I am back today with another post about how I am currently eating. If you missed it, the introductory post is HERE.
More than a week into it I am feeling pretty good. I haven’t been able to exercise as much as I’d hoped thanks to a busy schedule, really cold weather and some sort of respiratory virus that is hanging around, but even with that, I still am feeling more energetic than usual. The weather is supposed to finally get warm (and stay warm all week) so I am looking forward to getting outside more.
Today I wanted to share some food ideas with you all. I think the hardest part of any elimination diet is all the things you can’t eat, so today I wanted to share with you some things you can. I can tell you that even the first day I switched to this plan, it felt like my body was SO grateful. This is coming from one of the biggest carb lovers out there (back in the day), but the beautiful part of eating this way is you primarily ingest nutritionally dense vegetables, fruits, and grass-fed meats, how can you feel bad?
Keep reading, because at the end of the post I have a printable shopping list and some ways to make this eating plan easier.
So here are my go-to meal ideas, I mentioned many of these in the first post, and most of these are just quick snaps with my phone, so not the best pictures or beautifully plated. They are just real life food 🙂 As I am not doing any one of these eating plans religiously (like AIP which restricts eggs, tomatoes, peppers and nuts in the beginning) I try to indicate if you should opt to not eat something per a plan.
PALEO/AIP/WHOLE 30 MEAL IDEAS
BREAKFAST
Eggs with Avocado (eggs aren’t on AIP, I just fry in coconut oil or poach)
Butternut Squash with Cinnamon and Coconut (Above. Slice squash carefully, roast the butternut squash at 350 for 45 minutes face down in a roasting pan coated with olive oil, store in an airtight container and scoop out what you need each AM. Add sprinkle cinnamon (great for lowering inflammation) and organic flaked coconut. Sounds strange but it’s similar to oatmeal and is really a great breakfast!)
Paleo Sausages (You might find the Applegate brand or others to be Whole 30 approved to save time, but I make my own. I mix organic ground pork with organic ground turkey, add a clove or two of chopped garlic, a 1/4t of ground mustard, 1/4 c finely chopped onions and plenty of sea salt and pepper. Press into patties and fry in coconut oil till cooked through. I drain them on paper towels and store a few days worth in an airtight container, freezing the rest to use as needed.)
Other breakfast ideas include smoothies with fruits and greens, and you can include a paleo protein powder if you wish, or a sweet potato and egg hash.
LUNCH
Salads (My go-to is kale and spinach or romaine for the most nutrients) then I add a lean protein (grilled chicken, or just fry and chop up a ground turkey burger). I sprinkle on balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice to dress it. )
Ground Turkey in Lettuce Wraps with Veggies (or use cabbage for added nutrition.)
Lettuce Wraps with Grilled Chicken and Avocado (Below I added sweet potato fries, and you can even sprinkle with bacon if you can find an all-natural, no sugar variation.)
SNACKS
Terra Chips with Avocado (mashed)
Carrot sticks with Avocado (mashed)
Organic Green Apples sprinkled with Cinnamon
Bananas dipped in Coconut (unsweetened)
DINNER
Zucchini Noodles with Grass-Fed Beef Meatballs
Spaghetti Squash or Zucchini Noodles (“Zoodles”, see spiralizer below) with Basil and Grass Fed Ground Beef or Natural Ground Turkey
Grilled Steak or Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pan-Fried Brussel Sprouts
For more meal ideas, I pin new recipes regularly to my Whole 30/AIP Pinterest board HERE.
You will definitely cook more on this diet since it’s hard to find take-out food that fits the bill. It helps to have a well-stocked kitchen and plenty of storage containers so you can meal prep and save leftovers for other meals.
vegetable spiralizer (perfect for making “zoodles” or zucchini noodles)
PANTRY STAPLES
coconut flour (love this brand!)
I also try to drink some green tea and pomegranate juice each day, I call that my “mom tea” recipe which you can see here.
I wrote up the items I buy the most and put them into a shopping list, you can click for a HERE for a printable copy.
I loved the comments on my last post, especially the success stories, thanks so much for following along!
If you are looking for more guidance on how to start either of these, read the Whole 30 Cookbook, great for general health, weight loss, and clean eating and Amy Myers Auto Immune Solution for more on auto-immune management, reducing inflammation and other health related issues. They will fill in all the gaps I didn’t and are both fabulous resources.
Here is a pinnable graphic so you can bookmark this post:
XO,
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It looks healthy, i track what i eat on an app, plus i buy my butternut squash in the freezer section. Those are my short cuts. Good luck, it took alot of planning for me, but so worth it.
Love this post….we eat many of the foods you have presented…… I just ordered the veggie spiralizer!….Have a great week Amy!