It’s January and we’re doing the Whole 30, cliche right?! We’re officially starting our first Whole 30 – TODAY and I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous. Like almost anything in my life, I thought it would be fun to take you guys along on our first Whole 30 journey.
To kick off these thirty days of misery fun, I am going to share why we’re Whole 30-ing it up, what our plan is, a few recipes I’m looking forward to most and our grocery list so far.
OUR FIRST WHOLE 30. WHY:
So why are we doing this crazy thing? Well probably because I am a little crazy. For real though, I wanted to really start 2019 on a whole and healthy foot. Last year, we really started changing our health habits for the better and I wanted to continue this year. I tried keto last year (well kinda, keto) and it was great for really cutting my sweet tooth and helping me realize how many things have SO many hidden carbs (something that is really bad for PCOS). I am not really a huge fan of the traditional Keto diet just because I feel it has so many processed ingredients. While I’m glad I tried it and can incorporate a modified version in my life, I wanted to try something that was real and whole.
I am not doing Whole 30 to lose weight (but that would be a nice bonus). I am more so doing it to change my relationship with food. I want to think of food as fuel and not as much entertainment. I feel that our lives revolve around food and sometimes it’s great but I want to save that for special occasions. During the week I feel that so many of our nights revolve around eating and I want to have more time to do more things, try new stuff and spend more time with RJ and the pups. I feel that we automatically plan something with friends and it’s always dinner. I just want to change our relationship with food.
Finally, RJ recently found out he has a gluten allergy as well as nut allergies. I felt a Whole 30 would be the perfect way to reset our system, eliminate toxins and see what makes our bodies feel best. I’m excited he’s doing it with me and feel like this fun challenge will bring us closer!
OUR FIRST WHOLE 30. HOW:
So how are we prepping? First, we had our favorite last bad meal. I don’t think that’s what you’re supposed to do but we did. I’ve also had so much help from one of my childhood friends who has done it before and is doing it this month too! I highly suggest an accountability partner or friend to help along the way. In addition, I’ve been pinning up a storm! Check out my Whole 30 pinterest board. I’ll share a few recipes I’m really looking forward to below.
I also downloaded the Paprika app. It was highly recommended by my neighbor and I’m excited to really put it to use. It is easy to find recipes, create grocery lists, share with friends and more.
Speaking of grocery lists, we prepped for our journey by going to three grocery stores in one night. I must say if you’re trying to get your significant other to be excited about a new diet, dragging them to three different stores probably isn’t the best way to kick off the fun. We still don’t technically have all the groceries we need but we did have enough to get us through to the weekend + adding many Whole 30 staples to our pantry. Here’s an overview of what we got.
Trader Joe’s: Coconut aminos, coconut cream, spicy guacamole packets, plantain chips x a million, saurakraut, artichoke hearts, unsweetened applesauce, coconut oil, tahini, chicken bone broth, Epic bars, sweet potato ribbons, organic coconut shreds, apple cider vinegar.
Aldi: Grapes, strawberries, apples, bananas, unsweetened applesauce, avocados. (We went to Aldi and they were out of SO much stuff, hence why we didn’t get very much).
Publix: Applegate Turkey, Ham, Turkey Pepperonis, Chicken Breast, Turkey Burgers, EGGS SO MANY EGGS, Ghee, Grass Fed Ground Beef, Chicken Breasts, Primal Kitchen Avocado Mayo, Ranch, and Honey Mustard.
I added a ‘Whole 30’ Highlight tab on Instagram and will add all our grocery hauls there! There are a few things I have to go to Whole Foods for (is Whole 30 created by grocery store chains because they are definitely profiting from this ha!).
OUR FIRST WHOLE 30. RECIPES:
On our long drive home from Christmas, I pinned up a Whole 30 storm. I found so many recipes that looked appealing for both RJ and I (he’s SO picky) and I’m excited to try a bunch of them. I hope to gain some new kitchen favorites from this experience. Here are a few I’m most looking forward to trying:
- Sweet Potato Pad Thai
- BLT Quiche with Potato Crust
- Whole 30 Breakfast Sausage
- Asian Garlic ‘Noodles’
- Sweet Potato Apple Breakfast Bake
- Southwest Chicken and Fries
So- now I need to know! Have you done Whole 30 before? Any tips? Tricks? Favorite recipes? Let us know!! Be sure to follow along on Instagram (@RileySitton) too as I’ll be sharing lots of behind the scenes and recipes there! XO
| Zella Pullover | Make & Model Joggers | UGG Classic Boots | Chloe Medium Marcie |
