Pumpkin Breakfast Bowl

[NoJunk4MyTrunk]

As I'm eating my pumpkin breakfast bowl, I'm searching for the 10th time that bananas are Whole30 compliant. I come upon a list with explanation and I'm reading about coconut yogart and it says it is okay if no sugar, etc. Then it says, not to use it in a breakfast bowl with dried fruit and cocoa nips. Why not in a "breakfast bowl"? I'm looking at my bowl and thinking, "what in the heck did I just do"? I'm on day 12, I just made it through 10 and 11, thank God, but I am determined. My question is: my breakfast bowl is pumpkin porridge: with canned pumpkin, almond milk, chia seeds, almond flour. I added a banana and pecans. Am I doing something wrong? Is a breakfast bowl like a smoothie or pancakes? Just the idea of the form it's being consumed. All the ingredients are compliant. And, it tastes really good. I want to make sure I'm not missing something here.

Thank you!

[ShannonM816]

As long as everything in your pumpkin bowl is compatible with Whole30 rules, you haven't done anything wrong.

However, there are recommendations that we believe help most people get the very most out of their Whole30, and these include following the meal template for every meal. (You can download the template here:  https://whole30.com/pdf-downloads/).  Bowls like what you've described tend to be heavy on fruit and nuts and light on protein and vegetables. This doesn't mean you can't have them, but we would encourage you to look at other options and your motivation for choosing to have the pumpkin bowl.

Are you used to sweets for breakfast and can't stand the thought of savory dishes? That's pretty common, and if you feel like maybe that's something you'd want to change, the only way to do that would be to eat savory foods for breakfast.

Or try an experiment:  If you have, say, sausage and eggs with spinach, broccoli, and diced potatoes, how do you feel the rest of the day compared to how you feel after your pumpkin bowl? Does one meal keep you satisfied better until lunch time? Does one meal leave you feeling lethargic? Maybe you don't notice a difference, but maybe you will. If you do, you can use that information to decide what works for you in the future. 

[NoJunk4MyTrunk]

Thank you for the insight. The reason I made the bowl is because I've eaten egg, sausage, and veg casseroles of sorts since I started whole30 and I wanted a change. I figured pumpkin is a squash and it wouldn't really be any different than roasted butternut squash cubes, say, in a breakfast hash. The only sweetish thing in there was a banana of which is usually the only fruit I've been having. 

Thank you for your quick reply.

[decker_bear]

21 hours ago, NoJunk4MyTrunk said:

The reason I made the bowl is because I've eaten egg, sausage, and veg casseroles of sorts since I started whole30 and I wanted a change

I have been thinking that very same thing lately! There's nothing to say you can't make a "bowl," but maybe be a bit more deliberate about following the template. 

It can also help to stop thinking in terms of breakfast, lunch, and dinner - think in terms of Meal 1, Meal 2 and Meal 3. Just because it's the first meal of the day that dodesn't mean you can't eat sweet potato and turkey chili, or chicken with cashew sauce over veggies, or any other creative combination you can come up with. 

One bowl that comes to mind is chunks of cooked squash or sweet potato, some zucchini (or asparagus or mushrooms or whatever you like), then add some chopped chicken and top the lot off with a cashew sauce. You could even sprinkle with some chopped almonds. That would give Meal 1 a different vibe while still meeting the template. 

[NoJunk4MyTrunk]

I see the problem; little protein and veg, even though the nuts and chia seeds are protein and pumpkin is a veg. I will use the pumpkin I made a a side to a larger protein and veg portion. The pumpkin is filling and I don't feel weighted down I will just eat less of it.

Thank you.

[decker_bear]

1 hour ago, NoJunk4MyTrunk said:

I see the problem; little protein and veg, even though the nuts and chia seeds are protein and pumpkin is a veg. I will use the pumpkin I made a a side to a larger protein and veg portion. The pumpkin is filling and I don't feel weighted down I will just eat less of it.

Thank you.

You're doing awesome! I would also comment that for Whole30 nuts and seeds shouldn't count as a protein. Nuts particularly will count as a fat, and things like chia seeds you want to limit. But yeah, you got it. I'm glad the pumpkin is filling, though, that's great news! 

Here's the official word from the "Can I have...?" Guide: 
Chia: Yes

These “seeds” aren’t the same botanical family of seeds that we eliminate with grains and legumes, so that makes them fine to eat during your Whole30.

Tip: Chia isn’t likely to cause you any serious trouble, but it’s not the omega-3 super-food it’s made out to be, either. We explain why in It Starts With Food, but in summary, chia should be treated like any other nut and consumed in limited quantities.

[NoJunk4MyTrunk]

Thank you decker_bear for your help. It's appreciated. I'm dedicated to making it through the 30 days, I want to make sure my meals are full of everything I need.

[Healthgrab]

Pumpkin soup is my favorite kind of soup, esp if this comes with moringga leaves and milk. 

[SugarcubeOD]

9 hours ago, Healthgrab said:

and milk

You've mentioned milk in a couple of your posts... we presume you're referring to a nut milk or coconut milk because dairy is not allowed on the program.  Maybe when you're referencing milk, you can be more specific so as not to confuse people.  Thanks!