pseudoscientist Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Day 1 B: Cherry Pie Lara Bar & Cold Brew Coffee with Almond Milk to drink L: Grilled Chicken Skewer Lettuce Wraps with Toum (aka Greek Garlic Sauce), cucumbers and olives & Key Lime LaCroix to drink S: Apple with Trader Joe's Mixed Nut Butter D: Pecan Crusted Chicken with BBQ Spiced Carrots (subbed out butter for ghee and broth for chicken demi-glace) Notes Cooking an elaborate Valentine's Day dinner derailed my plans of making this Hashbrown and Sausage Breakfast Casserole for the week, so a Lara bar and coffee it was. Not ideal at all, but luckily my job is fairly sedentary and I am not typically a breakfast person. I know that'll have to change during the next 30 days, though! Lunch seemed like it would be good in theory, but I was pretty underwhelmed by it, both in taste and quantity and know that I need to up my packed lunch game for the next month. This is why I decided to have an apple for a snack, but it tasted mealy and dry to me, so I threw most of it away. I think I have an apple intolerance anyway, because they always make me severely crampy; I probably should just stop trying to make them work in my diet. On the bright side, dinner was phenomenal, and while I wish I could have enjoyed the butter and demi-glace, I still was really satisfied by the recipe and will definitely be making it again! Day 2 B: Scrambled Egg Bowl with Sautéed Kale, Broccoli, Cherry tomatoes and Red Pepper Puree & Cold Brew with Almond Milk L: Mixed Green Salad with Grilled Chicken Skewers and Tessa Mae's Lemon Garlic Dressing & Key Lime LaCroix to Drink S: Wholly Guacamole Cup D: Lettuce-wrapped Burger with Onions, Pickles and Mayo + Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges & Unsweetened Black tea to Drink Notes MUCH better food day! I started the day out strong with the scrambled egg bowl, which is a format I'm excited to play around with as a portable lunch. It's a good thing I treated myself to a nice hot breakfast too, because today was free Pizza day at work, and I admit it was...difficult, to say the least. People noticed I was just eating the salad I brought and commented on feeling sorry I was missing out, but I just smiled and shrugged it off, because...what else do you say to that?! Dinner was so delicious, and totally made up for any pizza cravings I had. I love burgers! Day 3 B: Chorizo and Potato Hash with Fried Eggs and Guacamole & Coffee with Almond Milk to drink S: Wholly Guacamole Cup + Plantains D: Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Pears and Green Beans (subbed out butter for ghee and broth for chicken demi-glace) Notes I've been dealing with a headache for the past three days that seems localized behind my left eye, which is where all my headaches tend to brew. Haven't really thought much of it until now since it's been 72 hours, so I finally took some aspirin for it, which does seem to be helping. Today is Saturday and my husband and I don't usually eat lunch on the weekends since we're out and about running errands - just a hearty brunch since we sleep in and an early dinner. I don't plan on changing this for Whole30, but we'll see if my stomach decides otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudoscientist Posted February 19, 2018 Author Share Posted February 19, 2018 Day 4 B: Root Vegetable and Brisket Hash topped with a fried egg with a cup of Vegan Cauliflower Soup & Iced Coffee with Almond Milk to drink D: Burger Patty with Arugula, Sautéed Onions, Pickles, Tomato and Mayo + Oven Fries & Water to drink Notes Had a hearty brunch at a neighborhood cafe we both love before setting out for a day at the Auto Show. Turns out they're very flexible and can make accommodations for most things on their menu - I'm excited to see what I can get there for the rest of the month! It's a relief to find a Whole30-friendly option I can have in my back pocket, since dining out can feel so limiting. The Auto Show was packed, both with people milling about and unhealthy options - buttered popcorn, churros, funnel cakes - it was like full on state fair food! The funnel cakes smelled amazing, but my hearty brunch kept any stomach rumbling at bay, and we decided on an early dinner at a brewpub on our way back home. Did lots of walking today - over 6 miles. I'm proud of myself! ^ Brunch at Same Day Cafe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudoscientist Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 Day 5 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Apple Chicken Sausage, Kale & Eggs) with Wholly Guacamole Cup L: Eggroll in a Bowl & an Almond Milk Latte to drink D: Languedoc-style Pork with Pecan Aillade and Braised Greens Notes Oops, got a little behind on logging - the long weekend made everything go by in a blur! I can't recommend this dinner recipe enough - I got it from Sun Basket and it's one of my new faves! I'll definitely be making it again, and soon. My breakfast and lunch were part of a big cook up I did to set myself up with weekday breakfast and lunches. Success! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudoscientist Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 Day 6 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Apple Chicken Sausage, Kale & Eggs) with Wholly Guacamole Cup & Cold Brew with Almond Milk to Drink L: Eggroll in a Bowl & an Almond Milk Latte to drink S: Cashew Cookie Lara Bar & LaCroix to drink D: Cajun Shrimp & Cauliflower Grits & Lemon Water to drink Notes Another amazing dinner from Sun Basket - they really hit the ball out of the park with this week's Paleo selections! All have been compliant, easy, and delicious. I didn't think the cauliflower grits would work (I was worried they'd be too coconutty) but it actually turned out great. This is another one I'll be recreating at home sometime soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudoscientist Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 Day 7 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Apple Chicken Sausage, Kale & Eggs) with Watercress Salad & Cold Brew with Almond Milk to Drink L: Eggroll in a Bowl & an Almond Milk Latte to drink D: Chicken Meatballs in Marinara on Zoodles & Kombucha to Drink Notes My breakfast casserole has really been the highlight of my weekdays, and helps me start the workday on a high note. My lunch however, has not held up that well - to the point that I threw the rest away and need to figure something else out for the next couple of days. I hate wasting food, but it just wasn't satiating me anymore on any level. I was craving some Italian stye comfort food for dinner, and the chicken meatball recipe was great - I added some ground flaxseed to the meatball mixture and will continue to do so in the future! My low energy continues, and I'm starting to wonder if I just have a case of the winter blues. All day long at work I'm sleepy, and after I get home and cook dinner and tidy up, all I want to do is crawl into bed and maybe watch a little TV or read. I just don't have the desire the spend time in the living room or do any real activities with my husband right now - just be cozy in bed. I haven't felt this exhausted in a while, and I really hope I can snap out of it soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudoscientist Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 Day 8 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Apple Chicken Sausage, Kale & Eggs) with Watercress Salad & Cold Brew with Almond Milk to Drink L: Eggroll in a Bowl & an Almond Milk Latte to drink D: Masala-rubbed Chicken Thighs & Curried Potatoes, Green Beans and Spinach Notes Dinner was so good - I'm excited to make it again soon! Day 9 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Apple Chicken Sausage, Kale & Eggs) with Watercress Salad & Cold Brew with Almond Milk to Drink L: Belizean Pot Roast, Stewed Cabbage, Plantains and salad & Kombucha to drink D: Pulled Pork with Tessamae's BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar coleslaw ^ Belizean Lunch Notes The free lunch at work was compliant, and I was really excited about that, as I was tired of eating my packed lunch by day 4 - it just didn't hold up that great. I've been craving BBQ all week, so for dinner we grabbed some takeout from a popular place down the block that doesn't sauce their meats, which worked perfectly for me! It was so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudoscientist Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 Day 10 B: Scrambled Eggs, Rosemary Pork Sausage, Avocado and Arugula Salad & Iced Coffee with Almond Milk to drink D: Jibaritos (Puerto Rican Steak Sandwiches on Fried Plantains) and Salad with Oil & Vinegar ^ Best Breakfast Ever! Notes BEST breakfast I've had so far - I'm already excited to have it again next week! It kept me full and sustained for the rest of the day as we ran errands, and I've been wanting to go eat Jibaritos (a speciality here in Chicago) for a long time. I love that aside from rice and beans that many Puerto Rican dishes are naturally W30 friendly. I'm excited to go back and try more from the menu soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudoscientist Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 Day 11 B: steak & eggs with avocado and breakfast potatoesD: Steak and Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Mushrooms Notes The Argentinian cafe around the corner has expanded their breakfast options, which means I can have compliant brunches like the one above! Was very happy about that Spent the afternoon prepping weekday breakfasts and lunches per usual, which will be another egg bake (lol) and some sweet and sour meatballs that I came up with off the cuff. I sauteed shallot, broccoli, bell pepper and pineapple chunks and then folded in some Tessamae's ketchup and leftover meatballs from the freezer. Let's hope they're good! Day 12 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Pancetta, Kale & Eggs) & Cold Brew with Almond Milk to Drink L: Sweet and Sour Meatball Stir Fry S: Apple Pie Lara Bar D: Hoisin Glazed Chicken, Cucumbers, and Salad (based on this recipe, subbed out honey for 2 dates) Notes Went to the gym today for this first time since starting my Whole30 - it kicked my butt, but in a good way. Loved the Hoisin sauce - can't wait to make a bigger batch to use in the future! Especially would be fun for grilling. The meatballs were delicious, but definitely should have doubled the veggies. I'll buy some more broccoli and peppers tomorrow and add them into the mix. Egg bake is drier for some reason than last week. Need to fix that for the following week Day 13 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Pancetta, Kale & Eggs) & Cold Brew with Almond Milk to Drink L: Sweet and Sour Meatball Stir Fry D: Turkey Lettuce Wraps & Bone Broth Notes Well, I was DEFINITELY sore today - especially my arms. On the upside, I love Asian food - especially lettuce wraps! I'm not a big taco person, but lettuce wraps I could eat every week - I love how easy they are to make and how fresh and delicious they taste. Day 14 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Pancetta, Kale & Eggs) & Cold Brew with Almond Milk to Drink L: Sweet and Sour Meatball Stir Fry D: Turkey Meatballs in Lemongrass Coconut Broth Notes I don't consider myself to have much of a sugar dragon, but I *really* am starting to miss the scant amount of sugar I stir in my coffee. I definitely will be adding it back in post Whole30, along with dairy. I don't mind nut milk, but when it comes to coffee, I think it just helps even out the bitterness and I enjoy the morning ritual so much more - it's one of the few things I look forward to when coming into work. I usually only have one cup a day, so it's just one of the things that I think is worth the squeeze (if you know what I mean, haha). Dinner was one of my favorite recipes - I think I've made it like 5 times since I discovered it in December! Day 15 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Apple Chicken Sausage, Kale & Eggs) with Watercress Salad & Cold Brew with Almond Milk to Drink L: Sweet and Sour Meatball Stir Fry D: Roasted Salmon & Carrots with Trader Joe's Green Goddess Dressing & Simple Arugula Salad Day 16 B: Breakfast Casserole (Shredded potatoes, Apple Chicken Sausage, Kale & Eggs) with Watercress Salad & Cold Brew with Almond Milk to Drink L: Sweetgreen Salad (Kale, Mesclun, Portobello Mix, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Chicken, Spicy Broccoli, Walnuts, Spicy Carrot Vinaigrette) D: Pork Sausage with Mustard Aioli & Pickles and Warm Sauerkraut Notes Catered lunch at work was PASTA. It also apparently was employee appreciation day, which they decided to express by leaving bowls of candy around the office and doughnuts in the kitchen. Wish they could show their appreciation by giving us a half day, or a bonus! I could not get out of there fast enough to walk down the street to Sweetgreen and treat myself to (an admittedly pricy) gourmet salad. I was really craving some hearty Bavarian food for dinner, so that's what we had! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudoscientist Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 Day 17 B: Scrambled Eggs, Rosemary Pork Sausage, Avocado and Arugula Salad & Iced Coffee with Almond Milk to drink D: Nom Nom Paleo's Bacon-wrapped Chicken with Lemon Date Sauce & Sautéed Broccolini Notes Really great food day, despite side eying my husband's black cow he had at brunch Had the usual breakfast at the cafe and then ran errands all afternoon. In the evening I made the chicken from Nom Nom Paleo's latest book Ready or Not! and it was fantastic - I'm excited to make it again! Day 18 B: Potato, Pepper & Pancetta Hash with Eggs & Coffee with Cashew Milk to drink L: Romaine Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Sliced Mango D: Roasted Chicken Quarter with Lemony Greek Potatoes & Greek Salad Notes My husband made breakfast, which was nice for a change. I love cooking, but if I could get away with never making breakfast again, I seriously wouldn't! Went out to one of the best Greek restaurants in the city before seeing a concert tonight, which was really fun. I was excited that I could order their signature chicken dish, even though I had to pass on the slab of feta that usually accompanies their salad. Opa! Day 19 B: Cold Brew Iced Coffee & Almond Milk L: TJs Roasted Chicken Patty, Kimchi, Mayo on Romaine & Baby Carrots with Wholly Guacamole Cup S: Beef Jerky, Dried Mango Slices and La Croix D: Sun Basket's Steak with Braised Leeks and Warm Tarragon Vinaigrette Notes My coworker has been practicing intermittent fasting and raving about her results for the past couple months. I can really see it on her, too, and we face a lot of the same pitfalls when it comes to diet and exercise, so I finally decided to bite the bullet and give it a try after reading up on it extensively. We'll see how it goes! Dinner was amazing - felt totally restaurant worthy. Would definitely make it again for company! Day 20 B: Cold Brew Iced Coffee & Almond Milk L: TJs Roasted Chicken Patty, Kimchi, Mayo on Romaine & Baby Carrots with Wholly Guacamole Cup S: Banana D: Home Chef's Weeknight Chicken Fajitas & Wholly Guacamole Cup (minus the tortillas, cheese and sour cream, aka the fun stuff ) Notes If you haven't noticed yet, I'm a big fan of meal kits (as I happen to work for one). I love cooking, and while I enjoy grocery shopping, my schedule doesn't always allow for it. A lot of people balk at the cost, but I find that meal kits actually don't end up costing me any more than I would be spending at the store anyway, since it curbs my impulse spending. There's also added value for me in knowing that if I'm stuck at the office late or just don't feel up to cooking that my husband can take over and confidently follow the recipe in my absence. Day 21 B: Cold Brew Iced Coffee & Almond Milk L: TJs Roasted Chicken Patty, Dijon, Mayo and pickles on Romaine & Baby Carrots with Wholly Guacamole Cup D: Sun Basket's Hungarian Chicken Paprika Meatballs on Cauliflower Mash (my husband had the quinoa pasta) Notes Welp, I REALLY struggled with a candy craving today. I went to the store the other day to buy some Easter Candy to make a little basket for my husband and coworkers, and I've been stashing all the stuff in my desk drawer. I swear I felt like I had X-Ray vision while I was trying to get work done after lunch - I could tell the jelly beans were there, and man...I just really wanted them! I instead opened up another La Croix to try and distract myself with the fruity flavor, and it mostly worked. Jelly Bean packaging remains intact for another day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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