…must begin with one step.
Day one of my Whole30 journey began on Sunday, May 22, 2016. I woke feeling really pumped to start this process, and I couldn’t wait to jump right in (is this weird?!) I also told myself that for the first 30 days, I did not have to exercise (other than taking my dog for walks a few times a week.) I didn’t want to begin an actual regimen PLUS deprive myself of Mexican food, margaritas and bourbon, and bread…total recipe for disaster and my body might revolt!
First order of business was to plan what I wanted to eat for the week. The premise of the plan is to focus on three main meals each day, with little-to-no snacking in between meals. Pretty different that what we’ve heard for years, right? I’d always thought I was doing my body a favor by eating “five small meals a day,” when in effect, I was not allowing my body the time it needed between fueling to process what was just eaten a couple of hours before. I’m a grazer…this has been hard for me!
My plan for the week included lots of easy, storable meals that would work well for both dinner and the next day’s lunch. Some of the highlights of the week’s menu included: Pork steaks, grilled chicken breast, homemade meatballs and salmon cakes. All super-versatile and all very easily reheated for a second (or third!) meal!
Heading out to the only grocery store in town, I knew I’d face some challenges in locating pastured, grass-fed, preferably organic, meat like the plan suggests. Here, I simply did my best to make good choices. A large portion of my grocery budget went to meat the first week, as I was now buying enough to have ample leftovers for three peoples’ lunches the next day (my oldest daughter eats at home for lunch pretty frequently.) I also bought a ton of fresh produce during this trip, thinking how I could incorporate a wide variety of fruits and veggies into the plan for the week and not shocking everyone in my family! As an aside, I was pretty proud when loading the conveyor belt with my groceries…NO processed foods! I felt like a health-nut and I think I got off to a great start!
Day 1 Meal Plan
Breakfast:
2 eggs, fried over hard in coconut oil, salt/pepper, dash of cayenne
1/2 honeycrisp apple
3 cups black coffee
Lunch:
Pan-seared chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper and sprinkled with fresh rosemary. Used coconut oil as cooking fat, and cooked in an old cast-iron skillet so that I could finish off in the oven
Sauteed green beans in olive oil, tossed with toasted almonds and golden raisins
Fresh fruit medley (sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and green grapes)
Dinner:
Seasoned pork steaks with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Seared off on the grill, then finished in clarified butter in a cast-iron skillet on the stove
Fresh asparagus grilled, drizzled with EVOO and seasoned with salt and pepper
Pork steaks were served over a bed of coconut/carrot slaw – 1/2 bag Central Market organic coconut flakes (unsweetened), mixed with 1/2 bag matchstick carrots, red and golden raisins, 3/4 can Goya coconut milk and juice of 1 lime
During the day, I also took the time at the stove to clarify my own butter. I’d never done this before, and always thought it sounded like too much work, but it is SUPER easy! I melted 4 sticks of unsalted butter in a saucepan, skimmed the milk-fat (i.e., white stuff) from the top as it bubbled up, and stored the clarified butter in a mason jar for use during the week. Can’t believe I never attempted it before!
I felt great, though I did have a few hunger pangs throughout the day (remember, I’m a grazer!) My favorite part of this whole process is that all of the “recipes” are easy and quick! I am also trying to immerse myself in the cooking process itself. I cook routinely (4-5 night a week at least), but I can’t say I enjoy it. Cooking, for me, has always been something that I just have to do, rather than something that I look forward to. As part of my life simplification process, I’m spending more time focusing on the cooking itself, ingredients, smells, etc. as opposed to multitasking and viewing it as one more chore in my day.
Day 1 was a success! We all ate, and more importantly, we all ate WELL! My husband was on board with eating the meals that I prepared, although he decidedly cannot give up chips, salsa and craft beer for 30 days! My two teenage daughters are eating what I’m cooking without complaint, though it’s a little harder to control their food choices when I’m not around! I’m going the plan alone, but fortunately everyone in my household is going with the flow as far as the food available to them!
Photo cred to my daughter…Adrienne Paige!
~gwynn
wholesimplify 