Take a look at my eats, please?

[msssjenna]

Hi all! I will be starting Whole30 on Monday and plan on doing all of the shopping/prepping this weekend. I work fulltime and prep all my meals for work on Sunday (breakfast and lunch). I cook dinner for my family - husband and 2 young picky boys. My husband said he will do this with me, but I cannot see him giving up his protein powder and alcohol. and he doesnt even like avocados! But I am okay with doing it by myself.

Anywho this is the meal plan. what do you think?

yes i am pretty anal and made it into a spreadsheet. am i getting enough fat? i feel like that is not enough for breakfast. I am the type of person who eats every 2-3 hours so I know the first week might be hard. any tips?

thanks!

[LoisH99]

obviously I don't know how much of any given food you plan to eat, but it looks pretty lean! if I didn't eat enough fat on my whole30, I got hungry. Almost always had some guacamole or avocado with a big lunch salad, olives with dinner (or sometimes lunch). Left the skin on my chicken and actually ate it. Some people will say your breakfasts are too much the same every day, but for me that's never been an issue. My husband can't get over how I will eat the same breakfast every day for months and not "get bored"

[xacerb8]

I don't think you're getting enough vegetables at Meal #1. Without those to fill you up, I'm thinking you're going to want to snack before lunch. Peel those hard-boiled eggs, stir in some mayo, and have it over some shredded cabbage or baby spinach with a side of cherry tomatoes, if you don't have time to cook.

[Beets]

I am ok with either lunch or breakfast being the same for a few days, but not both. Unless I'm eating something really flavorful, satisfying and yummy. (I ate chocolate chili and avocado almost every lunch for the first two weeks.)

I agree that it looks light on fat and veg in most meals. If you are used to eating frequently you want to err on the side of more fat. Eating fat is what's going to get you through the early days. So, if you have fried eggs, for ex, instead of HB you have the added fat you are cooking the eggs in, in addition to the avocado. Or, don't make your sausage patties mini. And the veg will provide nutrients that tell your body it's getting what it needs.

This is not about calorie restriction. Restricting calories will work against you, not for you. Also, there are many flavorful meals you can make to help push you through the "what can I eat??" phase.

If these meals seem pleasurable then go for it, but you don't want to be depriving yourself of eating joy. Maybe look into some new recipes for the second week.

And I love spreadsheets!

[msssjenna]

Thank you guys!

Now looking i definitely dont have any veggies for breakfast. i knew something was wrong. i am used to eating the same meals at work 5 days a week .. honestly its just easier to prep. I have thought about prepping twice a week - Sunday and Wednesday .. but with 3 kids and working, its hard.

i am trying to explore my tastebuds - i bought fennel last night for the first time and plan on throwing it on the grill tonight.

i also boughts some cans of coconut milk and coconut cream so i will try to add those fats in.

i dont have time to cook in the morning, and i havent read the book yet (waiting on delivery) but I usually dont eat until 2 hours after i wake up (when i eventually get to work). should i cook breakfast at home instead (like .. at 6am).

[Beets]

I know what you're saying. It's easier to go in autopilot with breakfast. I think it's just gotta be something you like. In my first week I made a big batch of sweet pot hash so many people like and I hated it and had to change my plans.

The book does recommend eating within either 30 or 60 mins. I forget. But I think waiting two hours might not be the best. When I waited to eat breakfast I found I was hungry and tired all day. That said, I found the hardest thing was changing my meal patterns. I'm used to eating dinner really late, after husband is home and kids are sleeping, and I only improved that a little.

[LadyM]

You might want to slice and parboil the fennel before throwing it on the grill, especially if it's a new thing for you. Though I love eating it raw in salads. So undercooking isn't a problem.

[KitchenWitchy]

You could try making egg muffins with your sausage and veggies all in one... add ghee or coconut oil and it could be your whole meal! You could do a big batch and freeze them. Then you can just wake up in the morning and put the frozen muffins in the microwave for a couple minutes and not have to worry about cooking or timing your meals.

I did some this week with 1.5 lbs of beef, 2 big portobellos, a few handfuls of kale, and a couple handfuls of frozen cubed butternut squash, seasoned to taste, with 8 eggs, and it made 20 muffins... Enough for a week of breakfast. It took about an hour and a half to make them from start to finish. After the muffins come out of the oven, let them sit in the pan for a bit and they will be easier to remove. Then put them on a baking tray in the freezer, and once they are frozen, put them in a freezer bag.

[pjena]

I eat breakfast when I get to work - almost 2 hrs after I wake up. It just works better for me, even though it's not recommended. I also eat the same thing almost every day. I prepack my lunches and breakfasts for at least 3 days ahead, sometimes 5. My breakfasts have been massaged kale salad (which keeps very well for a few days) and either hb eggs, leftover chicken or tuna salad. I felt the need for some starch at breakfast, so usually add a sweet potato with a drizzle of coconut butter.