If you follow on Instagram you might have seen that I'm jumping on the Whole 30 bandwagon! I sort of can't believe it because if I could marry sugar, I would. That's how much I love it (sorry Joe). But that's precisely why I'm doing this program. In case you haven't been inundated with Whole 30 ideology, here's how they detail the program on their site:
Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?
This will change your life.

Shockingly this sounds so appealing to me. Constant canker sores, stubborn belly fat, an addiction to sugar, and non existent energy are all areas I hope to see improvement upon while doing this program.  Plus I just don't like how I feel when I eat a lot of crap. And man is most of the food int he grocery store, crap--low on nutrients, high on fat, sugar, and salt. Although I meal plan each week, the busier/more overwhelmed I am, the more likely I am to include unhealthy options That stops now!

While much of the Whole 30 food out there is a) time consuming b) includes specialty ingredients or c) Looks nasty. (Tuna on top of zucchini. um, gross), I'm trying to find simple, tasty food that I'll stick with. I hope that by sharing my menu with you, it might help any of you doing (or considering) the program with this scary, time consuming process. I'd really love it, if it did! I've also included family friendly modifications. While I want my kids to eat healthy, after shopping, cooking an everything- from-scratch meal, and fighting cravings all day (all month!), I won't have the energy to fight them over eating a stuffed bell pepper. I plan to make similar meals for them but with a few changes. So here we go:



Sunday: Creamy Spinach Sweet Potato Noodles with Cashew Sauce
Source: Pinch of Yum
Family Friendly Modification: This one is tough to modify. I will offer it to my kiddos as a side, and make them turkey kielbasa as their main dish. Also, this one is more work than the others. I always make my most time consuming meals on Sunday since my husband is home to be with the kids while I cook.

Monday: Whole30 approved Meatballs with veggies
Source: Fashionable Foods
Family friendly modification: I will serve the meatballs with red sauce and wheat spaghetti (or barilla plus?) for the kids. They generally prefer white pasta, but I'd like to transition them to a healthier alternative.

Tuesday: Canned Salmon + Roasted Veggies
No source. I will season both the salmon and veggies with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sauteed onions. My mom uses canned salmon but makes a gravy with it and it's so good. Fresh would be better but healthy eating is expensive and I'm trying to cut costs where I can.
Family Friendly Modification: no modification- will offer the kiddos the same meal or give them leftovers if they prefer (not making a 2nd dinner though!).

Wednesday: Stuffed Peppers
Source: A private whole 30 + Doterra Facebook group (if you need a consultant, I can connect you to one!). Here is the recipe:
Stuffed Bell Pepper Guts:
1 tsp ghee; 1.3 lb ground beef (Costco grass fed pkg); 1 onion, chopped very small (I used food processor); 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 c. Cilantro, chopped small; seasonings are approximate...1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp paprika, 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (mild), 1 heaping Tablespoon Nutritional yeast Instructions: melt ghee in large skillet. Add onions and cook over medium high heat until softened. Add garlic and ground beef. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink and a lot of the moisture has evaporated from the pan. Add seasonings and cilantro. Cook 1-2 minutes to warm the spices. Pour out the tomatoes into a medium bowl, add the seasoned beef and stir until combined. Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast and spoon into washed and seeded bell peppers. Makes 4 stuffed peppers. Alternately, can be served over warm, white sweet potatoes.
Family Friendly Modification: I will serve the stuffing mixture with rice (but they will still whine).

Thursday: Cobb Salad
Source: Paleo Running Mama (but plan to buy this natural dressing locally rather than make my own).
Family Friendly Modification: I will serve the chicken separately alongside the salad for my kiddos.

Friday: Lettuce Wrap Tacos
Source: I heart Naptime
Family Friendly Modification: Try as I might my kids really don't like tacos. I will either serve them taco meat with a side salad or give in and give them chicken nuggets--but all natural ones if that makes it less of a fail. C'mon people! It's Friday!

Saturday: Hamburgers and Sweet Potato Fries. Summer is when we eat all of the red meat- especially since Genevieve started loving burgers. Otherwise it's always chicken or turkey.
Source: None for the burgers- just simple ground beef with sea salt and pepper. I will skip the bun, wrap with lettuce, and top with avocado instead of cheese. The recipe for the fries is here.
No modification on this one- my kids love burgers!

Sharing my menu provides accountability for me (gotta meal plan or this won't work!) and I hope it helps you too! While I might not share each week, you can follow on Instagram with peeks of meals throughout the next 30 days. Wish me luck!