Happy New Year, everyone!! I hope you had a fun New Year that had you waking up early this morning, ready to start a new decade. I was feeling a cold coming on yesterday so I stocked up on supplements, took a Tylenol PM, then passed out into the deepest sleep EVER. I’m feeling better than ever this morning and ready to take on a new decade!! Hopefully you’re feeling that same drive! If not, let’s get you prepped and ready.
I know many of you out there are looking to kick start eating healthy in the New Year and I’m here to help. I’ve been created paleo recipes since 2011, which means I have THOUSANDS of recipes to look through, along with three paleo cookbooks to check out. But something I know many people look for in the New Year is Whole30 approved recipes. Whole30 has been around since I started my paleo adventure back in 2010, and it’s something I’ve never been a huge fan of. And that’s mostly because of my personality type. I have some addictive behaviors – those addictive behaviors started with limiting my food intake (eating disorder behaviors), then it led to an addiction to working out (working out multiple times per day), then it led me to getting addicted to Whole30. I was addicted to being addicted. So when I would do a Whole30, I would get OBSESSED with my food. I would worry about everything I put in my mouth, think about food constantly, and plan for what day 31 would look like – aka gorging myself with anything I craved the past 30 days. And I often see that happening to other people, as well. Followers on instagram will comment on a dessert post and say that I’m killing them during their Whole30 and that IT’S ON once they get to day 31. But those behaviors are something I have always wanted to get away from – I’ve wanted to simply eat food when I was hungry, stop when I was full, and be able to eat what I want, when I want, and not obsess about it all day long. And Whole30 didn’t help me do that.
That being said, Whole30 is INCREDIBLY eye opening. When you’re addicted to food (like I was), cutting out foods that destroy you from the inside-out is such a blessing. Because it shows you what feeling normal should feel like. I grew up in constant pain, in and out of the hospital with stomach issues, and no doctor ever told me to look at what I was eating. But when I went gluten-free and finally cut out all the junk food, my constant stomach pains completely went away. And Whole30 can be that same experience for many people, especially if they go back to their normal eating patterns on day 31. Most people become aware of what sh*tty foods do to them and no longer want to eat them. That’s why Whole30 can be so great for so many people.
Before I get into the quick version of Whole30 (which is also all spelled out here), I want to remind you that you DO NOT have to obsess about food. It doesn’t have to run your life (or mind). There is freedom from obsessing, you don’t have to just go from one obsession to another, like I did. Whole30 should be a helpful guide to ease you into understanding what you’re putting into your body and show you that being aware of what you are consuming is IMPORTANT. Will a tablespoon of maple syrup in your coffee ruin your day? Will some maple syrup on your butternut squash dish kill you? Will you instant gain 10lbs because you consumed a squeeze of honey in a side dish? No, no, and no. What will kill you in the end is the constant stressing. I would worry more about the stress than the maple syrup. I put maple syrup and heavy cream in my coffee every day, I consume sugar in some way most days, I eat peas sometimes, I eat gluten free toast somedays, and I do all these things without gaining weight and without feeling like sh*t. I’m no where near Whole30 perfect, but I still feel great and I rarely ever obsess over food. And you can do the same, it may just take some time.
Now with all that being said, here is the quick breakdown about Whole30, but remember you can read it all in-depth here:
- No sugar, real or fake
- No alcohol. Alcohol is poison, anyways
- No dairy
- No legumes
- No MSG
- No baked goods, junk food, or treats
- No stepping on a scale or measuring yourself – this one is my favorite
It’s so easy to get caught up in all the don’ts, but just think about it this way – EAT REAL FOOD. It’s simple. Eat things that came from the earth instead of created in a lab. Stop slamming Monster drinks and start looking at WHY you don’t have energy and need that drink to bring you back to life. Start thinking about nourishing your body with real food so you have the energy to conquer each day. Food is here to fuel you, so fuel yourself with the best ingredients. Below are 70 recipes that will fuel you, keep you thriving, and help you feel like the best version of yourself this decade. Not only is 2020 your year, but it can now be YOUR BEST DECADE. You get to decide who you want to be and how you want to live. So start taking care of yourself – today, tomorrow, and for the next 10 years. You’re going to LOVE how good you feel from this day forward.
Breakfast
Egg-Free Breakfast Bowls
Breakfast Fries
Pizza Egg Bites
Mexican Chorizo Frittata
Southwest Sweet Potato Hash
Supreme Pizza Frittata
Egg-Free Shashuka Breakfast Bowls
Chorizo Plantain Hash
Barbacoa Eggs Benedict with Chimichurri Hollandaise
Breakfast Pizza Baked Peppers
Easy Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast On-The-Go Egg Cups
Chicken
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Curried Chicken Salad
Fajita Chicken Salad
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Soup
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili
Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Indian Butter Chicken
Coq au Vin
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Bacon Alfredo
Stuffed Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken
Beef
Shepard’s Pie (remove peas)
Burger Bowls
Chimichurri Steak Bowls
Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Potatoes
Instant Pot Smoky Bacon Chili
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Sage Beef Stew
Steak Fajita Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Easy Gravy
Red Thai Beef Curry
Pork
Mexican Pumpkin Soup
Instant Pot Carnitas
Cabbage Pizza Rolls
Slow Cook Tomatillo Pork Chile Verde
Truffle Cauliflower Soup with Bacon Crispy Sage
Bacon Braised Collard Greens
Fish & Seafood
Tuna Poke Bowls
Garlic Lime Shrimp Skewers
Seared Ahi Tuna Sushi Bowls
Easy Shrimp Skewers with Chard Cilantro Pesto
Mahi Mahi Mango Ceviche Tacos
Shrimp Piccata Pasta
Creamy Cauliflower Shrimp Chowder
Crispy Skin Salmon with Bernaise Sauce
Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Easy Guacamole
10-Minute Creamy Dill Salmon
Flaky Sriracha Cod Over Parsnip-Carrot Mash
Veggie & Side Dishes
Bacon Cauliflower Fritters
Mediterranean Buddha Bowls
Cauliflower Tabbouleh
Mediterranean Salad
Carrot Fritters with Avocado Cream Sauce
Jicama Apple Slaw
Spicy Curry Duck Fat Shoestring Fries
Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Pesto Soup