Thank you so much for your comments on yesterday’s post about my first Whole30. I appreciate both the support of me doing the program as well as all of the experiences you shared about dealing with skin issues like eczema and dermatitis. While I’m sorry to hear that there are so many others struggling with similar frustrating and painful skin issues, it’s always nice to know you’re not alone. I was so on the fence about whether or not to blog about doing Whole30 but I’m so glad that I did. I promise to be open and honest about it.
I’m currently on Day 5 so I wanted to go ahead and share day 1-4 of what I’ve been eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in a day-by-day format. I’ll do food photos first for those of you who are more interested in food and not the Whole30. Scroll down to end of post for more insight on days 1-4.
DAY 1
Two scrambled eggs and one-fourth of an avocado. I had not been food shopping yet so my fridge contents left much to be desired.
I made some amazing salads post-farmers market to make up for it. Seared chicken breast with salt and a lemon pepper seasoning over a salad with kale, arugula, carrots, apples, avocado, radishes and spiced walnuts. I made the walnuts in a cast iron skillet with coconut oil, chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper. Dressed with balsamic and olive oil.
Late night dinner after seeing a movie. Chicken quarter, brussels sprouts tossed in ghee, salt and pepper and butternut squash sauteed with coconut oil.
DAY 2
Pre-run banana with almond butter and sunflower seed butter. Black coffee. Very fortunate to already drink black coffee! Many struggle with giving up the cream and sweetener.
Post-run brunch was sauteed spinach and tomatoes and half of an avocado topped with two fried eggs and salsa. Mandarin on the side.
Dinner was flounder seasoned with salt and a lemon pepper grinder and dredged in coconut flour. Served with sauteed spinach and mashed cauliflower. Instead of using broth or milk, I added a little reserved cooking water to thin and seasoned with salt and an olive oil with truffles.
DAY 3
Breakfast was a kale wrap with two scrambled eggs and sauteed tomatoes with mixed berries.
Lunch was seared chicken breast over spinach and arugula with cucumbers, radishes, pine nuts, kalamata olives and Tessemae’s Caesar Dressing. It was nice to find a few salad dressings that were compliant…I knew I would get burnt out on balsamic and EVOO.
Dinner was Crockpot Salsa Chicken (minus the black beans and corn) over zucchini noodles with avocado. This is one of the easiest recipes of all time and always good! (Note: please omit corn to make this dish Whole30 compliant.)
DAY 4
Breakfast was chia pudding made with mashed banana, cinnamon and homemade almond milk. (More on the homemade almond milk soon…SO GOOD!) Topped with almond butter and berries. While I’m not the world’s greatest fan of chia pudding, this breakfast is going to be a lifesaver for me because I cannot do eggs every morning and I’m really trying to adhere to the program’s advice to skip smoothies. (Which I’ve been trying to do anyway for “always cold” reasons.)
I roasted a huge pan of root veggies at lunch with lots of coconut oil. Carrots, turnips, beets and sweet potatoes.
And served it on a salad with leftover shredded chicken breast, balsamic and olive oil.
I prepped a sirloin tip roast yesterday afternoon.
I got it at the farmers market last weekend from my favorite farmer at Windy Hill who sells local, pasture raised, grass-fed beef. (Also who I bought all my eggs from.)
I used this recipe for the roast and served it with potatoes, mushrooms and broccoli roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.
THE EXTRAS
I have had an apple and sunflower seed or almond butter with a cup of tea every single afternoon for a snack. I usually end up eating 2x this nut butter because I run out 3 slices in. 😉 This has been a godsend for staving off hunger and definitely something I will continue throughout the program.
Kombucha is allowed on the program! (As long as there is only fruit juice added and no cane sugar. Read your labels!) This has been a great treat for me in the evenings and great to replace a glass of wine. LOVE this new blend from Buchi of tumeric, pineapple juice and coconut water. I also have a cup of hot tea before bed.
And then all I gotta say is thank you god that coffee is allowed.
HOW I FEEL
Overall, really good so far. Here are my insights and experiences so far. I’m going to bullet them for ya to make it easier to read!
- I haven’t had any crazy headaches, cravings or lack of energy. A lot of people in our group had a pretty serious “hangover” on days 2-3 but I somehow escaped that.
- I did have a really hard time sleeping on day 2…no sure if that was anxiety or program related. It’s gotten better the last couple of nights but not amazing. I’m not a great sleeper in general so I’m looking forward to weeks 3-4 when sleep is supposed to be amazing.
- I had to pee a TON on days 3-4. We’re talking hourly here. Apparently, it’s due to your body not storing so many carbohydrates and being able to release the water it was holding to store excess carbs. It was insane but seems to have tapered off now.
- Workouts have been wonderful and I’ve been motivated to get up and get them done early in the morning after I finish training clients rather than waiting until later in the day.
- Digestion is good and I already feel so much less bloated and puffy than I did coming out of the holidays.
- No noticeable improvement in my eyes yet but overall my skin is clearing up. I had some hormonal stuff ongoing on my cheeks and chin and no new breakouts, so that’s good. I also attribute that to a topical that I’m using as needed on top of Whole30.
- I feel excited to create food with all of the different fresh produce, proteins and fats that are program approved and I’m trying to not eat the same thing over and over so I won’t get burnt out.
As always, let me know if you have any questions!
What’s your favorite “mocktail?”
If you’re doing Whole30 in January, how is the first week going?
Hi there – I’m also doing whole30! It’s my second round. I started on the 4th so I am a couple of days behind you. One quick question – I noticed in your salsa chicken over zoodles that there is corn. Is that an old picture? Just wasn’t sure as corn is a grain and therefore not compliant. Or am I wrong? Thanks for all the great meal ideas!
OH NO! I totally missed that memo. I thought fresh corn was okay for some reason. Now I know. Recipe also good with no corn added. Thank you SO MUCH!
Hi, I’m thinking of doing whole 30 for lent, as my diet isn’t great and I’d like to nix my sugar cravings. Have you found less carbs help you crave less, and are you any more hungry?
i’m only 5 days in but no crazy carb or sugar cravings (and this comes from a girl with a huge sweet tooth) and i am not hungry as long as i am sure to eat enough fat with my meals (avocado, nuts, olive/coconut oil, etc).
Can you tell me how you roasted your veggies? Always looking for new ways! Thanks 🙂
Yes! At 400 with olive oil or coconut oil and sea salt or kosher salt. Super simple. About 20-25 minutes and stir a few times while they’re in there.
Hi! I’ve always been interested in Whole30, but I’m a vegetarian, and worry about where I’ll get some good protein if I’m not eating beans, lentils, etc. Like you, I can’t do eggs everyday. Is anyone doing this challenge with you a vegetarian? Do you have any advice?
A vegetarian and started my 4th Whole30 on Ash Wednesday. The hardest part is remaking full, but good fats help, avacado, pumpkin seeds, organic cashews, sun butter and coconut milk. Food prepping was my salvation!
How come you can’t eat lentils and beans? They are extremely healthy foods. Also, carbs are not bad–the human body NEEDS carbohydrates such as potatoes, whole grains, etc. have you ever thought of going vegan? Or researching the drawbacks of animal products?
Read the book! All the answers are there. And it’s not a “dont’ eat forever” but “don’t eat during the program and then reintroduce.” As far as vegan/vegetarian goes, I firmly believe that what’s right for one is not right for all and I stated in my last post that i am in no means promoting that everyone should do Whole30. I ate a very heavy vegetarian diet for years in my mid-twenties and have felt so much better (everything from energy to digestion to workout recovery and less injuries) since reducing the amount of soy protein and legumes that I eat and including more high-quality animal protein. And who’s to know how that might evolve and change for me in the future? We are all so different.
i love your response! i kind of want to memorize it, it’s so unaggressive and balanced. i’m doing whole30 after i get back from mexico (for obvious reasons..) and am worried about how folks will react to whole30/lack of cookies in my life.
Hi Jen!
I’m planning on doing the whole 30 in February and am doing tons of research right now to be prepared! I’ve heard people mention that you’re not supposed to eat snacks on the whole30, just 3 larger meals. What is your take on snacks vs. no snacks?
Thanks in advance & please keep sharing all of your meals & advice! 🙂
I go so long between lunch and dinner (usually at least 8 hours) that there is no way I could get by with no snack. It all goes back to there not being one best way set in stone to do things.
I’m on Day 4 of my second Whole30 and feeling great. It helps to already know the rules and have a stash of already-read labels in mind. First time around I relied too heavily on nut butters and raw cashews for satiety. Now I’m trying to focus on adding more fruit (veggies are no problem). Kombucha is a must as a treat in the evenings. Also, Trader Joe’s spicy chicken sausage is one of very few sausages without added sugar or preservatives — it’s a godsend.
yes, it was super helpful to be familiar with rules ahead of time. the initial food shopping trip was CRAZY! thanks for the head’s up on tjs sausage!
Buy the Tessemae’s Lemon Garlic dressing. It’s life changing.
i will! thank you!
As is typical for me when I do this in January, the first few days are miserable with carb cravings, and then on day three it’s like a switch gets flipped and I’m fine and I coast right through the rest of the days. My skin is already clearing up and my energy has shot up.
A lifesaver for me is homemade mayo—you can use it for so many things! If you have a stick blender you can make it in 90 seconds. I usually make some kind of salad with it—egg, chicken, tuna—and then keep it in the fridge to throw on a bed of greens for a quick lunch. You can also make salad dressings with it, or veggie dip.
Hey DeeDee! I’m on day 6 and feeling really, really good. Glad I decided to do this, for sure! I can’t wait to make the homemade mayo! 🙂
Hi Jen – long time reader. I had dermatitis last year, and it was really bad after I came back from Paris. I didn’t do the elimination diet, but I cut out wheat, which seemed to be the culprit. My dairy consumption is limited to occasional cheese, and that doesn’t seem to exacerbate it. I also don’t drink alcohol. Once I cut out the wheat my skin cleared right up! Hope you can figure out what’s causing it! Best – K
So glad you could figure it out! I hope I can too!
I hope you keep sharing these throughout your Whole30! I also started on January 1, and this post is great inspiration for me to think up some more creative meals! 🙂
i will! my plan is to recap all 30 days!
I love reading about this because I’ve always wanted to do a Whole30, just never taken the plunge. Your meals look amazing, Jen! Keep up the great work!
thanks ashley! hope my experience is good and motivates you to take the plunge!
Like Ashley I too have always wanted to and haven’t plunged yet either. I just downloaded the material from the website to read tonight and will buy the book too. No almond milk unless you make it yourself or find a version that doesn’t have sugar (which they said was really hard to find I think)? So glad to see salsa, is there a particular brand you use? Thank you so much for writing about this! I think it seems less intimidating when you are able to see someone following it and still cooking wonderful things. I will miss cheese (and wine!) but I’m interested to see what happens when you add it back…
Hey Audrey – I’ll be sharing tons of recipes and ideas. I’ve made the homemade almond milk and it’s easy…and DELICIOUS! i can’t wait to share! 🙂 I’ve been buying Whole Foods Organic Medium Salsa. Yes, cheese and wine are missed but honestly I feel so clear and amazing that it’s worth it. <3
Hi, I follow the Virgin Diet which is the same principles, eliminating 7 foods, corn, gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, eggs, corn, for 3 weeks. I have very bad allergies and was kicked out of allergy shots. By doing this elimination, I found eggs were a HUGE trigger for me. I loved eggs for breakfast. It has been the biggest issues. I still can eat items with eggs in it, as long as it is not egg based like quiche. Almost worse than dairy. And my acupuncturist told me gluten too. I told her I was phlemy and she said it was a side effect of gluten.
After removing dairy, eggs and gluten, and when I started to add it back, I quickly had a reaction to them, first try. My allergies are much better since eliminating these items.
hey jenny – thanks so much for sharing this info. this is super interesting. i’m glad you’ve gotten your allergies back under control and figured out something that works.
Favorite Mocktail: Sparkling water (I use a soda stream) with a high quality fruit vinegar. I use Cranberry Star or Raspberry Star Vinegar from Vom Fass (I am not sure if you have that down there.) It is fabulous!
what an amazing suggestion! thanks!
Here is my list of “Musts” for Whole30 :
– TessaMae’s buffalo sauce & barbecue sauce – these make the best dressings to change up salads, especially if you put a burger on a salad!
– Homemade sweet potato fries sprinkled with cinnamon, cayenne & chili
– find the recipe for “dump ranch” – gross name, but even if you think you don’t like ranch, it’s super delicious
– wholly guacamole with Trader Joe’s plantain chips, baby rainbow carrots, jicama, anything crunchy
– mocktail – LaCroix with splash of fresh squeezed grapefruit and a few raspberries, or Target’s store-brand of LaCroix in the cucumber mint flavor with a slice of cucumber & fresh mint sprig
Good luck!
thank you, thank you, thank you! this is amazing!
i cant wait to follow this for the month and see how it goes. i know at this point i couldnt got 30 days without cheese ! i probably wouldn’t last a week ! Like you stated…i tried to go more vegetarian a while back and it just doesnt see m to work for me. i just do so much better when i eat meat. i sorta hate it cuz in general i’m sure long term its no the best but at least for me my daily health and energy seem much better.
haha, i hear you on the cheese. i was making a mexican-ish dish tonight and thought, some shredded cheddar sure would be good on this! 🙂
just be mindful on your meat sources and where you’re getting it! do you have any local farmers you can purchase from?
can you post the recipe for the chia seed pudding?
yes, coming to ya in the next few days! 🙂 i’ve taken all the photos and tried the recipe 2x!
Thanks! I will be on the lookout!
Looks like the roast turned out great! Thanks for trying it out. Hope the rest of January goes great!
It did, thanks for the recipe! Your blog is lovely!
Ive always been interested in doing a whole30 but because I am an avid runner and use gels to fuel my long runs I dont know how I’d survive. I’m curious to knw what you’ll be using to fuel your long runs?
Hi!
I love your whole30 blog! WOW your recipes look FANTASTIC!! Yum!!
I too am doing the whole30 (day 8) and have been struggling to find a good almond/coconut milk that isn’t loaded with crap
Can you share your recipe for your homemade almond milk!??? Thanks so much!!
Yes! I will.
Hello,
Can you share the recipe for the Chia pudding? I would love to try it.
Any word on how to make the almond milk?