aw nuts!

[chawk]

So, it seems that nuts are having a really adverse effect on my gut this second round. I am a peanut butter lover and have been substituting almond butter. Pre-whole 30 I rarely ate nuts unless it was baked into something. I I realize now I've been eating too much too often (I was eating almond butter daily with breakfast or as an afternoon snack with banana/apple). I experienced some intense GI distress the last 2 days and after some research, cut the almond butter out. So far, much better.

But...this is a serious bummer for me. As a teacher with a 1 year old, I'm struggling to put together a 'mini-meal' in the afternoons to get me through (I eat lunch at 10:45 and can't have dinner until at least 6 PM). Almond butter and fruit was a quick fix (not a complete mini meal, I know!). Also, as I stated above, I LOVE peanut/almond butter haha.

So, first- mini-meal ideas that are quick and easy (remember I have a toddler!).

Second- any one reintroduce peanut butter after whole 30 and actually find it was better for them than nut alternatives? Honestly it seems like a relatively healthy snack/pre-workout option? For clarification, I am talking about this for POST-W30, not for immediate use. I didn't really pay attention to how peanut butter worked out for me during re-intro last time....

Thanks!

 

[ladyshanny]

What ideas have you already considered for mini meals besides fruit and nut butter? Is there anything in particular that wouldn't work because of logistics? Are you eating this in your classroom or in the car on the way home or in the teacher's lounge? How does the toddler play in to what you can eat during your work day? If you're packing your lunch, can you just pack more of that and then save it for whenever your break is?

[chawk]

For background: breakfast at 6:00, work by 7:00, planning/break around 10:45 when I shovel in a much of my packed lunch as I have time for. School is dismissed at 2:30. Usually there until 3:00, then I go pick up my daughter and don't get home until 4:00 (at the earliest. Many work days are longer and errands happen). 2-3 afternoons a week my husband picks her up and I go straight to the gym from work. She immediately needs an afternoon snack and is needy, clingy (plus I want to play with her before her 7 PM bedtime  ) because she hasn't seen me all day. Also, toddlers get into everything and she needs constant supervision which makes cooking anything nearly impossible (maybe I'm just a FTM who needs more tricks up my sleeve). Basically, I have a really odd early schedule.

As far as mini-meals- leftovers work when there are some (rarely because we use dinner leftovers for lunch). Guacamole or salmon salad (I hate tuna salad) with carrots has been another go-to but I get tired of it. Microwaving a chicken sausage has been a last resort, plus fruit or veggies. Typically I'm trying to get a quick meal/snack when we arrive home so that I have the stamina to cook dinner. Some days it needs to be the car or work (late work days, gym days). Meal prepping snack options might be the solution, if I have time on the weekends.

 

 

[racheleats]

1 hour ago, chawk said:

For background: breakfast at 6:00, work by 7:00, planning/break around 10:45 when I shovel in a much of my packed lunch as I have time for. School is dismissed at 2:30. Usually there until 3:00, then I go pick up my daughter and don't get home until 4:00 (at the earliest. Many work days are longer and errands happen). 2-3 afternoons a week my husband picks her up and I go straight to the gym from work. She immediately needs an afternoon snack and is needy, clingy (plus I want to play with her before her 7 PM bedtime  ) because she hasn't seen me all day. Also, toddlers get into everything and she needs constant supervision which makes cooking anything nearly impossible (maybe I'm just a FTM who needs more tricks up my sleeve). Basically, I have a really odd early schedule.

As far as mini-meals- leftovers work when there are some (rarely because we use dinner leftovers for lunch). Guacamole or salmon salad (I hate tuna salad) with carrots has been another go-to but I get tired of it. Microwaving a chicken sausage has been a last resort, plus fruit or veggies. Typically I'm trying to get a quick meal/snack when we arrive home so that I have the stamina to cook dinner. Some days it needs to be the car or work (late work days, gym days). Meal prepping snack options might be the solution, if I have time on the weekends.

 

 

Maybe some hard boiled eggs and guac? Both pretty easy to make ahead and don't take a lot of time. And you can have them cold!

[kirkor]

Just make cooking leftovers more of a priority.  Take a bigger lunch each day as @ladyshanny mentions, and after eating part of it during your 10:45 chow time eat the remainder during the 2:30-3:00 period.  Bonus is that it can serve as preWO food on your workout days.

[KristenT]

HI feel you on the nut issue. I didn't realize I had an issue until lately and I'm so sad! Haha

Anyways, as a mom with a toddler and an almost toddler, I feel where you're coming from. I'd go with a big lunch of leftovers, then eat some of them at 2:30/3 when you can or bring some backup in the form of hard boiled eggs and guac and carrots. It's something you can eat quick or even in the car if you need to!

[MimiHi]

Wow. Me, too! I just posted a whole long thing about nuts and all these other things playing havoc with my system. I thought almonds would be the one thing to get me through my 30 days, but now I'm finding they're creating some misery everywhere I turn!