Meal planning - newbie questions :)

[yggy]

Hello

 

I am starting the Whole 30 and I am wondering how to plan my meals. Looking at the meal template I understand that I eat a palm full of protein, i.e. eggs and then surround this by veg and sometimes have fruit, but how much fat do I add? 1 thumb of olive oil with a handful of olive and nuts each?? Is it okay to eat more protein than a palm full? I tend to eat lots of protein like 5 eggs and 500g of meat a day (on the same day not either or), is that too much? Are potatoes classed as vegetables? What if I can only have dinner late? Sometimes I only have a meal prepared by 8pm as I get home late, but I am normally tired and go to bed around 9 or 9:30 so there is not much time between dinner and sleeping, is that ok?

 

Do I need to have a pre-workout meal very early mornings? Does breakfast count as post-workout meal?

 

Thanks

[jmcbn]

Take a look at the meal template for planning meals, and remember that these are the minimum recommendations so it is fine to eat more if you need it to last you 4-5hrs.

Eggs, if they are your sole source of protein should be the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand, which is 3-4 for most females. That's per meal, not per day. You may find though that if you mix up your protein sources (eg. ground beef with eggs over easy) that they will hold you for longer...

Fat wise you can eat a half an avocado, or a handful of olives, or some compliant bacon, or a dollop of mayo etc. - the cooking oil you use is negligible as most of it stays in the pan, so unless you are eating a fattier cut of meat then add some more.

Potatoes are vegetables. Aim to eat 1-3 cups per meal - go for 3 or more if you can, and aim for a fist sized serving of starchy veg (sweet potato, beets, plantains etc) per day - this will help with energy levels, moods, anxiety, and the transition from your old diet to the new.

Eat meal one within an hour of wakening - this is very important to get your hormones settled - and space your meals out 4-5hrs apart.

Breakfast can be your preWO depending on when you work out, but try not to skip the postWO meal especially if your WOs are intense.

PreWO aim for protein & fat, postWO aim for protein & starchy carbs - no fruit either pre or post.

Fruit is optional on whole30. The only thing you will get from fruit that you won't get from vegetables is fructose - and you really don't need that. Eat fruit only with or as part of a meal, never as a snack.

Hope this is of some help! 

Good luck!

[Munkers]

The template is 1-2 palm sized servings of protein (or as many eggs as you can hold in one hand without dropping) plus 1-2 servings of fat plus at least a cup of vegetables (strive for 2-3 cups per meal).

 

A serving of fat is one thumb-sized portion of oil, nut butter, or other liquid/creamy-type fat, half an avocado, a closed handful of nuts, OR an open, heaped handful of olives OR coconut flake.

 

You can mix or match protein and fat sources with your meals. For example, you may only be in the mood to eat 2 eggs instead of the 4 that you can fit in your hand. Add on some meat so that you still meat the minimum template requirement. Same for the fat. Maybe you only feel like a quarter of an avocado. Make up the difference by adding a little olive oil to your food or tossing on a few olives. (Note that, in general, whatever fat you cook your food in tends to stay in the pan instead of winding up on your plate. Either make sure you scrap the pan to get all the fat onto your plate OR drizzle your plate with extra fat before eating.)

 

Your pre- and post- work-out meals are separate from the three templates meals you should eat each day. If you workout first thing in the morning, you may do just fine in skipping the pre-workout, but you should still eat your post-WO immediately after you finish exercising. There is a small window of time after exercise where your muscles are primed and ready to take in anything you feed them so this is an important recovery opportunity. Then, after your postWO meal, you can shower, dress, and then sit down to meal 1.