreciated, as well as other Whole30 friends! 

[ShannonM816]

You might prefer something like a weekly cook up, where you prep several proteins and a bunch of vegetables, plus a couple of sauces or dips and other fats once a week, and then mix and match those at each meal. Follow this link and scroll down to the article The Method Behind my Madness, and just above it, the one called Great Ingredients, No Recipes Required, and see if those make sense for you, instead of planning multiple recipes throughout the week:  https://meljoulwan.com/paleo-101/

 

[Ahavah]

I'm starting the second! I'm happy to be a buddy if you want.

I hate cooking, so it's often a struggle for me on Whole30. You just HAVE to cook to eat right on the plan. I often do what Shannon suggested and just cook up several different meats, sides, and sauces to mix and match (only recently on the sauces, though. Thanks, The Whole30 book!).

Another thing that helps me is making freezer meals in the early days when I'm super-motivated. I'll cook extra of anything I can to put away in the freezer. I do a couple of prep cook days and separate foods into individual serving bags for the freezer, that way I can easily grab-and-go when I'm feeling worn out. For instance, I have my bone broth going today, and I'll use some of that for a soup I plan to freeze. Today I also plan to make chicken salad and maybe a shepherd's pie, and all of it is going to the freezer in single servings. I'm more inclined to cook in the early days of Whole30, so I try to plan most of my freezer meals and more complicated recipes then. And when I do have energy to cook, I always cook double!

[Rebe_J]

These are great suggestions.

Remember, doing a successful W30 does not have to be complicated; fancy recipes with many steps and ingredients are not necessary. When I start getting overwhelmed by meal prep, I remind myself that it's just protein, vegetables, fat and a little fruit. Keep it simple.

I did my first W30 in 2012 and it changed not only how we eat, but also how I plan and cook. I get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes most of the time, using the mix and match method. I learned a lot from the books Well Fed and Well Fed2, by Melissa Joulwan. You can find a lot on her website, too.

Having good tools is a big time saver. My Instant Pot pressure cooker gets used for several things every week. Keeping things organized is important, too. I have a lot of stackable storage containers and label them with masking tape and a Sharpie. My refrigerator and freezer have never looked so good.