Breakfast Casserole - Compliant or non Compliant

[soulrich23]

I have been reading about paleo since hmmm 2009 I believe (yes slow starter)! However, I read and read and read. Website, book, forums....workshop... and I just completed my first Whole30 Feb 1 and have been eating paleo since.

Here is my question. I am not a huge berry eater. I eat maybe a handful once every couple days. This is a breakfast casserole recipe I found that I really enjoy that adds the berries into a recipe with fat and protein. I completely thought it was compliant and now I am being told it is not for two reasons:

1. The ingredients are not compliant for whole30 (note for the vanilla I bought PURE 100% compliant vanilla.) I am baffled as to why I am getting pushback on the ingredients but I could be wrong!

2. Because it is "technically a dessert" and would fall into the category of today's (2/12) blog about paleofying things: 

 

Help...  compliant or non compliant?

 

it is a Paleo Blueberry Breakfast 
6 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbs. melted coconut oil or butter (use ghee for Whole30)
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
1.5 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a pie pan. Beat eggs in a large bowl with a whisk or electric mixer. Add in coconut milk, melted butter or oil, salt, vanilla and cinnamon.

Carefully pour egg mixture into prepared pan; scatter blueberries throughout and bake for 40 minutes or until set. Itwill puff up in the oven and then sink once it starts to cool.
added some sausage and had a good change for a snowy day

[soulrich23]

Let me clarify, I am looking to see if anyone/everyone feels it is or is not WHOLE30 compliant???

[Physibeth]

Here is my question. I am not a huge berry eater. I eat maybe a handful once every couple days. This is a breakfast casserole recipe I found that I really enjoy that adds the berries into a recipe with fat and protein. I completely thought it was compliant and now I am being told it is not for two reasons:

1. The ingredients are not compliant for whole30 (note for the vanilla I bought PURE 100% compliant vanilla.) I am baffled as to why I am getting pushback on the ingredients but I could be wrong!

2. Because it is "technically a dessert" and would fall into the category of today's (2/12) blog about paleofying things: 

 

 

I would agree with both those statements. 

 

 

Vanilla Extract: No

Honestly, we think this ruling is kind of silly (nobody uses vanilla extract for the buzz), but we must be consistent with the guidelines to avoid confusion. The vast majority of vanilla extracts you can purchase for home use (in-store and online) contain alcohol, and the rest contain sugar alcohols. And, since we ask you to exclude alcohol and all forms of sugar from your Whole30, vanilla extracts are non-compliant. (If you see vanilla extract listed as an ingredient, you can count that product out for your Whole30, too.)

Tip: You can  use 100% vanilla bean powder in place of vanilla extract. We use it in a 1:1 ratio in recipes (1 tsp. vanilla extract = 1 tsp. vanilla bean powder).

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.R2kNuTxv.dpuf

 

 

 

No Paleo-ifying baked goods, desserts, or junk foods. Trying to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold will ruin your program faster than you can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.†This means no desserts or junk food made with “approved†ingredients—no banana-egg pancakes, almond-flour muffins, flourless brownies, or coconut milk ice cream. Don't try to replicate junk food during your 30 days! That misses the point of the Whole30 entirely. - See more at: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/#sthash.yxoi5zR5.dpuf

 

Aside from these things it doesn't really fit our recommendations for a meal if eaten by itself.

[JohannaE]

I have been reading about paleo since hmmm 2009 I believe (yes slow starter)! However, I read and read and read. Website, book, forums....workshop... and I just completed my first Whole30 Feb 1 and have been eating paleo since.

Here is my question. I am not a huge berry eater. I eat maybe a handful once every couple days. This is a breakfast casserole recipe I found that I really enjoy that adds the berries into a recipe with fat and protein. I completely thought it was compliant and now I am being told it is not for two reasons:

1. The ingredients are not compliant for whole30 (note for the vanilla I bought PURE 100% compliant vanilla.) I am baffled as to why I am getting pushback on the ingredients but I could be wrong!

2. Because it is "technically a dessert" and would fall into the category of today's (2/12) blog about paleofying things: 

 

Help...  compliant or non compliant?

 

it is a Paleo Blueberry Breakfast 

6 eggs

1 cup coconut milk

2 tbs. melted coconut oil or butter (use ghee for Whole30)

pinch of salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1.5 tsp. cinnamon

1.5 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a pie pan. Beat eggs in a large bowl with a whisk or electric mixer. Add in coconut milk, melted butter or oil, salt, vanilla and cinnamon.

Carefully pour egg mixture into prepared pan; scatter blueberries throughout and bake for 40 minutes or until set. Itwill puff up in the oven and then sink once it starts to cool.

added some sausage and had a good change for a snowy day

 

I would vote no for reason 1 (the vanilla) but not for reason two.  I see this more as a egg bake or omelet with fruit than a paleofied baked good, since there isn't any flour. 

[Tom Denham]

Like Bethany noted, this does not fit the meal template because there are no vegetables. Nonetheless, I would not call it a dessert because the blueberry to egg ratio is heavy in favor of the eggs. This is not something we would encourage you to eat during a Whole30, but it would not be unacceptable.

 

I've never found acceptable vanilla except for the pure vanilla beans, but you could leave it out.

[soulrich23]

Physibeth  thank you for the response! Not eaten alone, totally eaten in the parameters of the guidelines with additional veggies (no less than 2-3 cups). I also add a bit more protein and fat on top of the eggs, ghee and full fat coconut milk (complaint approved brands). 

Vanilla got it, I could definitely leave that out!!! Thank you! I  wont even use vanilla bean powder!!!

I guess my question is I do not "paleofy" (ha like my spelling horrible I know ) anything. Not even close. Mostly, because I cannot cook . I don't know how to cook/bake and I would never eat a "cookie/pizza/dough/pancakes etc" that tried to be paleo. I do not even use almond flour, coconut flour, etc. What is it about this recipe that makes you think it is a junk food I am trying to paleofy? Believe me, NOT arguing one tiny bit. I am really really trying to learn and get better and better!

Let me back up. As a beginner to see a recipe that involves (again take out the vanilla) all complaint ingredients and include others to make the whole meal.... and then have someone tell you that you were trying to fake something is...frustrating but in a sad way. 

If I was to have 3 scrambled eggs in coconut oil with a quarter cup of blueberries with coconut milk with a dash of cinnamon and the same amount of veggies that would be ok. So why is putting it together incorrect?

 

Again, not arguing just trying to learn because after so many years and studying I seem to have something wrong and I am really really sad.

[soulrich23]

Thank you as well Tom and Joanna. Again, totally adding TONS of veggies (never less than 2 cups and usually closer to 3 and a little bit more fat and protein. I should have noted that. I also try to cook one dish for two days every  two weeks so I am not over duplicating anything.  I never cook any one dish like this more than twice a month.  So now I am really baffled. Is this incorrect as well?

Breakfast casserole

1.5 lbs compliant pork

12 eggs

16 oz spinach

2 large sweet potatoes

1 large onion

 

I eat this ( a large quarter plate slice) with 2-3 cups of veggies (green to go with sweet potato) and 1/4 - 1/2 avacado

[runninglawyer88]

Thank you as well Tom and Joanna. Again, totally adding TONS of veggies (never less than 2 cups and usually closer to 3 and a little bit more fat and protein. I should have noted that. I also try to cook one dish for two days every  two weeks so I am not over duplicating anything.  I never cook any one dish like this more than twice a month.  So now I am really baffled. Is this incorrect as well?

Breakfast casserole

1.5 lbs compliant pork

12 eggs

16 oz spinach

2 large sweet potatoes

1 large onion

 

I eat this ( a large quarter plate slice) with 2-3 cups of veggies (green to go with sweet potato) and 1/4 - 1/2 avacado

Looks completely fine to me. 

[jent103]

Me too. That's not remotely dessert-y, which was why the first recipe is kind of on the line.

[Physibeth]

If I was to have 3 scrambled eggs in coconut oil with a quarter cup of blueberries with coconut milk with a dash of cinnamon and the same amount of veggies that would be ok. So why is putting it together incorrect?

 

Again, not arguing just trying to learn because after so many years and studying I seem to have something wrong and I am really really sad.

 

You didn't do anything that negates your W30 experience so don't stress about it. The dessert thing can be a gray area for some. You handled this correctly by adding what was necessary to make it a template meal and you were not using it to fill a need for something sweet in your breakfast so you are fine.

 

Others do have that problem though. When I see someone list a piece of fruit with their meal and just leave it at that I don't say anything, but when people say "for dessert" I address that. W30 is about food compliance but it is also about behavior adjustments. Possibly the person that said you did something wrong sees that recipe and reckons back to having sweet coffee cake for breakfast? Does that all make sense? I personally am not a sweets for breakfast kind of person so that was my knee jerk reaction to the recipe as well but Tom's answer is much better (as he is a far more experienced moderator than I).

[Tina R]

I think it is based on your experience and perspective. There was an interesting post by someone from India with a recipe for pumpkin flan. For us American's this was a desert but for this person it was a vegetable side dish. All the ingredients were compliant. I think if these recipes are a no breaks food for you where you can eat the whole pan in one sitting or are constantly eating it through out the day than I would say no. But if you are using it as part of your regular meal and are eating according to the template then I think it is ok.