Whole30: First Impressions

Oh, what a blogging cliché I have become.

That’s right. Our household has embarked on a Whole30 adventure. Except, of course, for the cat. According to our vet, she’s only slightly overweight, and that’s good enough for her.

Saying that Spencer and I overindulged during the holidays would be the understatement of the new year. We ate too much. We drank too much. We ate some more. (We drank some more.)

So I decided that the only thing for us to do was the Whole30. It’s been done (and documented) before, but for any of you who aren’t aware, the Whole30 is a Paleo-rooted elimination diet. Basically, you strip your diet of everything but protein, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. This means no butter, no added sugar, no grains, no legumes, no preservatives, and — the knife to Spencer’s gut — no alcohol. Give it a look-see.

We’ve been on the program for a week now, and at first glance, it’s very similar to how we tend to eat anyway. The meal template calls for protein, vegetables, and a healthy fat per meal, and we’re all about the meat and veggies in this household. It’s the less obvious things that have made a difference:

1. Spencer rarely eats three meals a day, and when I do eat breakfast, it’s a bowl of oatmeal. We’re so not used to three meals including meat each day.
2. Sugar and preservatives are in everything. On the off chance something doesn’t have sugar in it, there will be preservatives. And if there happen to not be preservatives, there will be sugar.
3. Another thing that’s in everything? Soy. Cans of tuna fish in water? Yep, there’s soy in there. WHY?

So far, it hasn’t been difficult to keep up, though we do feel like we’re eating more in general than we normally do (and especially more fat than we’re used to). I hope that the similarities between our typical dinners and the ones on the program will cause us to continue to check our labels and be aware of all the not-quite-good-for-you elements that sneak into our foods.

Thinking about starting a Whole30 of your own?

You absolutely must plan your meals ahead of time. Believe me, you won’t get home from work and not be tempted to reach for the closest processed microwave meal/take-out menu.

Luckily for me (and you!), there are all sorts of Whole30 recipes hanging out on Pinterest. I even made a Whole30 approved board for our month-long adventure. Here is an actual example of a day-in-the-Whole30-life from our first week doing the program:

          BREAKFAST: StupidEasyPaleo‘s Hearty Spinach Beef Frittata

          LUNCH: Grilled Chicken with Mel Joulwan‘s Caesar Salad (sans croutons)

          DINNER: The Whole30‘s Chicken Cacciatore

I’ll keep you updated on our progress, and in return, you should ask me any questions that you have about this seemingly crazy (albeit temporary) lifestyle change!

What’s the biggest change you’ve ever made to your diet, even in the short-term?