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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Whole30 - Unofficial Day 1

Today is my unofficial Day 1 of the Whole30. I will officially start tomorrow, so I may end up doing 31 days. I'm OK with that.

Last night was New Year's Eve. We went to one of our favorite restaurants - J. Alexander's. They serve decadent American fare: steaks, seafood, chicken, salads, burgers, sandwiches and appetizers. They do have Paleo options, but for some reason I always stray when we eat there. We ordered the Spinach con Queso Dip (served with pico de gallo and tortilla chips). We also got sourdough bread to snack on. For my meal, I ate a veggie burger topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and mustard (no bun). I had their insanely cheesy mac & cheese as my side. Can you say cheese overload?


Needless to say, today was a recovery day from all the low-octane foods I put into my body last night. We stayed up until midnight last night as well... that's very difficult for someone who typically is in bed by 9:30pm everyday. Sleep is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

After arising around 8am, I heated up some of our leftover Paleo sausage & veggie pizza that I prepared for lunch yesterday with a slice of cantaloupe on the side. I used this pizza crust recipe from The Unrefined Kitchen. It doesn't really crisp up. It's more of a soft crust, but tastes amazing!

Sausage and Veggie Pizza

1 pound lean ground pork
1 small can tomato sauce (read the labels so it doesn't have sugars - it already has spices in it - you could make your own as well)
1/2 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 - 1 1/2 t. sage
1 - 1 1/2 t. rosemary
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. thyme
A few dashes of red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t. sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

I just cooked the pork and veggies in a frying pan with all the spices (and a little olive oil). After pre-baking the crust, spread the tomato sauce on top. Then I topped with my sausage and veggies. I had some leftover cashew cheese sauce and drizzled it over the top before baking for another 10 minutes.

For the cashew cheese sauce:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 3 hours (overnight or all day is the best)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 T. olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 t. sea salt

Drain the raw cashews. Add to a high-speed blender with enough cold water to cover them (I used my Vitamix). Blend until creamy. Heat olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn. Add to the blender with the nutritional yeast and sea salt. Blend again until smooth. Add water as needed (may need a 1/4 cup to thin it out).

For lunch today, we went to a local sports bar to watch the Purdue bowl game (my Alma Mater). I had their pan-seared lemon salmon plate with broccoli, spinach and red bell peppers. It's a very tasty meal.


Before making dinner, I did snack a little on these. I had three of each flavor: Lemon and Chocolate. There are dates, so these would need to be kept to a minimum during Whole30, but are an occasional treat. I've also tried their Pizza Flax Snax. Amazing.

For dinner tonight, we ate Paleo chicken fajitas served on Pure Wraps with diced avocado and salsa. In my fajitas, I used chicken breast tenders, green/red/orange/yellow bell peppers, onion and a jalapeƱo. Marinade: olive oil, fresh lime juice, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder and sea salt.


Fajitas in the pan
Assembled Fajita



 
I don't feel deprived today. I did feel bored this afternoon and wanted to snack, but refrained. I knew it was boredom and not actual hunger.
 
Menu recap for January 1st
Breakfast: Leftover pizza and cantaloupe
Lunch: Salmon with spinach, red bell peppers and broccoli
Snack: a few Go Raw Super Cookies
Dinner: Two Chicken Fajitas
 
I may snack on some fruit and a few more of the Go Raw Super Cookies and then call it a day.
 
What was your favorite food that you ate today? 

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