The Whole30 Day 3!

Three days down, 27 to go! Feeling great so far and it hasn't been as hard as I was expecting. I thought I might share with you guys what I've been eating throughout the day as well as some other tips that have made it helpful. First off, The Whole9 has a great post about trying to eat Paleo on a budget. I read this several times and printed off some of the resources to take with me to the grocery store. They have great produce guide you can print off and keep in your purse (or shrink down and fit in your wallet). It tells you what fruits and veggies are fresh for each season and which ones are clean or dirty so you know which ones should be a priority to buy organic. They also help you prioritize your shopping list and make the best decisions you can for your budget. My plan was to buy in season produce and the best meat (within a reasonable price) that I could. I decided I would make my meal plan depending on what the store had vs what I wanted. This also makes it easier on the budget.

So, what have I been eating? Well, luckily I had starting eating Paleo-ish back when I started training for my triathlon last summer. So, I had gotten pretty accustomed to little or no grains. Just serve up a double portion of veggies for dinner instead of rice. But kicking the dairy much harder! So for breakfast I've been eating a 3 egg scramble with diced onion, spinach and mushroom. Add seasonal fruit of choice (pineapple, grapes, bananas). Mid morning I'll nosh on some leftovers or have some nuts or a piece of fruit. Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner the night before. I like to make plenty so I have plenty to munch on. Venison Chili is one of my faves, and it's Paleo friendly (no beans!). This recipe calls for a jar of salsa, but it's hard to find one that's Paleo compliant so I just sub an extra can of diced tomatoes. Tonight I made Lemon Chicken from one of my favorite sites, Simply Recipes. Her site is not Paleo, but she has a ton of great recipes that you can modify. Plus there is a recipe index so you can search specifically for what it is you want a recipe for. For this recipe I simply removed the chicken skins after I baked them (less fat) and didn't include the butter the recipe called for. It turned out FAB! With the chicken I boiled some fresh broccoli for about 7 minutes and then seasoned with olive oil and vinegar. Then I grabbed a sweet potato from the fridge that I had baked the night before. Done. And please let me tell you, I have always microwaved my sweet potatoes, but after reading Tom Denham's post about how he makes sweet potatoes, I tried it. Suffice it to say baking them for 2 hours ROCKED MY FACE OFF. I will never microwave a sweet potato again.  I really like Tom's site. Some great Whole30 compliant recipes. If I get hungry throughout the day I'll pop a handful of healthy nuts, like almonds or macadamias. Or have an avocado. The fats help you feel fuller while giving you the healthy Omegas  3s you need.

So, that's where I am so far! Oh, and one more tip for all you late night sweet cravers like me. I have been having a cup of hot tea after dinner, like raspberry or chamomile, and that has really helped me get past that time where I usually cave and eat crap. A few of you have shown interest in wanting to do the Whole30 challenge as well and I think that's awesome! Cheers!