Lack of time....

[KatMetner]

Hello WHOLE30! 

 

I just about to start my first whole30 March 1 and I'm excited! My friends are supportive and I'm mentally ready. Except I'm looking at some of the recipes and some of these things take quite a bit of time and some of this stuff isn't remotely cheap. If someone has ideas for cheap and/or fast meals I am all ears. My shortest work days are 12 hours and I'm not looking forward to spending the most of my home time cooking right before I have to go to bed. I have a feeling that people do a boat load of prep on weekends but any tips for weekday dinners would be hugely appreciated.

 

Kathryn

[alicianewcomb]

The crockpot is going to be your best friend! I throw chicken and veggies in mine and make enough for leftovers and lunch. It is time consuming but if you make enough for a couple of days you can prep your next meals on the days you have leftovers. Also, I don't worry too much about dicing and chopping and throw whole veggies and meat on the grill. Zucchini you can cut long ways and eat them as zucchini boats. Good luck!

[kirkor]

>and some of this stuff isn't remotely cheap

You don't need any of that stuff for a successful Whole30

[Tom Denham]

I frequently make meals like this... Chop one or two onions into bite-size pieces and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Chop several potatoes into bite-size pieces and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Buy a bag of chopped kale. Buy a pound of ground beef. When ready to eat, melt a tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil in a wok or saute pan. Add a handful of chopped onions and a handful of chopped potatoes to the hot oil. Dust generously with salt, garlic powder, turmeric, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add several handfuls of chopped kale. Dust with salt and garlic powder. Splash apple cider vinegar on the kale. Cover with a lid and let cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Add bite-size pieces of ground beef on top of the vegetables. Dust with salt, garlic powder, and chili powder. If the wok or pan is dry, pour a few ounces of water in to keep the food from sticking. Cover with a lid and let cook for 5 minutes. Stir everything together and eat. 

 

Here is how you create variety. Instead of ground beef use ground pork, ground chicken, ground bison, ground lamb. Instead of kale, use canned green beans, canned carrots, canned rutabagas, canned tomatoes and okra, canned spinach, canned mushrooms, etc. Instead of the spices I listed, use different spices. 

 

I can literally be eating a cooked from scratch meal in less than 15 minutes even if I chop an onion and a potato to start. I do most of my cooking in a big wok with a cover and eat from a plate or bowl.