It’s almost July and I’m finally recapping my May Whole30…
Admittedly, I was feeling bummed about the fact that I did not post as much as I had wanted to in May, but I decided to let myself off the hook. The saying “you can do anything, but you can’t do everything,” is starting to resonate with me! So, today I want to share a little recap, and a few things that helped our family along on this round of Whole30.
Here’s what has been keeping us busy…
Marisa graduated from elementary school, so there were several end-of-year festivities to plan and attend. End of the year dance recital, enough said! And, you may remember me mention we were right in the middle of listing/selling our house in May. Well, it sold quickly, and we are moving in July. I am really excited about this change, but it’s bittersweet at the same time. We have lived in our house 10 years, and while I am going to miss it, and our sweet neighbors, I am taking away wonderful memories of our family’s first home. All of that being said, it has been a whirlwind of preparing, packing, and purging things as we get ready to move. What a process! As someone with a tendency to hold onto things, I will confess it has felt great to sell, donate, and get rid of things we are no longer using or need.
I’m thankful for the Whole30 and the structure it provides, especially in busy times.
When I’m doing a Whole30, food choices are one less thing to worry about. It’s easier. I know that might sound a little strange, but it takes most of the guesswork out of the food choice equation. Plus, I feel like I am way less likely to succumb to less healthy food choices as the result of being tired or stressed.
You may recall that for this Whole30, I (voluntarily!) cut out caffeine.
Not gonna lie, it was hard. I almost gave up. But, it was only hard for a week. After that, I began to sleep much better and feel more rested. My sleep quality improved dramatically. I am so glad that I pushed through the discomfort to do something good for my body. I have since added caffeine back in, allowing myself only one serving, and only before noon. I can actually feel its affects now, after going without for a month, and I am not sure I like how it makes me feel. I never thought I would say this, but I might continue to be “caffeine clean” for good! Haven’t made that decision yet though…
This time around we kept our meals very simple.
Because we had showings in the evenings, I was only cooking a few meals per week. But, I was preparing extra protein and veggies when I did, so that we had plenty of leftovers. Whole30 friendly meals from Snap Kitchen were also a lifesaver! We added flavor to our simple meals with various sauces and dressings. Marisa really got into this, and was a meal prepping machine. With a new food processor and immersion blender, she had fun gadgets to use to create the recipes. Sometimes that makes all the difference 🙂
These recipes added major flavor to our basic meals:
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Basic Mayo can be used on its own or as a base for flavored sauces/aioli. (Also love this recipe)
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Garlic Basil Mayo/Dipping sauce takes plain chicken breast up a notch. We used the recipe for basic mayo and then followed the instructions in this recipe
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“Dump” Ranch dressing is amazing for dipping cut up raw veggies like carrot sticks and cucumber slices, or drizzled over a salad. Best ranch I have ever tasted…no joke!
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Basil Spinach Pesto Sauce only takes a couple of minutes to whip up in the food processor. We used it to top off spaghetti squash and sauteed shrimp.
Tools of the trade for creating Whole30 friendly dressings and sauces:
Thanks for stopping by!
