The road postpartum has taken many a turn, and while I have nary a regret, there was (is!) always room for improvement. 

Enter, The Whole30 {program rules}.

Thankfully, many have traversed these waters so sourcing compliant food wasn't extremely tough, though I did spend twice as much time shopping {shopping list} reading labels and listening to Mark complain about time elapsed in said stores, along with a vehement side eye when I spent $40 on 3lbs of brisket at Whole Foods, which, in my defense I WAS TIRED OF SHOPPING.

Meal planning/doubling recipes for leftovers was key -- I found that laying out the week (which I already do with a meal pad) made the effort of preparing food, especially on busy days easier.  Also, having an emergency meal saved me.  I kept an Rx Bar + Chomps in my purse/diaper bag/work bag to stave off hunger when the day inevitably creeps into meal time. Also, I function best on 3 meals and 2 snacks (W30 is based on 3 meals), so when I pack my food for the day I always included enough food to last me until I got home.

Favorite W30 recipes {book}: Brisket, Stuffed Peppers, Chicken Meatballs (Owen loved these!), Harvest Chicken Salad (changed my salad game, forever), Pulled Pork Carnitas, Butternut Squash Swiss Chard Salad, Pesto (used as a marinade and as a sauce), Chili (added sweet potatoes). 

Tried-and-true dinners (with minor adjustments to make compliant): Spaghetti (with spaghetti squash), Sweet Potato Bake {recipe}, Smoothies (made with coconut cream/milk/water, frozen berries), hamburgers + oven baked French Fries. Plantain chips were my go-to snack.

New-to-me (brand) favorites: Tessemae's dressing (namely, black pepper -- so, incredibly yummy), 4th & Heart garlic ghee.

New-to-me (food) favorites: a variation of baked plantains*/berries with  coconut cream**, slivered almonds, coconut shreds, or fruit with coconut cream, Trader Joe's grainless granola, sliced almonds. Also, Cashew Cream.

I kept a diary for the duration (excerpt below), noting meals, general thoughts and the like to hold me accountable in addition to joining a group chat with friends (Hi girls!) also doing the W30. Having a support system was paramount for my success. The moral support (Mark ate W30 at dinner along with cooking W30 compliant, bless him) and the act of navigating the process with others in the same situation truly helped me stay the course. 

Coffee + 2tsp coconut cream

Blueberries, blackberries, grapes, coconut cream and shredded coconut

Eggs w/ ghee, bacon, avocado

Peach + epic chicken jerky (6 squares)

Banana/almond butter

Chicken meatballs + cauli rice

--- starving.



Chicken/apple sausage, egg, sweet potato + grapes + coffee/vanilla nutpod

Carrots/guac + Swiss chard/prosciutto

Brisket + baked potato/ghee

"Monkey salad"

--plan ahead. Work the plan.



Blueberry/pineapple/strawberry/coconut milk smoothie + coffee/nutpod/cinnamon

Carrots/guac

Leftover: chicken meatballs/cauliflower rice

Apple

Handful blackberries

Spaghetti squash "spaghetti

--bye, bye bloat!



 Plantain chips/coffee, cashew milk, coconut oil, nutpod

Apple/ab

Leftovers: "spaghetti" squash

Plantain chips/carrots + guac

Sweet potato/onion/bell pepper/chicken sausage

--dear creamer, I miss you.


Coffee/nutpod/cashew milk + leftover from dinner/chicken meatball

(catered lunch) Rotisserie chicken/romaine/red leaf/egg/dbl bacon/tomato

Dried Mango

Fish/asparagus

Plantains/coconut cream/almonds/shredded coconut.

-froth the milk! I can do this...



Coffee/nutpod/cashew milk

Eggs/spinach scramble avocado/bacon/fruit

Burger/tomato (at the Cardinals Game) worst. burger. ever.

Plantain chips.

-I mindlessly ate a French fry 😩