My very first Whole30, need suggestions, ideas & SUPPORT

[Deana26]

So today I started following Whole30 today. I signed up on Friday and figured I'd hit the restart button until Monday to give me time to read ISWF and get my refrigerator/pantry stocked up. Well I did read up through The Meal Map but I hadn't had time to get prepared.

Problem is that I never seem to have enough time to prepare. I have a 12 month old daughter (who 2 weeks ago just started sleeping through the night) and a 5 year old. I woke up this morning completely frustrated with myself because I knew that I was still no closer to being prepared enough to start tomorrow. I'd have nothing more in my fridge tomorrow when I wake up than I have today. I know it's just going to be a vicious cycle as it's always been. So, remembering that there were eggs and some left over bell peppers in the fridge I figured I had somewhere to start. So I got out the skillet, grabbed the butter, chopped up the peppers, threw in some defrosted broccoli and sliced almonds. Once those were all toasty I cracked open 3 eggs, scrambled them up, and added the veggie mix to it...... and so it began! With no advance preparation. I kinda impressed myself. Then I realized I really can't turn back now. I sooo badly wanted my Starbucks Via peppermint mocha with coconut milk and I'd try justifying it by telling myself that I had nothing other than eggs in the fridge to get me through the rest of the day. Then I thought, well I guess I have to suck it up and eat eggs all day because really, by the time I wanted to give up it was 2:00 in the afternoon. I've already made it through half the day and ruining it now means I have to start AAAAAALLLL over tomorrow- back at day 1. According to ISWF, the first 7 days are the toughest and I'm pretty much done with day 1... 6 days left. NO STARBUCKS!!

For lunch I had 2.5 eggs, an apple and almond butter.

So now it's 6:30 PT, time for dinner. Honestly, I just can't eat another egg. I want my coffee sooooo bad- the taste of an egg is just not appealing. I keep thinking, I'm soooo not prepared for tomorrow and I won't be able to do any food shopping until 10/11am so just start fresh tomorrow- well really Tuesday. But then I instantly think, ugghh that's another day of crappy eating, another day of making it harder to cut the cravings.

What kinds of quick/easy meals do you make to get you through those days when you really have nothing in the house? Or have anytime to go food shopping.

For those of you with young children whose nap schedule dictates your schedule, how do you make it through the day? And even bigger- how do you prepare every meal? I feel like I'm always on the go. The baby sleeps until late in the morning (she goes to bad later in the evening) so her naps aren't until after I get my older daughter from kindergarten at 1:30. From that point, the afternoons are chaotic. I easily skip meals and typically won't eat until dinner.

More than half of my battle is cooking for everyone. My husband and 5 yr old daughter won't be following the Whole30. The baby eats ANYTHING. So I'm going to feed her what I eat to make life easier during the day meal wise. Dinner is the issue. I get soooo stressed out cooking for my husband because what he likes is so not on board with Whole30 and my 5 year old eats 5 things. It's STRESSFUL. I need lots of support to stick with this. What I REALLY need is a routine.. I'm just to busy to form one.

Any suggestions on what has helped you in situations like this is GREATLY appreciated!

Thank you sooooo much!!

[CrazyCow]

Oh, Deana26, I so feel for you! Don't give up; just do your best. I'm at the end of week 1 having spent last week not prepared to start either (I was living in denial), but it gets better. My time is taken with three kids (though they're now at the other end of the spectrum to where I tend to be the local minicab) and work and simply day to day LIFE. It's NOT easy. It IS stressful.

What I remember with my own girls (who are close in age, so sleep was never going to happen for me) is getting them involved with the cooking. That may also help with getting your 5yo in trying things, too. We created fabulous stories about what we were making and let the girls add them in. Do you have a slow cooker? That could help with some creations that you can make ahead of time. Also if your husband then wants to add non W30 compliant pieces to his meal he can, but you'll have something you can eat.

We used to have an eat the rainbow chart (eat all the colors you can), too--you could do a cook the rainbow with her and have her add the stars to reward YOU.

I'll be thinking of you, and will try to remember quick things we used to eat and do. I've eaten clean for a long time, paleo for a few years, but I slip back into evil sugar filled ways periodically. This has been my worst transgression thus far, and I intend to make it my last like that. This is my first Whole30, though, too. Stay strong!

-Jenn

[RGEDDS]

Not to be a downer but butter is a no no. I think the key to success is doing a meal plan a week at a time and do a load of precooked meals that you can just heat up or make quick. I wouldn't start until you have those in place to make this thing mindless. It's stressful enough trying to keep the rules without coming home starving with nothing healthy to eat. You'll probably fail every time. Just relax and do what you can. Even if you can't start the Whole30 fully I think that you are at least conscious of what you are eating and that's a great start....but with your busy schedule if you aren't fully prepared ahead of time you are probably going to struggle. Just my 2 cents.

[Ann]

Can you get a sitter for a couple hours one day a week and go shopping and do a cook-up (Well-Fed has a great weekly cook up section)? If you have already cooked meat (chicken thighs, ground beef, pork loin, compliant deli meat), and pre-chopped veggies which can be steamed in moments, it makes this much easier. And maybe there are some meals your husband would enjoy with small adjustments -- if he will eat a steak or pork roast, etc, you could bake him a potato and throw some shredded cheese on his broccoli, and you won't feel like you're having to make a whole separate meal for each of you.

If you can't get a sitter, maybe you could make a cook-up an activity which your 5 yr old can do with you ... or do it while the baby sleeps late?

But as far as fall-back quickie meals, I like a handful of deli roast beef (whole foods has compliant stuff), a few olives, and slices of cucumber or carrot or snap peas. If you can make a big pot of soup (or chili), freeze individual servings to have for when your cupboards are bare. Or for that matter, when you make dinner, make a LOT, then freeze leftovers in single servings.

You can do this, I promise! You sound overwhelmed. If you are able to get out and shop tomorrow late morning, hang in there --- as soon as the food is in the house it will get a bit easier. Oh, something else I discovered today which could save you some planning time - check out eMeals, they have a paleo plan. It gives you weekly menus with relatively simple but good recipes, and a shopping list.

[CrazyCow]

Not to be a downer but butter is a no no.

...But clarified butter from a high quality butter (like Kerrygold unsalted) is good, and ghee is GREAT! If you don't know about clarifying butter or making ghee, here's the link to whole9's butter manifesto (there's a video at the end that shows you how to do it--but it's really easy).

[RGEDDS]

...But clarified butter from a high quality butter (like Kerrygold unsalted) is good, and ghee is GREAT! If you don't know about clarifying butter or making ghee, here's the link to whole9's butter manifesto (there's a video at the end that shows you how to do it--but it's really easy).

I've got some ghee coming in the mail. Should be here tomorrow!!!!!

[CrazyCow]

I've got some ghee coming in the mail. Should be here tomorrow!!!!!

You'll love it--the nuttiness is brill! Yum.

[miamak]

I'm there with ya about running around all the time and not having time to plan properly. it's hard being a busy mom! I think the "emergency protein" from nom nom paleo is fantastic and also if you a crockpot then put it to use. I've stocked my fridge up with lots of veggies and meats so I can just throw stuff together. It's working so far. I just passed day two but I crock potted enough food this weekend to get me through lunch all week and dinners will be determined later. There are lots of great resources on the computer and recipes but sometimes the best is to just throw a bunch of stuff in the pan. I'm also addicted mashed cauliflower and any sort of shredded meat. Serve and salad and viola.

[Deana26]

Thank you all for responding!

CrazyCow- I definitely like the idea of having my 5 year old helping me cook. Most of the time I have 3 meals cooking/heating up at once. Cooking for me in general is STRESSFUL then add to it, looking after a toddler. Most of the time I can't get to Whole Foods until after I pick up my older daughter b/c of the baby's nap and then at that point the older one is complaining she doesn't want to go so I'm fighting with her which is draining. But I find asking her to help me pick veggies and snacks out helps to smooth things out. I'm food shopping EVERY day because I don't have time to prepare- so I'm sure that's annoying for her too. I LOVE the color chart idea. We recently moved to CA from NJ and prior to moving I told my husband I wanted to create a chart but with all the food groups and give her options to choose from and let her create at least one thing different a week. I can't prepare my meals in advance much less hers. The slow cooker is a great idea... but again, it's just searching for recipes, creating lists and actually shopping. I desperately need a routine. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I truly appreciate your support and wish you much success this time around! You've made it through the first week... THAT'S AWESOME! Thank you for the link to the clarified butter, I'll try to check that out at some point.

RGEDDS- I appreciate your 2 cents ! I think I got confused regarding the butter. I had read ISWF and remember them talking about clarified butter. I have organic pastured/cultured butter. I've seen ghee when I go to Whole Foods, I'll have to pick it up. Not sure I've noticed clarified butter. I'll have to take a look. Turns out I ended up going off plan because I'd otherwise starve. I definitely need to be prepared in advance. Looks like I may officially start later this week. Or whenever it is that I can get enough meal plans in place to be able to stay on track. If I'm having a good day, I'll do as many as I can at once.

ANN- I've been trying to come up with ideas that will make my husband happy also. Thank you for the great tips on quick meals! I think a few years ago I checked out eMeals and from what I remember, it was a little overwhelming bc the concept was new. I think there's another site that actually makes the meals for you (I can't remember if I saw it on Whole9 or another blog that I was on). I've considered finding a babysitter but we're new to the area so that's another stress that I don't have time for. Plus I have to budget myself.. I'm also trying to get back on the ball with Crossfit and getting back in the gym. We moved from the East coast to West coast 4 months ago so I'm juggling a lot of changes and adjustments.

Thanks again everyone!

[AmyS]

You might try settling in a bit more to your new environment and making choices that feel healthiest to you even if they are not completely Whole30 compliant. I moved just over a year ago, and though the move was just to a new neighborhood in my same town, I was surprised at how long it took me to settle in enough to feel comfortable in my new kitchen. I would say it took a solid year. As you're adjusting to so many new things, there's no reason you can't eat as well as possible given your current life adjustments, and get into a full-fledged Whole30 when you feel more settled in your new environment.

I might not have recommended this to you if, as a sister Starbucks addict, I hadn't read that you completely didn't go for your Starbucks in the afternoon of the first day. I think you have amazing willpower. Giving up Starbucks was and continues to be thing one main thing that makes Whole30 less than bliss for me. I give you total props for that.

You might also look around the forums to see how other folks have handled situations where other family members are not Whole30. I can't imagine that you find cooking three meals for one dinner to be the best use of your already-limited time. Heh. So I agree with the other folks that there's no need to white-knuckle your way through this, you can take time to prep and plan and test out a new recipe a week - and dang, if you can resist Starbucks at 2:00 in the afternoon after eating nothing but eggs, I begin to suspect you might possibly be able to fly.

The bottom line is, you're doing better than you think, and there's no harm in taking time, taking a few breaths, and planning ahead in those odd little spurts of time you have to do that right now. Somehow I get the feeling that when it's all done you will be one of those people who will dicover yourself having just completed a Whole1, 2, 3, 4, or even 30 - and not exactly realizing it.

Moms of young kids rock. You live in a parallel reality to the rest of us. Anything you get done besides basic survival is a bonus - and dissing Starbucks makes you a freakin' superwoman. Believe.

[glimmer]

I hope you can take some time to plan,shop and do a little prep. I find I need to set aside 1 1/2 day a week for prep cooking. Usually on that day I

-cook up a kg or 2 of chicken to have in the fridge

-hard boil 1 dozen eggs

-make a sauce/dressing for the week

-fry up 1kg of mince

-roast starchy veg such as pumpkin and beets.

Having all this done means I can go to the fridge and put a meal together really quickly if I have to. My kids and hubby do not eat strictly paleo but they eat what I cook which is great and I don't look when my husband is making the kids something

Good luck, it sounds like you have a lot on your plate but you can do this. The Well-Fed cookbook is a great starting point if you don't already have it

[melliemoo]

I have a 2-year old and a 6-year old, so I feel your pain.

I just started today. Yesterday while the baby was napping I had the 6-year old help me cook. He scrambled eggs for me while I was grilling chicken, then I had him brown ground beef/lamb while I chopped vegetables. He cut up a bunch of cucumbers for me too. I also grilled a steak to use for stir-fry and in salads. In my fridge I now have two pounds of grilled chicken breast, two pounds of beef/lamb, and a large steak cut up, a dozen scrambled eggs, some cooked chicken sausage, and prepped cauliflower and broccoli and butternut squash. It took us about 2 hours to do everything.

The "Well Fed" cookbook has great ideas for tossing meals together and doing most of your prep once per week, then you can have dinner on the table in about 15 minutes.

[praxisproject]

The oven & crockpot are good for bulk cooking. Fit as many trays in your oven as you can. I also try and make the prep easy to divide into meals, so it's less fiddly when assembling.

You can make easy egg cups with some seasoned mince (cooked) spooned into a muffin tray, add an egg in each one and you have 12 meat + egg portable munches. You can add different things (olives, peppers) in some of the cups if you'd like more variety.

I pre-make my morning coffee overnight as a cold brew (see Stuff I Make My Husband blog for instructions) and have a jug of coconut milk in the fridge, so I can either have it cold with ice, or give the coffee a quick zap in the microwave for a hot cuppa.

Pesto is a great make ahead sauce, it'll keep well with a layer of olive oil on top.

NomNomPaleo has great Whole30 recipes if you're looking for some (and she has kids too, great lunchboxes!).

[Connie Mac]

I feel your pain! I have an 8 year old who plays hockey 5 days a week and a 6 year old in a ski racing program so she skis Tuesday nights and all day Saturdays. That doesn't include her monthly 2-3 day training camps 4 hours away - living in a hotel and eating ski hill food - and the swimming lessons, dance lessons, school, homework and a husband who travels. I just started today. I see some bumps ahead for sure.

My plan is to cook chicken, beef, pork and turkey ahead of time and freeze some of it. I spent two hours last night reading and trying to plan (while everyone else slept). Today, I cut up several different kinds of veggies and made a massive salad that I put in a tupperware bowl with a slice of bread on top to keep it fresh. At least if I get in a bind, I can throw some salad in a bowl, toss in some chicken and veggies and I've got a healthy meal that's Whole 30 compliant. I printed off a few recipes for home made salad dressings. I'm hoping to make a few this week, but for now it's just the Organic Olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

Good luck to you! I've been letting my busy life get in the way of my health for too long. Hopefully we can all find a way to fit ourselves and our health into the lives of our families. Happy eating!

[Seana H]

Whole30 Moms unite! It is really tough to work in the prep - but totally worth it. At Day 5, I even look forward to getting things prepped.

Do you have any fellow friends that would do a Whole30 with you? I have 2 moms in our neighborhood, and when we cook we make extra and drop it off at each others' houses. (We go through a lot of Tupperware!) This way, we all try new things and you can count on the fact that someone is covering you for one of your meals the next day. The comraderie makes it fun, too.

[1Maryann]

Deana, can the meals your family want to eat be modified for compliance? Unless every meal is a bowl of rice or mashed potato, you have to be making them something that you can have. If they want fried chicken, you can broil a piece for you. You can cook a roast or a meatloaf and cut off some before you add the gravy. Don't you eat vegetables anyway? Just fix extra so you can replace the starch.

If you give us some ideas of what your family likes, we may be able to help you plan. You don't have to make all the exotic meals in Well Fed. You can do this with basic food.

[Deana26]

WOW!! Thank you all for the wonderful support!! I'm sorry I hadn't responded sooner! Turns out I got sick last week so I'm starting over today.

I think my biggest issue is being overwhelmed with the planning part. I don't like to cook to begin with so coming up with meals is really tough. I did make the morning mix for breakfast but as I was eating I realized I had no veggies. I thought of throwing it over a spring mix but I can see that salads are going to get old and boring quick! I'm definitely still hungry, wondering if I should add some almonds to munch on?

So when it comes to cooking for my family, is pretty much dinner that's the issue. My 5 yr old eats hot dogs (applegate farms- are those w30 approved?? Bc I can tolerate them as a quick go to meal), Mac and cheese, she USED TO be good about eating applegate farms chicken nuggets but has turned those down recently and replaced that with salami. She likes bagels, pasta... And also doesn't mind bell peppers, fresh spinach, olives, mosts fruits.... That's all I can think of. We try VERY hard to get her to try new stuff but a nutritionist once suggested to not push the issue and to offer her the same dinner that we eat but include one thing that I know she will have. She says even if she eats that one thing all week, say its garlic bread, eventually she will not want to eat that and will have to try something else. I've done Mexican night and put out TONS of stuff. She did well with that but I can't make dinner that complicated all the time. I have a one year old that I feel like I'm feeding all day! By the time dinner rolls around IM DONE! And my one year old seems to be easier going... Or I just have no more patience and she has no option but to eat what I eat during the day. But in the end... I have no time to search for recipes (I'm actually very lucky to be able to post as the baby is still sleeping... But that's after a difficult night!)

Maryann- I've definitely come to the conclusion that they have to eat what I eat but I need to add starch for them/my husband. Or yea i can cook for them and take out what i cant have. Its just ALOT more effort than i have time for. I def don't have time for exotic meals. Ground beef/meat is great but while I can handle that everyday it's not gonna fly with my husband. I could eat chicken 90% of the time but he prefers variety. The oter issue with cooking differently for them is the expense. Adding a starch to their meals is cheaper tan coming up with a seperate meal.

Seana- I don't have or know of any moms in the area that are W30. I just moved from NJ to CA four months ago.. I have a friend or 2 one of which is doing the HCG diet which, while it's extreme, its a very meat/veggie strict diet. She's not one to really discuss things with tho.. Shes also flying by the seat of her pants. Having said that, living in northern CA there HAS to be more women here following something similar. I wonder if there's a group I can search for online.. HMMMM...

ConnieMac- before aging 2 kids I found it easier to stay up later. With a 1 yr old I'm still catching up on lost sleep. I used to be up at 5:30am for a Crossfit class..even while pregnant!! I just don't have the energy anymore. Its another thing I'm working on. I'm trying so hard to get back into that routine so staying up late to plan won't help. I'm home during the day with the baby so as you know, it's constant attention that they need. When I'm on my iPad/laptop she's right there pushing buttons (both literally and figuratively..lol). I like your salad bowl idea. One of my goals is to be able to prep veggies in advance. I'm sure te baby will live munching while I do that.

Well I have to get going.. The baby's been patiently waiting for me in her crib!

I enjoy all the feedback and hope to hear more... Especially on suggestions of prepping and meal planning!

Thanks to everyone again!!

I hope you all are doing well so far today on program!

[LeighG]

Deana, I am a mom of soon-to-be 4 and I hear you. When it comes to transitioning your kids, don't stress too much, I have found that if you don't really make a big deal out of things, they will eventually get on board because it is the new normal. Give it time as they transition. My kids absolutely love meatballs, and they are fridge/freezer ready, which is good for you too as you can grab-and-go. I have found with kids, If you make their bites small, scaled to their size, even slicing baby carrots into thirds can help. Oh yeah, put toothpicks in them (yes that sounds completely absurd) but for my kids it makes a difference. And if she likes ketchup or bbq sauce, or even ranch, that can go a long way. Another thing is to make a "sampler platter" and put it on the table. Again, frilly toothpicks. She will love to make her selection that way...she will have a sense of control over her own meal, and she will see it as a fun meal experience. It is a little more work, but it will help your transition. My friend Heather wrote about kids and lunch ideas here.

Eating clean is more work inherently. So it's a complete paradigm shift. But it is SO WORTH the payoff, just give it time to show its results. Choose foods that can be frozen and made in bulk to save you time later in the week. My kids and hubby love this chicken (skip yogurt sauce when on whole30) and this breakfast casserole...Both of these can be frozen.

Good luck, and stay the course!! It is worth it!!

[Seana H]

Hi Leigh - I tried that same Breakfast casserole and it turned me off cauliflower completely! I don't know why, but the smell of the casserole was awful to me. Sad, because it sounded so good. After reading your post, maybe I need to try it again....

Deana: forgot to mention my absolute "go-to" in the fridge is the chocolate chili from Well Fed. So easy and quick to make a pot and it is good for most the week. When I get home starving and have run out of time/prepped food, I can warm this up with half a sweet potato for a quickie meal. My kids love it, too.

If you don't have the book, let me know and I'm happy to post the recipe if you'd like.