Protein/Fruit/Nuts

[sisterannellen]

Day 1 and here are my questions so far

Is it essential to have meat/fish at every meal or are eggs an adequate protein.

Do Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, almonds and pumpkin seeds have enough protein to substitute for meat/fish/eggs

Can fruit be eaten as dessert after a meal or should it always be incorporated into the meal

preworkout early morning -does a handful of nuts or seeds qualify

[ShannonM816]

Eggs are a great protein source.

Broccoli, brussel sprouts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds are all fine to have, but none are really complete protein sources. Broccoli and brussel sprouts would count as vegetables, and all nuts and seeds are considered fats (except peanuts which are legumes and not allowed on whole30). 

Psychologically, we would encourage you not to think of fruit as dessert, at least not on a daily basis, especially if you currently feel meals are not complete without something sweet to end them. That's more about changing how you think about food. There's nothing inherently wrong with having fruit, or even with occasionally having it as dessert on a special occasion, but you should think about how you currently feel about dessert and if breaking a habit of having them or just getting over your sweet tooth in general is something important to you.

Pre-wo is somewhat individualized. If the handful of nuts or seeds is working for you, it's fine to keep doing that. Here's more about the latest guidelines for pre and post-workout foods:   https://whole30.com/2019/02/whole30-pre-workout-post-workout/

[sisterannellen]

Thanks Shannon.  In regards to the fruit question I think I threw you off there as I'm not looking for dessert but instead asking  how to incorporate fruit into the menu. I know snacking in between meals is verboten so if I want to incorporate it into a meal does it have to be eaten at the same time?

 

[Keen On Clean Fuel]

@sisterannellen - You have some great questions.  Another way to think of fruit is to not eat it alone as it will give us a blood sugar spike.  With that said, incorporating it with a meal is a great idea if the meal has protein/fats and you could also have fruit as a snack if you have it with some sort of protein or fat as well.  With my clients, I usually suggest to have a snack if you are truly hungry in the first week to two weeks.  After that, you will have a better balanced blood sugar and should be focusing on those three meals that fit the suggested template.

In regards to your question for your protein source, there are many vegetarians who complete this program without meat so if you are going to have eggs at your meal, that would be your protein source.

Hope you are feeling strong on your journey so far! 

[ShannonM816]

9 hours ago, sisterannellen said:

Thanks Shannon.  In regards to the fruit question I think I threw you off there as I'm not looking for dessert but instead asking  how to incorporate fruit into the menu. I know snacking in between meals is verboten so if I want to incorporate it into a meal does it have to be eaten at the same time?

 

So you're asking more, if you want a banana with your meal, can it be separate on the plate, and does it matter if you eat it after you've eaten everything else? That's okay to do.

If you eat your other food, and then decide you're still a little hungry and want some fruit, that is okay. If you find that you feel you must have fruit at the end of your meal, you might try having it at the same time (so, not necessarily mixed in, but on the plate with everything else, and you eat a few bites of protein, a few bites of vegetables, a few bites of fruit, going back and forth between them). But that's really up to you.

I hope that answers your question. 

[sisterannellen]

Got it.  So what I'm going to do to get my fruit in is integrate apples, berries and grapes into salads and if I'm hungry in between meals I'll have fruit and nuts so there will be some fat to accompany it with the goal of just thee meals a day with no snacks.

THANKS ALL!!