Whole 30

My beautiful and talented friend Megan is starting a Whole 30 challenge group. She talked me into it.

The premise is simple. Eat real foods, like those humans would eat in the wild, for 30 days. No junk that is bad for our bodies or hard to digest. 

The rules:
No sugar.
No processed foods.
No alcohol or tobacco.
No grains.
No legumes.
No dairy. 
No white potatoes. 
No "healthy" junk food.
YES:
Fruit.
Vegetables.
High quality meats.
Nuts.
Seeds. 
Healthy fats.
For vegetarians and non-meat-eaters, there are exceptions. 

I do eat eggs and seafood, I don't eat soy, with the exception of sauce. I'll be using some lentils, but nothing more. 

I was looking over this information and the thought occurred to me that this is not so different from the way we eat now. It's very much the way I prefer to eat. 

I have noticed that a lot of carbs have snuck in on me. I'm ready to kick them to the curb. Or onto the kids' plates, because they need all that extra growing energy, and I just pack it onto my backside. 

I only have a few minor changes to make.
#1 Swap my morning coffee for a smoothie. My standard smoothie right now is Green Chocolate Almond Butter. 
#2 Eliminate dairy. I generally avoid dairy, but as a concession to my cheese-lovers, I do cook with cheese. No more!
#3 No more carb-based meals. Asian noodles, rice, potatoes and pasta are frequent guests on our table. 
My kids are slim and have powerhouse metabolisms, unlike their pudgy parents. Whenever I have cut back on my carbs, and by extension, theirs, they have become gaunt and insatiably hungry. So, I will still be serving rice, noodles and potatoes to them, but I will not partake. D can choose for himself. 
#4 No baking. This is a big one. If you're familiar with my blog, you know how big. Fortunately, it's already steamy hot here, so I'm ready for a hiatus from the oven. 

I made my menu and shopping list for the first 2 weeks. It is subject to change depending on what I find at the various markets when I shop this weekend. I used the same basic menu plan and cookbooks that I'm currently using for this week's menu. I veganized the meaty meals as usual. I'll toss a few lentils into the stews and bump up the veggie content with sweet potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, and whatever else looks good.

Here's the preliminary.

Veggie soup and Greek salad

Country stew with rice 

Salmon and Mushroom Salad and baked potatoes

Sushi-Tamago and bay shrimp (hand rolls for me-no rice- maki for everyone else)

Leek soup and Caeser salad 

Dilly Stew w/ lentils and sweet potatoes over noodles

Fish soft tacos (tortilla-less for me)

Herb omelets and green salad

Broccoli soup and pea salad

Oyster Stew with rice, cabbage, and Sweet potato latkes

Baked fish w baked potatoes and roasted veggies

Broccoli ( or other veggie) quiche and green salad

Cream of Spinach soup (made with coconut cream) and Salmon salad on greens

Flemish Stew with lentils, sweet potatoes, and cabbage 

I always keep at least one big salad in the fridge for my lunches and to serve with dinner. Salads and leftovers, smoothies for breakfast, eggs whenever I need a protein boost. 

My biggest concern right now is breakfast and lunch for the kids. I know what I'll be eating, but I'm not sure what I'll be feeding them. Pantry foods for sure. Noodles, rice, beans, corn, and oats are filling the shelves. Along with fresh fruits and veggies, that should keep everyone happy for a while.