Meal Plan 7/24/17: Whole 30 Recap + Food Freedom

We made it through the Whole 30! And since I know you’re all wondering… 

Overall, I felt great! I had good energy, no slumps, and no symptoms of anything that could have been a food sensitivity (such as headaches, breakouts, or brain fog). Prior to starting, I had gotten into the habit of enjoying a treat (NadaMoo, I’m looking at you!) a few times per week. While I did miss things like having a small piece of dark chocolate after lunch and enjoying something like Pressed Freeze while out on a drive, it feels really good to not have the cravings for sweets on a regular basis. In the past I have gone months on end without any added sugar at all, and while I’m sure I could do that again, I’m looking forward to bringing some of my favorite top quality treats back into the picture as part of my Food Freedom! (If you're unfamiliar with the phrase, you can see the official Whole 30 explanation here.) I also LOVED how many veggies and fruits I ate. I normally eat a lot, but I probably increased that amount by 30% on the Whole 30. I was also concurrently working on a physical goal of getting strong enough to do a handstand, and I definitely saw strength and skill gains in this area! I don’t know that I would directly attribute that to W30, as I have been diligently training as well, but the W30 gave me the freedom to eat intuitively and fuel my body as I felt that I needed to. 

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses though. There were a few things that I really missed, like my Rootz pre-workout powder ("wholedailylife" for 10% off), a daily piece of Eating Evolved dark chocolate ("traceygmt" for a free gift with your order), fun products like Mikey’s pizza crusts, and Equip protein powder ("wholedailylife" for 10% off). The powders are convenient, the dark chocolate is a little daily #treatyoself, and the pizza crusts represent creativity in the kitchen and my love of experimenting with the endless number of interesting products that have made their way to the market in recent years! I also found it a little challenging to get in as much carbohydrate as I felt that I needed, particularly around my hardest workout day each week. My digestion has come a long way, but is still a little sensitive to some starches and higher FODMAP foods, meaning that I relied mostly on fruit and sweet potatoes for carbs. This worked, but by the end of the W30 I was ready to have other options. In the past I would incorporate white rice on occasion, especially in a PWO refuel, so I look forward to trying that out again. Lastly, as anyone who has done a W30 (or seen my meal prep) knows, it does take some effort! Fortunately you can make a Whole 30 as simple or complex as you want, but it was still a step up in terms of weekly prep and cooking. 

Things I didn’t miss at all: alcohol, snacks, added sugar. I know that last one seems contradictory to what I just said above, but really, I think what I was feeling when I was “missing” my daily chocolate or a trip to Pressed Freeze was really just the act of self-care. I’m a foodie, and having something special like that is FUN for me, whether savory or sweet! 

What’s next? 

Both my husband and I plan to continue eating this way the majority of the time. I’ll probably add back in protein shakes, though I liked the challenge of having a real food breakfast and would like to continue to do that and save the protein shakes for when I’m extra busy and could use the added convenience (like this week). I’m going to test out the effects of dairy, as I had previously suspected that it might be giving me some skin trouble, which did clear up on the W30. I also have some other potential causes pinpointed though, so we’ll see what happens this week!

Speaking of which, how about this week’s meal plan! We were out of town this past weekend so I was out of my normal routine. I used a few shortcuts this week, but as you can see, kept things about the same for the most part!

Breakfast for me: Chicken Apple Sausage + Chard + Sweet Potato // These chicken apple sausages are from US Wellness Meats, and this is my first time trying them! They do contain a little bit of sugar, which is why I didn't use them during the Whole 30. I'll be having roasted sweet potato and sautéed swiss chard with them. 

Breakfast for him: Frittata + Banana // Prior to the W30 he was having a smoothie or an oat based breakfast bread in the mornings, but the frittata has been a winner ever since. You can see how I make it here. 

Lunch for me: Lamb Meatballs with Tahini Sauce + Spinach Cauli Rice + Zucchini + Apple // I was feeling creative in my meal planning this week, which is how this spread came about! For the meatballs, I started with a pound of lamb (again from US Wellness Meats) and seasoned it with about 1 tsp each of garlic powder, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, salt, and a handful of fresh parsley. After mixing everything together I portioned them out into meatballs using a 1 oz scoop and baked at 425 for about 15 minutes. The tahini sauce is simply tahini mixed with some garlic powder, lemon, and water to thin it out. To make the Spinach Cauli Rice I cooked up a bag of pre-riced cauliflower from Trader Joes in a large skillet with some ghee until soft and starting to brown, then added in a bag of frozen chopped baby spinach. I seasoned it with lots of lemon/lemon zest to brighten up the flavor, and added in some chopped parsley, chopped green onions, and Sari Foods Nutritional Yeast. To bulk up the meal a bit I also added some roasted zucchini, and brought an apple to have on the side for carbohydrate. 

Lunch for him: Raw Veggies, Fruit, Deli Turkey, Nuts // I try to incorporate a "no cook" meal for each of us each week to help cut down on cooking over the weekend. This week he'll be having raw veggies (carrot, radish, snap peas) with grapes, deli turkey (we like Applegate and True Story brands the most, but this week I went with the Sprouts brand because it was on sale) and nuts. The only change here is that instead of cooking chicken we're using the deli meat for convenience this week. 

Dinner for me: Ample Shake // Ample is a meal replacement shake that I discovered a few months ago. It is designed as an all in one "just add water" kind of product, and after looking at the ingredient list, I was impressed! They have a whey and collagen based formula, which is the one I'll be having this week, as well as a vegetarian pea and rice protein based one. We'll see how I do with the dairy after having kept it out for the W30! While I do prefer whole food based meals, having something like Ample is an incredibly convenient backup for busy weeks. If you'd like to try it out for yourself, you can use the code "wholedailylife" for 10% off of your first order!

Dinner for him: Taco Salad // This is another of our go-to meals that requires very little prep. I use the taco seasoning from Trader Joe's on the meat, which is the only part of the meal that I make in advance. In addition to the lettuce, bell peppers, and salsa, he'll also be adding some black beans as a reintroduction. 

Last but not least, I'll be reintroducing my favorite Eating Evolved chocolate with lunch :)

This meal prep took me about 4.5 hours, not including about 75 minutes of shopping time at two different stores (or the dishes!). 

Have a great week!

-Tracey

Review: Pili Nuts + Pili Nut Cheese and Cheesecake Spread

Have you heard of the pili nut? Think the soft neutral flavors of macadamias and cashews with the smoothness of butter. Seriously. These little nuts are delightful!

The pili nut is native to Southeast Asia and has been consumed for many years. Hunter Gatherer Pili Nuts are a cut above the rest, however, because they go one step further to sprout them! Nuts and seeds contain lectins and phytates, which can hinder nutrient absorption when consumed in excess. Sprouting helps to deactivate these compounds and make them more digestible. Furthermore, Hunter Gatherer Pili Nuts are harvested from the mountains of the Philippines. They grow in volcanic soil in their ideal environment, which translates to a high nutrient content! Pili nuts are naturally high in magnesium and phosphorus, and their fat profile contains both monounsaturated and saturated fats. Last but certainly not least, Hunter Gatherer works with the local communities, which not only means that they are able to source top quality product, but also that they have built relationships and created jobs within the Philippines. They are certified paleo, keto, and beyond organic!

Hunter Gatherer carries four flavors of pili nuts: coconut oil and himalayan salt, spicy chili, raw cacao, and turmeric black pepper. The ingredients are simple:

Coconut Oil and Himalayan Salt: sprouted pili nuts, extra virgin coconut oil, himalayan salt 

Spicy Chili: sprouted pili nuts, coconut oil, himalayan salt, siling labuyo chili 

Raw Cacao: sprouted pili nuts, raw cacao, coconut sugar

Turmeric Black Pepper: sprouted pili nuts, turmeric, black pepper, sea salt

All four flavors are delicious, but if I had to pick one to eat straight from the bag, I think it would be the turmeric black pepper. The spices add just a hint of complexity to the flavor, and I'm all for working some extra anti-inflammatory nutrients into my day! All but the Raw Cacao flavor are Whole 30 and 21 Day Sugar Detox compliant. 

Hunter Gatherer also sells Raw Kwiot Honey, which is hands down the most unique honey I've ever tasted!

From their website: "Our Kiwot Honey is harvested in the wild from the hives of the Filipino Stingless Bee, or Kiwot. Don’t expect the sweet, mellow taste of your standard honey; Kiwot Honey’s sour, fermented taste has prompted many people to call it “Kombucha Honey”. While the comparison is useful, Kiwot Honey’s wild flavor is truly like no other in the world. Kiwot Honey is a perfect second product for Hunter Gatherer Natural Foods because Kiwot stingless bees work in a relationship of mutually beneficial symbiosis with the pili tree. The bees are essential for pollinating pili trees, and the trees, in turn, provide valuable food for the bees. By offering both delicious foods we are able to protect both species in their wild habitats, and by doing so, increase our own effectiveness in producing them." 

What a neat relationship and an amazing example of the many symbiotic relationships that occur in nature. True to the description, this honey is sweet, tangy, and sour all in one. My favorite way to use it is drizzled over fruits or spreads, on salads, and in dressings!

While I could eat any of these products on their own, I had fun creating a couple of recipes with them. Naturally I thought the soft texture of the pili nuts would lend them nicely to a dairy free cheese, so that's where my creativity took me!

Pili Nut Cheese

-1 cup Hunter Gatherer Coconut Oil and Himalayan Salt pili nuts 

-1/4 cup Sari Foods nutritional yeast (the only brand I use because it's not fortified with synthetic B vitamins)

-1/4 tsp salt (here's the one I use)

-1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Transfer to a ceramic dish or parchment lined bowl, then set in the fridge to chill. After about an hour the "cheese" will be firm but spreadable, but then will harden up and be sliceable, as shown in the picture above. Serve with sliced raw vegetables or as part of a charcuterie board!

Pili Nut Cheesecake Spread 

-1 cup Hunter Gatherer Coconut Oil and Himalayan Salt pili nuts

-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

-1 tbsp Hunter Gatherer Raw Kiwot Honey (more to taste)

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Use immediately while spread is still soft, or transfer to ceramic dish or parchment lined bowl and place in the fridge to firm up. Serve with fresh fruit!

If you'd like to give some of these delicious nuts a try, you can find them at www.eatpilinuts.com or at Barefoot Provisions! You can learn more on the Hunter Gatherer blog, as well as follow along on Instagram. 

Don't forget to enter my giveaway over on Instagram! It will be live through Sunday July 23rd, 2017. 

Meal Prep: 7/17/17: Whole 30 Week 4

We've made it to our final week of the Whole 30! Though the food itself hasn't been all that different from my norm, it has definitely made me more aware of how often I like to snag a spoonful of nut butter or a bite of chocolate through the day. I've really been loving eating ALL the veggies and fruits though, and have definitely gotten a better feel for just how much food we need to get through the week without relying on any snacks or convenience foods. I'll do a full review when we're officially done!

Here's what we'll be eating this week: 

Breakfast for me: Chard + Sweet Potatoes+ Bilinski's Sausage // Chard was on sale this week so I chose that for both my breakfast and lunch greens. I chopped and sautéed the leaves with Primal Kitchens avocado oil until just wilted. If you've never had crispy chard stems, they're my FAVORITE! (Sometimes I buy the chard just for the stems!) I think they taste the best with ghee, but any oil will do. I just chop them up small and sauté over medium heat until starting to brown. For protein I chose Bilinski's sausage, which I appreciate because they are 100% transparent about their ingredients (they list every spice!) and they don't have any casings. I'll probably also add 1-2 Vital Farms eggs the day-of. Lastly, the sweet potatoes are just simply roasted in coconut oil and salt! 

Breakfast for him: Frittata + Banana // I think this will be a new staple for us! Here's how I made the frittata: I sautéed one diced onion with two chopped bell peppers until soft. In another skillet, I sautéed 12 oz of sliced mushrooms until toasty and brown. In yet another skillet I cooked up 8 oz of Whole30 compliant bacon (from US Wellness Meats), and lastly, while all of that was going on, I roasted up about 1 pound of fingerling potatoes in the oven. I layered all of those things in a large pyrex dish, then whisked up a dozen Vital Farms eggs and poured them over the top. I baked that at 350 for about 25 minutes until the eggs were set. 

Lunch for me: Tuna + Green Flatbread + Pineapple + Cucumber/Radishes // I recently had the opportunity to review the new Seasoned Elite tunas by Safe Catch and I loved the convenience of them! They are perfect for no-cook meals because they are already packed with flavor. I'll be mashing these up with avocado and then eating them with sliced cucumber and radish. I also made a fresh batch of green flatbread; this batch includes Almond Pro high protein almond flour, Guiltless Goodies Superseed flour, SariFoods non-fortified Nutritional Yeast, and Ancient Nutrition Pure Bone Broth Protein. I picked up some fresh pineapple for my carb at this meal!

Lunch for him: Chicken, Veggies, Grapes, Nuts, LARA Bar // I seasoned chicken thighs with plenty of Paleo Powder and then roasted at 400 for about 30 minutes. The veggies are in my favorite reusable bags by Stasher; carrots, snap peas, and radishes this week. Grapes were on sale again this week! I also packed a LARA bar just in case.

Dinner for me: Eggroll in a Bowl + Apple // I made this "recipe" up on the fly, but it's super easy! I started by cooking 1# of ground pork from US Wellness Meats, then added a bag of riced cauliflower, about 1# each of shredded cabbage and carrots (I bought them pre-shredded for convenience), and 2 cups of chopped green onions. When the veggies were soft, I seasoned everything with Red Boat Fish Sauce (one of my secret weapons for boosting flavor!), coconut aminos, ground ginger, and garlic powder to taste! This dish is pretty light, so I'm bringing an apple and some Artisana Coconut butter to have on the side.

Dinner for him: Grilled Chicken and Veggies // This meal required no prep over the weekend because he is going to grill it up night by night! I planned for a full potato, a whole bell pepper, a couple skewers of mushrooms, a whole zucchini, and 2-3 chicken thighs per night. Ever since we grilled out on Fourth of July we've been loving the simplicity of freshly grilled food!

And that's a wrap! Have a great week!

-Tracey

Meal Prep 7/10/17: Whole 30 Week 3

Seriously though, the amount of veggies and fruit that we go through on a weekly basis is astounding. It took a bit of adjusting to figure out how much food we each needed in a day (especially for my husband), but we're headed into our third week of the Whole30 and feeling like we've found a groove! 

In general, I start planning my meals on Tuesday for the following week. Since I go to multiple grocery stores, I usually try to do one on Wednesday (mostly shelf stable stuff), one on Thursday, and one on Friday to break it up a bit. I do the bulk of my cooking on Friday night and Saturday, and then make one more trip to the store on Sunday to buy things that need to be extra fresh, like lettuce or other raw veggies. This system is always changing through the years depending on my work schedule, our weekends, etc, but this is what is working for us right now!

Here's the plan for this week:

Breakfast for me: Root Veggie Hash with Ground Venison // I actually made this meal for breakfast last week (you can find the recipe here), but didn't need it because I was home on Monday and Tuesday and ate leftover grilled veggies with eggs for breakfast on Wed/Thurs/Fri. Since I had frozen it in portions, I'll just eat it this week instead, and that's one less meal to prep!

Breakfast for him: Frittata + Banana // This has been working well, so no need to change it! As a reminder, here's how I made the frittata: I sautéed up one diced onion with two chopped bell peppers until soft. In another skillet, I sautéed 12 oz of sliced mushrooms until toasty and brown. In yet another skillet I cooked up 8 oz of Whole30 compliant bacon (also from US Wellness Meats), and lastly, while all of that was going on, I roasted up about 1 pound of fingerling potatoes in the oven. I layered all of those things in a large pyrex dish, then whisked up a dozen Vital Farms eggs and poured them over the top. I baked that at 350 for about 25 minutes until the eggs were set. 

Lunch for me: Zupa Soup + Turkey + Avocado + Veggies + Apple // It really doesn't get any easier to get Whole30 approved veggies into your diet than with Zupa Soups! I make a point to add some protein and healthy fat on the side, and sometimes some fruit and additional veggies, like in this spread. These soups are PACKED with flavor and I find them nice and filling! They also make a great snack by themselves or with some added protein! If you want to give them a try for yourself, you can pick up a 6 pack, one of each flavor, for $34 (free shipping!) on www.drinkzupa.com with the code "wholedailylife!" 

Lunch for him: Chicken, Veggies, Grapes, Nuts // I seasoned the chicken a little differently this week by marinating it in a mustard/balsamic sauce then roasting at 425 for about 25 minutes. The veggies are in my favorite reusable bags by Stasher; carrots, snap peas, and radishes this week. I shopped the sales and ended up with grapes for fruit; I tend to buy whatever is the cheapest to help with the budget!

Dinner for me: Macadamia and Coconut Crusted Chicken Tenders + Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Asparagus // This is a recipe that I created for a project that I am working on with US Wellness Meats and it's AMAZING. The macadamia/coconut coating is so simple and so flavorful! In short, it's just 1 egg and 2 tbsp coconut milk in one bowl and finely chopped macadamia nuts (1 cup) and coconut shreds (1 cup) with 1 tsp each salt and garlic powder in the other. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then the nut mixture, and bake on a parchment lined sheet at 350 until cooked through, about 15 minutes. I kept the sides simple with sweet potato and asparagus, both of which were on sale this week as well!

Dinner for him: Balsamic Chicken + Sweet Potatoes + Green Beans + Salad // I meant to cook the chicken two different ways, one for lunch and one for dinner, but wasn't paying attention and ended up marinating it all in the balsamic mustard sauce, so it's the same protein for both meals. However, I shredded the lunch chicken to make it a little different, and there will be some Tessemae's BBQ sauce to mix it up at dinner! The sweet potatoes and green beans are simply roasted with Primal Kitchens Avocado Oil and salt, and I mixed up a vinaigrette for the salad with balsamic and Kasandrinos olive oil. 

Snacks (if needed): W30 compliant Rx Bars for him and Artisana Coconut Butter for me!

I spent about $130 on groceries this week and 4 hours on prep + cooking. Using my breakfast leftovers from last week and having two no-cook meals on the meal plan this week definitely helped!

Have a great week, and stay tuned, I have ANOTHER giveaway (I'm teaming up with @tristynleighh) this Thursday!!

Review: Safe Catch Tuna + Spicy Citrus Tuna Bites

If tuna salad isn't the definition of easy, I don't know what is. Pop open up a can, mix in some mayo (and if you're feeling fancy, chopped apple, green onions, celery, and walnuts), plop it over some greens, and you're done! I do love tuna salad (and chicken salad, and egg salad...you get the picture), but until recently, hadn't had it in a couple of years, since finding out that I have impaired detoxification due to the MTHFR gene mutation. You see, tuna is typically a food that is higher in mercury, and with impaired detox capabilities, that is the last thing I want building up in my body!

Enter: Safe Catch. I met the Safe Catch team at PaleoFX a couple of months ago and was thrilled to learn about the way that they process their tuna! Not only is it sustainably caught (in partnership with the Monterrey Aquarium), they also test every single fish for the level of mercury that it contains! Safe Catch is currently the only company that I've found that has such rigorous quality testing. In general, only one in three fish that they test meets their standards. You can see an explanation on their site, here!

I wanted to learn a bit more about their "low mercury" claims, so I reached out to the team with some specific questions. In our conversation I learned that their testing technology is proprietary, but that they do send product for independent third party testing every couple of months. In addition, they perform in house testing on EVERY batch of finished product, and their standards are 10x tighter than the FDA limit for mercury! Safe Catch is also the only brand that meets Consumer Reports "Low Mercury" Criteria for children and pregnant women! As a dietitian, this is something that I want to be certain of, not only for myself, but also for my clients. 

But what about taste? After all, a product can be top quality, but flavor is equally important. As expected, quality and flavor tend to go hand in hand, and Safe Catch has some of the best tuna I've ever had! I had previously used some of their original Elite tuna in a tuna casserole that I made (which turned out INCREDIBLE), and recently also got to try out their new seasoned variety pack. They have 6 flavors: Garlic Herb, Cajun, Habanero Mint, Citrus Pepper, Chili Lime, and Tandoori. The taste is bold and fresh, and in terms of convenience, these seasoned cans really can't be beat...skip the celery, fruit, and nuts; all you need is mayo! (Or for a shelf stable option, I add in mashed avocado instead!) 

Garlic Herb Seasoned Tuna with Primal Kitchens Original Mayo, Green Onions, and Pecans

I should also mention that not only is the tuna top notch, but so are the rest of the ingredients. You won't find any corn, soy, or gluten in these products! (Surprisingly, these are not uncommon ingredients in a lot of brands.) Furthermore, the tuna is packed raw in BPA-free cans, sealed, and then cooked. This process allows the tuna to retain all of the nutrients and healthy fats that might otherwise be lost if it was canned after cooking. Lastly, four of the six flavors are 21 Day Sugar Detox and Whole 30 compliant! (The other two contain a small amount of coconut sugar.)

My favorite way to use these seasoned cans of tuna is simply to mash them up, juices and all, with some mayo or avocado. In addition to eating them in tuna salad form, I also played around with using the seasoned cans in a simple recipe: Sweet Potato Tuna Bites. Usually I make them into patties, but I used my cookie scoop and just left it at that this time!

Spicy Citrus Tuna Bites

Spicy Citrus Tuna Bites:

-1 can of Citrus Pepper Safe Catch Elite Tuna, drained and mashed

-1 can of Chili Lime Safe Catch Elite Tuna, drained and mashed

-1 egg

-1 heaping cup of mashed cooked sweet potato

-2 tbsp Primal Kitchens Avocado Oil

-1/2 tsp Redmond Real Salt

-1/2 cup chopped green onions

Simply mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, scoop 2 oz portions onto a parchment lined cookie sheet (I use my cookie scoop), and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes!

These make a perfectly balanced snack and a portable all-in-one meal. They also freeze and de-frost very well, and in my opinion, are good both hot and cold! Using the seasoned tuna really took the flavor over the top with no additional work!

You can find Safe Catch on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as in many stores across the country. Lastly, don't forget to enter my Instagram giveaway, which will be live through Sunday July 9th, 2017!

I am so glad to have discovered a tuna that I feel good about eating because of the rigorous quality standards that the company upholds, and their seasoned line has made my #nocook life just that much easier! I hope you give them a try!