Regarding SWYPO

[hatane]

I know things like banana-egg pancakes are considered SWYPO - as well as various other technically compliant desserts/creations. However, I do know that cauliflower rice/mash and zucchini noodles are "approved." What about cauliflower pizza crusts? Is it ok to "bread" meats with almond flour? And what about compliant "lasagnas" with creamy cashew sauce subbed in for cheese, zucchini/cauliflower noodles, etc.? Are those ok too?

 

I realize that many view SWYPO as a largely personal decision, but I was wondering what the general verdict on such foods is, and where I can draw the line. Thanks

[missmary]

For me, I find it helps to think about the meal template (a palm or two of protein, a thumb or two of fat + 2-3 cups of vegetables). If the food fits easily into a meal fitting the template, like zuchinni noodles or cauliflower rice do, then I don't worry about it. If eating it pushes veggies or protein off my plate, like "paleo pancakes" or a coconut flour tortilla would, then I know it isn't the right balance for eating during a whole30. Cashew cheese "lasagna" sounds to me like it would be skewed toward too much fat/nuts and not enough protein, but lightly breading a palm-size portion of meat with almond flour is likely to be a better ratio, so that's how I would make up my mind.

[Tom Denham]

Cashew cheese lasagna is about as far from what we would like to see you eating during a Whole30 as coconut flour pancakes. The idea during a Whole30 is to learn to eat the best foods to nourish your body. Making a paleo version of lasagna is not going to help you learn to eat the best that is available to you. It is an exercise in maintaining the diet that we want you to move beyond. 

[Emily T]

I think its okay to use almond meal to bread meat or as a replacement for breadcrumbs to make meatloaf or whatever because, as missmary said, the meat is the star of the dish. Its a tricky line but I think breadcrumbs are a minor thing, whereas trying to create entire dishes around substitutes is a little more difficult to justify. 

 

Making a lasagna or pizza with cauliflower and nuts I think is trying darn hard to recreate something you probably love, and it will NOT taste very awesome (because: seriously? fake noodles, no cheese! that will not be the best lasagna ever!!!) Why not try something new during your whole30 and then make a real lasagna at the end of the month and REALLY LOVE IT?

 

I was thinking about trying to recreate chicken parmesan because I discovered this incredible tomato sauce recipe. Then I realized it would not have any cheese and I was like, why am I doing this? Its not even going to be good. I'll just wait until February and try something totally unique this weekend instead. 

[Paichka]

I love lasagna.  Seriously.  I love it.  I can't even express to you how much I love it.  I have a lasagna recipe from my mother that I've labeled, "World's Best Lasagna," and it is.  Oh, it is.  I saw the recipe for macadamia nut "ricotta" in Nom Nom Paleo's cookbook and I plan on taking it for a test run at some point, along with some paleo noodles I found in Against All Grain.  That's for after my Whole30 though.

 

Right now, when I get bitten by the lasagna bug, I make the Italian Sausage and Eggplant strata from Well Fed.  It is CRAZY good, and does an incredible job replicating the mouthfeel of lasagna with the creamy eggplant and the eggs that act as the binder in the sauce.

 

I thinly slice eggplant and zucchini on my mandoline, salt them and let them sweat, then roast them off until brown in the oven.  Those do a GREAT job of subbing for noodles in layered casserole dishes like lasagna.

 

On the whole, though, I'm avoiding make paleo versions of things like pizza.  They're almost never (exception: the strata I mentioned above) as good as the original and thus, not worth the effort.

[KatMar]

When it comes down to lasagna, I make a delicious butternut squash lasagna that's simply thin sliced butternut, marinara and ground beef or sausage. Trying to include "cheeses" definitely has always felt SWYPO to me... though I did make a mac nut ricotta once for a vegetarian version of my lasagna off Whole30 that was amazing, but that's beside the point.

I would consider my usual lasagna recipe Whole30 friendly as it's only "lasagna" because it is layers of meat, sauce and starch. It is purely delicious in and of itself and does not make me miss lasagna whatsoever.

This sort of thing is how I base my "SWYPO" decisions. Am I trying to satisfy another craving or do I just want it because I know or suspect it to be delicious? So long as it's strictly compliant and is the second answer, I'll eat it.

That said... I wouldn't recommend any sort of pizza crust while Whole30ing. It's just not the same, any way you slice it (pun intended). What could be delicious though, is riced cauliflower topped with marinara and the veggies/meats that you would normally put on pizza. Delicious and NOT pizza like.