Week 3 Meal Plan | #30daysofpaleo

One of the best ways to plan for success is to plan… I can plan 4.5 weekly menus…! Easy peasy! It’s following the plan that’s the hard part, of course.

Here’s my plan for this week:

I am starting the week off by cooking 1lb of ground beef and 1lb of nitrate-free bacon to have ready-to-go in the fridge (used most with breakfast omelets and lunch meals). I will reserve 1 spaghetti squash and 1 whole chicken for meals later in the week.

Sunday

Breakfast: Eggs with roasted garlic, spinach and ground beef Lunch: Grain-free porridge and roasted sweet potatoes to snack on later (I'll be at the Lynchburg Bridal Expo so this is quick and easy if prepared ahead of time!) Dinner: roasted whole chicken with vegetables (onions, carrots, broccoli) (plus rice for Tommy)

Monday

Breakfast: Eggs with roasted garlic and spinach, strawberries Lunch: Taco salad with salsa & avocado Dinner: Leftover chicken sautéed with brussel sprouts, white onions and grass-fed butter

Tuesday (early gym day, quick breakfast)

Breakfast: Grain-free porridge and fruit (Recipe can be found in practical paleo) Lunch: Spaghetti squash with tomato sauce & grass fed beef Dinner: almond breaded chicken with steamed vegetables

Wednesday (traveling mid-day, easy to-go lunch)

Breakfast: Omelet with ground beef, mushrooms and spinach, grain-free porridge (and fruit for Sunday) Lunch: Green smoothie (home made almond milk, spinach, frozen banana and almond butter) Dinner: Chicken breasts over strawberry and spinach/romaine salad

Thursday (early gym day, quick breakfast)

Breakfast: Grain-free porridge and fruit Lunch: Leftover spaghetti squash with tomato sauce & grass fed beef Dinner: taco veggie lettuce wraps (tortillas + cheese for Tommy)

Friday (traveling mid-day, easy to-go lunch)

Breakfast: Omelet with bacon + spinach, grain-free porridge Lunch: Green smoothie (home made almond milk, spinach, frozen banana and almond butter) Dinner: Sundried tomato bacon chicken salad crostini

Saturday

Breakfast: Paleo pancakes Lunch: Chicken breasts, strawberry and spinach/romaine salad Dinner: Leftovers

Week 2 Meal Plan | #30daysofpaleo

One of the best ways to plan for success is to plan… I can plan 4.5 weekly menus…! Easy peasy! It’s following the plan that’s the hard part, of course.

Here's my plan for this week:

I am starting the week off by cooking 1lb of ground beef and 1lb of nitrate-free bacon to have ready-to-go in the fridge (used most with breakfast omelets and lunch meals). I will reserve 1 spaghetti squash and 1 whole chicken for meals later in the week.

Monday

Breakfast: We are traveling, so: eggs & coffee Lunch: Taco salad with salsa & guacamole (still traveling) Dinner: Chicken stir fry (no noodles)

Tuesday

Breakfast: Grain-free porridge and fruit for Sunday (Recipe can be found in Practical Paleo) Lunch: Taco veggie lettuce wraps Dinner: Roasted whole chicken with vegetables (onions, carrots, broccoli) (plus rice for Tommy)

Wednesday

Breakfast: Omelet with ground beef, mushrooms and spinach, grain-free porridge (and fruit for Sunday) Lunch: Leftover chicken with sautéed sweet potatoes and onions Dinner: Spaghetti squash with olive oil, sun dried tomatoes and basil (chicken quesadilla for Sunday)

Thursday

Breakfast: Grain-free porridge and fruit for Sunday (Recipe can be found in Practical Paleo) Lunch: Leftovers Dinner: Almond breaded chicken with mashed cauliflower and steamed vegetables

Friday

Breakfast: Omelet with bacon + spinach, grain-free porridge Lunch: Leftover mashed cauliflower with bacon bits, steamed veggies Dinner: Spaghetti squash with grass-fed ground beef and tomato sauce

Saturday

Breakfast: Paleo pancakes Lunch: Chicken breasts, strawberry and spinach/romaine salad Dinner: Avocado chicken salad (skip the mayo)

Okay... let's see how this week goes! I was feeling a little uninspired with this menu plan and had trouble finding variety. But, we strive off of routine so I think it'll be alright!

5 new foods I love because of the Paleo Challenge

A few weeks before the Paleo Challenge kicked off, I attended a small paleo workshop presented by one of the owners of my Crossfit box. She shared a lot of information and encouragement during the workshop, but one thing she said really stuck with me. I kind of think about it daily. She said, "I get so excited when I hear someone is going to do a paleo challenge because I think they are finally going to taste food."

At first I thought… Blah. I am not looking forward to tasting those foods. Veggies… ew. Chicken liver? Bone Broth? Suaerkraut? So gross. And, anyway, I really like my sugar, salt and cheese.

But, 5 days in I can tell you she was right. I have a handful of new favorite foods already. Guilt-free, good for me, delicious and savory foods. Foods I never would have tried had I not taken on this challenge!  If you've never tried these foods, I challenge you to pick one from the list below and make it this week!

Spaghetti Squash - The best kept squash secret!! There are a ton of ways to make spaghetti squash (just as there are a ton of ways to make spaghetti pasta). I simply substituted the squash for pasta in our traditional spaghetti dinner. But you could sauté it with garlic, grass-fed butter, and salt... or sauté it with olive oil, basil and tomatoes. The list could go on. I used this recipe for our dinner the other night. So, so good. I won't miss pasta at all! (Actually, I already miss cheese-stuffed pasta. :))

Sweet Potatoes - These were instrumental in my survival of the paleo diet. Sweet, savory, filling, and can we say CARBS?? Emotionally needed (comfort food!) and guilt-free. I love to peel, cube, and sauté sweet potatoes in a pan with a chopped white onion, coconut oil, salt and a dash of cinnamon! It's like candy!!

Grain-free Porridge - I thought I would never get to have a creamy, warm, filling breakfast cereal again (I am a huge oatmeal and cream-of-wheat fan!). Well... who would have thought that almond butter + coconut milk + coconut flakes + vanilla would be a delicious and creamy winter breakfast? And it seriously leaves me satisfied for hours. (Warm it all up on the stovetop, of course!)

Onions - Anyone who knows me well know I do not like onions. Or peppers. At all. I'm kind of a texture weirdo and I have avoided them my whole life. Now, I've always been able to appreciate the taste of onions (but not peppers) and in the past few months I started recognizing the flavor of onions really added to a meal. So, I started using teeny, tiny onion pieces in my meals. Until this week. I made a roast the other night with large onion chunks (for Tommy - he loves them) and those slices of onions were super delicious. The next night I served sauteed onions as a side dish to our meal. Hah. I am SOLD! So, so good!

Grass-fed Beef - When people would tell me how much more delicious grass-fed beef was versus simple generic ground beef, it would totally go in one ear and out the other. I'm not a ground beef fan. I find it pretty much tasteless and I have never been a big burger fan. When I made spaghetti in the past, I'd use italian sausage instead of ground beef. Until now! This stuff is PACKED with flavor!! And truthfully, it may just be that my taste buds aren't coated with salt and sugar so I am finally tasting the meat. It doesn't matter. It's delicious.

So there you have it! Five new favorite foods in five days! It's like I'm becoming an adult or something. :) You should really give one of these a try!

I made it through my first weekend...!

Well. I mean, I survived. Like, I'm still alive and all. But I don't know how to tell you that I cheated. Twice.

Oh, that wasn't so bad. (Confessions!)

I totally ate one of the donuts my mom brought with her. (However, she is pretty much uninvited from my presence until the paleo challenge is over. Just kidding. Sort of. Wait, life is too short to be serious about that. So yeah, just kidding.)

I also completely planned to cheat (and definitely did) during the Super Bowl. And here I am about 12 hours later to report that apparently my body can already tell the difference between clean-eating-Liz and crappy-food-eating-Liz. Not feeling so hot this morning. Oops.

So! Back on track this morning for sure! The overall challenge hasn't been as bad as I expected. I have already slowly been weaning myself off of sugar and gluten filled foods over time. While I am always "making exceptions," right now, the motivation to complete the challenge has been enough to push away those cravings. Plus, there are so many delicious foods that I can eat. More on that in another post.

On Friday I took the train to Charlottesville to stock up on paleo-friendly foods. Some people at my Crossfit Box had mentioned that Whole Foods had "the best" kombucha on tap. First of all, I had no idea what kombucha was. (I know I'm not alone here, so check out this link for a quick overview. In essence, it's fermented tea.) I did know it was a fermented drink. And I know eating fermented foods is really good for you, but this chick is so not a fan of sauerkraut. So I walked up to the bar at Whole Foods and hesitantly asked to sample the kombucha. You guys, as soon as that stuff hit my mouth my absolute first thought was "Woah. I forgot that wine is fermented grapes." As in... this tastes similar to wine. This is good!

I walked away with a growler full of kombucha. When I got home I helped myself to a wine glass serving size right before bed. And here is what I learned:

It's tea, you all. Like... has caffeine. Right. And...! Apparently you shouldn't just jump right into it. You should only drink 2-4oz a day at first. Not, you know, 8+. Your body needs to get used to it.

Ughhhh.... I was wide awake at 3am feeling pretty ill. That set off my Saturday on the wrong foot and I ended up taking a 2hr nap later that afternoon and going to bed at 8pm that night. So, Saturday was definitely the hardest "stick to paleo" day I had. When I'm sick I just want to eat what I think will make me feel better. In the past that's been saltines... or chicken noodle soup. Or maybe caffeine (to help headaches). It was actually kind of interesting listening to the inner battle going on... wanting to feed my body with foods I know will not nurture it, knowing it was actually a bad idea. I knew I needed to be drinking fresh juice or eating greens... but all I wanted was some buttered toast and saltines. It's crazy, the things that are truly engrained in our minds.

I think this is going to be so much more of a mind battle than a food battle. I'm looking forward to learning more in the coming weeks.

'Til next time...!

Week 1 Meal Plan | #30daysofpaleo

One of the best ways to plan for success is to plan... I can plan 4.5 weekly menus...! Easy peasy! It's following the plan that's the hard part, of course.

Here's my plan for this week:

Friday Breakfast: Eggs with bacon bits, mushrooms and spinach Lunch: Sauteed chicken with sweet potato, brussel sprouts, broccoli and onion Dinner: Spaghetti squash with grass fed beef and tomato sauce Juice: Romain lettuce, a lot of carrots, 1" chunk of ginger, and avocado

Saturday Breakfast: Eggs with bacon bits, tomatoes and spinach Lunch: Leftover spaghetti squash with grass fed beef and tomato sauce Dinner: Taco Veggie Lettuce Wraps with salsa and guacamole Juice: Spinach, cucumber,  a lot of carrots

Sunday Breakfast: Eggs with mushrooms, onions and tomatoes Lunch: Leftover taco meat with salsa and quacamole Dinner: Planned cheat meal for the Super Bowl Juice: Romain lettuce, a lot of carrots, 1" chunk of ginger, and avocado

Monday Breakfast: Eggs with bacon, mushrooms, and spinach Lunch: Sauteed grass fed ground beef with sweet potato, brussel sprouts and onion Dinner: Lemon Garlic Herb Roasted Chicken with Broccoli Veggie Saute Juice: Spinach, cucumber, celery, and carrots

Tuesday Breakfast: Veggie Bacon Frittata Lunch: Chicken veggie salad with avocado herb dressing Dinner: Leftover Lemon Garlic Herb Roasted Chicken with sautéed veggies and Sweet Potato Mash (minus the syrup) Juice: Romain lettuce, a lot of carrots, 1" chunk of ginger, celery

Wednesday Breakfast: Leftover Veggie Bacon Frittata Lunch: Chicken veggie salad with avocado herb dressing Dinner: Sauteed veggies with leftover Lemon Garlic Herb Roasted Chicken Juice: Spinach or kale, a lot of carrots, cucumber, celery

Thursday Breakfast: Leftover Veggie Bacon Frittata Lunch: Brussel sprouts with bacon Dinner: Almond breaded chicken and Cauliflower Rice Juice: Romain lettuce, a lot of carrots, 1" chunk of ginger, and avocado

Oh gosh. I might turn orange with all the carrots and sweet potatoes in my diet. Good thing I can have fruit next week... I'll be laying off the carrot juice for a while!!

Also, as you can see... I have no problem with routine and eating the same meals repeatedly. At least, I have no problem planning it. Let's see if I can stick to the plan, though!