Whole30 Recipes Recap, 3 Giveaways, and This Week's Meal Plan

Whole30 Recipes...whoa.

Hosting the Whole30 Recipes account this past week was exciting, humbling, informative, and FUN all at the same time. Can I just say what an amazing community there is around the Whole30?? I was able to genuinely connect with so many of you who have changed your life using real food, and I was impressed and amazed time and time again as I read and listened to your stories.

There were a couple of highlights to the week:

1. I shared my meal planning strategy on the Whole30 Recipes page! If you missed it, I saved it to the story highlights there for reference. I'll probably share this on my personal page at some point too. 

2. I did my first Instagram live on my WholeDailyLife page and shared all about my experience with Hashimoto's, SIBO, AIP, and more. I can't save this one to my highlights, but I have it saved on my phone, so if you missed it and you want the information, just email me and I'll figure out a way to get it to you!

3. I ran three amazing giveaways! They're still open, but the first one (for a Le'Creuset 5.5 quart dutch oven) closes Tuesday at noon PST, so head over to this post to enter! I'm also giving away a $150 box of products to US Wellness Meats (enter here) and a $50 credit to Barefoot Provisions (enter here)!

If you're new to my page, you can expect to find lots of easy recipes (both Whole30 and Food Freedom), simple meal plans, and information about holistic and integrative nutrition. I also share tips for wellness, both physical and emotional, discount codes and product recommendations, and give lots of behind the scenes glimpses into my daily life. If there's ever anything that you want to know more about, I'm all ears, just send me an email!

Speaking of codes, US Wellness is giving my readers 15% off with the code "WDLW30" through the end of March, good for one use per customer. Nut crumbs has also given me a 15% off code, "wholedailylife," for use on their website! Lastly, if you've seen me sharing about my nutpods code, I've had it wrong this whole time!! It's actually "TRACEY25," good for 25% off through the end of March!

I'm honored that I have this platform from which to share my experience, and hopefully to encourage others out there who are going through the same things. I have found such value in the online community (specifically those using therapeutic diets for chronic health conditions) and it is a privilege to be able to give back!

Here's what's on the menu for the week:

Breakfast: Frozen Leftovers // I have a few portions of frozen leftover chicken soup and skillet hash from the week I went to Expo West, so I'm using those up. The skillet hash recipe is here, and I'll have it topped with homemade sauerkraut. The chicken soup recipe is very simple: put a 3-4# whole chicken in the Instant Pot and cover with filtered water, then cook on manual high for 30 minutes, and allow pressure to release naturally. Remove the chicken carefully and transfer the broth to a large pot on the stovetop. Add 1# chopped carrots, about 4 cups of chopped celery, about 5 cups chopped white sweet potato, 2 tsp salt, and bring to a simmer. Let cook for 10 minutes, then add 1# chopped zucchini and simmer 5 more minutes. While the pot is simmering, pull the chicken off of the bone and add to the pot. Save the bones for future use. When the veggies are tender to your preference, it's done!

Lunch: Tuna Cakes + Zupa Noma + RXBAR // This Tuna Cake recipe by Nom Nom Paleo is one of my most used when I need an easy grab and go protein. They sound odd, but I promise they're delicious! I'll be having these with a bottle of Zupa Noma for some easy veggies! ("wholedailylife" for 15% off) I also packed a mini RXBAR in case I need something mid-day.

Dinner: Pulled Chicken with Roasted Veggies // This is a pretty typical meal for me, batch prepped protein with roasted veggies! Asparagus was on sale this week and carrots are a go-to. I roasted both in the oven at 400 until golden. For the chicken, I cut up about 2# of chicken breasts into large chunks and put them in the bowl of my Instant Pot, then topped with about half of a bottle of Primal Kitchen's honey mustard dressing. (They have lots of other options as well that are Whole30 compliant.) Cook on manual for 12 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally (otherwise the meat will get tough). Shred with two forks, then add the rest of the bottle of dressing to boost the flavor!

As always, I store my food in these Pyrex dishes and reheat in my Hot Logic Mini. Some days I'm hungrier than others, usually depending on my workout that day, so if this isn't enough food, I don't hesitate to add a mini meal as well!

Alright my friends, I'm signing off to go spend some time outside. I'm so glad you're here, and look forward to what's to come!

-Tracey

Go-To Skillet Hash Recipe + Whole30 Compliant Meal Plan

Talk about a whirlwind of a few weeks, we found out in mid-January that our landlord was selling our condo, and that we would need to move within the month!! Fortunately we applied and got accepted to an apartment until that is very close to our old place, which meant that the past few weeks have been a blur of cleaning out, packing, moving, and organizing. We've been in our new apartment for just over a week now, and I'm still in the phase of opening every drawer before I find the one I need, and walking into every room before I get something done...but we'll get there!

With all the hustle and bustle, I've been keeping meal prep very simple and relying on lots of my favorite staples like Zupanoma and Ayobayo. I've been doing smoothies for breakfast, and some kind of one-pot meal for dinner. This week looks about the same, although I did decide to cook up something warm for breakfast instead. I was probably craving a change from smoothies (which are a go-to for me when I'm busy), and also something warm, because we are still without any heat in our apartment.

Here's my Go-To Skillet Hash recipe:

1.5-2# ground bison, beef, pork, or mixture (this week I used pork and beef from US Wellness)

2 tbsp olive oil (I use Kasandrinos)

2 cups sliced mushrooms 

1 medium yellow onion, diced small (about 1 heaping cup)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried oregano

1.5 tsp salt

3 cups butternut squash or sweet potato (shredded or diced small)

5oz bag baby spinach, roughly chopped

3 medium zucchini, diced (about 3 cups)

Sauerkraut, to serve

1.     Place large skillet (or Le’Creuset pot) over medium heat. Add olive oil and diced onion. Cook until onion softens, about 7 minutes.

2.     Add ground meat to the skillet, breaking up the chunks as it cooks.

3.     When meat is cooked, add minced garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and salt. Stir to combine.

4.     Add mushrooms and butternut squash; cover and let cook for 5 minutes, then stir. Add zucchini. Continue to cook until veggies are soft to preference. Stir the spinach into the mixture and allow it to wilt.

5.     Serve topped with sauerkraut.

I love this recipe because it's a one-pot meal and it makes multiple servings! I portion out into Pyrex dishes and re-heat each morning in my Hot Logic Mini. It's a veg-heavy and very filling way to start the day!

Here's the rest of this week's meal plan:

Breakfast: Skillet Hash

Lunch: Tuna Cakes with Steamed Haricot Vert // Way back in the day I discovered Nom Nom Paleo's recipe for Spicy Tuna Cakes, and I've been making unmeasured versions ever since. 

Dinner: Yai's Thai Yellow Curry // I tried something new this week, and I loved how it turned out! I usually add an additional can of coconut milk to the jar of curry, but this week I steamed some white sweet potato and blended that with the sauce instead! It made it thick and creamy and was an easy way to boost the veggie content of the meal! I also have yellow squash, carrots, and chicken mixed in, with a heap of cilantro on top. 

Snack: RXBAR + Zupanoma // "wholedailylife" for 15% off Zupa! They're a perfect snack and an easy way to boost your veggie intake during the day!

Have a great week, my friends!

-Tracey

Whole30 Meal Prep + Last Chance Discount!

Hi friends! 

I'm working on a big project that will be coming up in March (I'll be sharing more about that soon), but let's just say that I've been doing A LOT of cooking and A LOT of dishes!! (Did you see my recent story about how we bought a 10-pack of our favorite Meyer's Clean Day Iowa Pine dish soap?? Believe it or not, that wasn't even my idea, but I'm not complaining!) As such, I've been keeping my meal preps pretty simple, which is totally my style, as you already know. 

HERE'S THIS WEEK'S EASY, WHOLE30 COMPLIANT MEAL PLAN:

Breakfast: Smoothies with Collagen // I know that smoothies are not a preferred food on the W30, but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right? I'll be using baby spinach, frozen steamed cauliflower (which didn't make it into the photo), and frozen cherries/blueberries as the base. I'll add in some of my homemade COYO for fat and I'll be using Vital Proteins collagen peptides as protein. Easy peasy. 

Lunch: Basic Meatballs with Veggies // You can find my basic meatball recipe here, but this week, I added in a twist! When you're mixing them up, add in about 1/3 cup mashed sweet potato or winter squash. This helps to keep them tender! As always, I source my meat from US Wellness Meats. I order in bulk and they ship right to my house! For the veggies, I simply roasted a bag of cauliflower rice in the oven with a drizzle of Kasandrinos olive oil until golden, roasted some carrot coins in Dignity Coconuts coconut oil (discovered this company at Expo East and I'm SO GLAD that I did! Their product tastes amazing and they are working to make a difference in poverty around the world), and made some crispy kale. 

Dinner: Spaghetti Squash Taco Boats // Recipe coming soon, as part of the project that I'm working on! However, here's the gist: I steamed a spaghetti squash in my Instant Pot (seriously the best thing ever, so much easier than baking!! 7 minutes on steam, and DONE), filled it with some US Wellness Meats ground beef that I seasoned with taco seasoning, added some tomato sauce, topped with sautéed bell peppers, and added cilantro and avocado. Can you picture it? The real thing is much prettier than this meal prep version!

Snack: Zupa + Ayobayo or RXBar // HERE'S THE SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!! The promo for 4 FREE BOTTLES of Zupa ends tomorrow, on 1/23/18. Seriously guys, this is a steal of a deal and Zupa let me know that they won't have a promo like this for a long time. Use the code "fourfree" to get the 4 free bottles, and don't forget to add the code "wholedailylife" for 15% off of everything else! (That code won't go away, thank goodness!) Also, I know I mentioned the Ayobayo Droewors jerky last week, and I'm still loving it. And of course, RXBar, which is a great emergency food to keep on hand. 

Have a great and healthy week!

-Tracey

Whole30 Batch Cooking

Hi there my friends! 

Confession: I've been slacking a bit on my veggies lately. Normally I pack int least 6-8 cups daily, but these past few weeks I've been a little under the weather and haven't had my usual appetite. Inconvenient....because when you're sick, you want to pack in as many veggies as possible!! I decided to keep things super simple this week and really challenge myself to up my veggie game. Sometimes when I overthink it, it starts to feel overwhelming. 

My biggest tip? Chop those veggies up (or buy them pre-chopped), toss them with some oil and salt, and roast baby roast! Add a few easy batch cooked proteins (meatballs, Instant Pot chicken, etc) and you're good for the week. I'll also be making sure I have at least one bottle of Zupa each day, because it doesn't get much easier than that!

Here's this week's easy, Whole30 Compliant meal plan:

Breakfast: Chicken and Veggies // As you might have seen on Instagram, my husband recently got a Traeger smoker/grill, and let me tell you, that thing is magic. We've been smoking chickens on there and the flavor is incredible! We usually do two at a time (because #leftovers), so that's what I'm using as my breakfast protein this week. For sides, I added some steamed green beans (I'm playing around with these; in the past I haven't digested them well, so I decided to steam them to make them extra digestible) and roasted cinnamon sweet potatoes. For the sweet potatoes all I did was peel and cut them into 1" cubes, toss with a bit of coconut oil (my FAVORITE brand), salt, and cinnamon, and roast on a parchment lined pan for 30 minutes at 350 then 30 minutes at 400 to get that golden crust. I'll also be adding an egg each morning. Starting them at the lower temperature makes them extra sweet! 

Lunch: Ginger Scallion Chicken Meatballs with Veggies // For the meatballs, I mixed together 1# of ground chicken from US Wellness Meats with about 1 cup of chopped green onions, 1 tbsp coconut aminos, and a 2" knob of fresh ginger, minced. I formed 16 meatballs then baked them at 425 for 12 minutes until cooked to an internal temperature of 165. The veggies are pretty simple: carrots roasted in Tin Star Foods ghee, yellow squash roasted in Kasandrinos olive oil, and bok choy sautéed in coconut oil with coconut aminos and fish sauce. 

Dinner: Lamb Hash // One of my favorites, as you know! You can find the recipe here. 

Snack: Zupa + Ayobayo or RXBar // You know my love for Zupa as an easy way to pack in the extra veggies! Don't forget that you can get 15% off of EVERY ORDER with the code "wholedailylife" and until the 23rd, you can use the additional code "fourfree" for 4 free bottles! This is a serious deal you guys. Don't miss out! Also, Ayobayo Droewors is my FAVORITE jerky out there. The flavor is top notch, and the ingredients couldn't be any cleaner!! Last but not least, RXBar, which is a perfectly balanced whole-food based protein bar that I love to use around my workouts. I'll be doing a giveaway later this week, so stay tuned!
 

That's all for this week! (Also, this meal is almost completely AIP compliant!) Let me know in the comments, what's your favorite way to sneak some extra veggies in? What are you cooking this week?

Have a great one!

-Tracey 

Easy Meals For Your January Whole30!

Alright folks, who's doing the January Whole30? While I'm not officially participating, I generally cook Whole30 compliant meals during the week, so I'm looking forward to sharing lots of resources along the way! I'm also working on a project that involves LOTS of W30 everything, so there's that. If you want to follow along, be sure to connect with me over on Instagram, where I share lots of day to day tips and strategies, as well as glimpses into my non-W30/food-related life! 

Here's what's on the meal plan this week:

Pre-workout: Rx Bar Mini or Banana + Coffee // These are my go-to options for a W30 compliant pre-workout snack! Alternatively, I also LOVE the Rootz Energizing Superfood (which is not compliant, but is amazing and has super clean ingredients); use code "wholedailylife" for 10% off. My choice of creamer for my coffee has been Nutpods for many months now. I used to drink it black, but I LOVE this W30 compliant option!!

Breakfast: Butternut Soup with Venison Sausage and Pesto // Back in my SIBO days, I lived off of this soup! It was also one of the things that helped me transition away from breakfasts loaded with sugar and lacking nutrients (think sweet cereal, cinnamon rolls, toaster strudels...) because it has a natural sweetness and familiarity, similar to a cozy bowl of oats. It's super easy to make, too, and is one of the recipes in my e-cookbook, Weeknight Paleo! Here's the gist: 1 large butternut, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes, tossed with ghee (this batch was about 16 cups squash and 1/4 cup ghee). I roasted that at 375 for about an hour until golden, then blended with 4 cups of bone broth and a can of full fat coconut milk. For the venison sausage, I cooked 2# of ground venison in a large skillet with 2 tsp each of salt, basil, oregano, and 1 tbsp each fennel and garlic. The pesto is another staple of mine, and you can find the recipe here! I added walnuts and nutritional yeast (this is the ONLY brand I use because it is not fortified with synthetic B vitamins) to this batch, which made it extra creamy and delicious! 

Lunch: Zupa + Sardines or Smoked Chicken + Avocado or Nuts // Zupa coming in clutch this week for an easy no-cook Whole30 compliant lunch! Each day I'll pair a bottle with either a tin of sardines or some leftover smoked chicken that I froze in single servings. I'll also add a fat, either avocado or nuts. Use code “wholedailylife” for 15% off of your order at Züpa and the additional code “fourfree” for, you guessed it, four free bottles of their seasonal flavors!!

Dinner: Macadamia Coconut Crusted Chicken with Roasted Carrots, Sweet Potato, and Asparagus // Another of my favorites; you can find the recipe here! When it comes to the sides, I usually just pick some veggies (often whatever is on sale) and roast in large batches, then portion out into containers for the week. 

What are some of your favorite easy weekday meals, Whole30 or not?

-Tracey