if I can whole30, so can you

So I'm not writing this as some sort of whole30 expert or nutritionist or anything. I'm most definitely not. But I felt the need to write this out because so many people have made comments like "I could never do that," and because some days can be hard, so I need to give myself a pep talk. Generally speaking, I can do a whole30, so can you*. I value healthy food or whatever, but on a regular basis I eat terribly. Lots of fast food, lots of pastries from Starbucks, and lots of frozen pre-cooked meals. I actually really enjoy the act of cooking and am pretty good at it, but I hate doing it every day. Why? Three reasons: 1) I hate the clean up. 2) Food preparation is one of my strongest triggers for anxiety. 3) I idolize my time to such a degree that it really stresses me out to think I spent a quarter of my day in the kitchen instead of doing other more productive things. (Okay...I know that you don't actually have to spend a quarter of the day in your kitchen to avoid fast food eating, but still.) So in an effort to demystify this whole process for me, I'm going to walk you through how I make it work. (If you don't know what I whole30 is or why you would do it go over to https://whole30.com/. I'm not here to convince anyone whether or not they should do it. I'm just sharing how I know that you can do it if you've already decided it sounds like a good idea. I'm doing this of my own initiative, too.)

HOW KATIE SURVIVES WHOLE30:
1) Suck it up. It's not that hard--you just have to actually change your habits (which, I know, is hellishly hard). Psychologically, it's hard. In reality? Not really. You may have to slice a cucumber for a snack rather than buy a bag of chips. Cutting a cucumber is not that hard. (The only reason it might actually be really difficult is because it's so hard to purchase food in the US that's not packed with corn or sugar.) Just do it--and only this--for 30 days. Will it be one of the hardest things you willingly put yourself through? Maybe. But it's not crazy. You're just deciding to eat only plants, meat/eggs, and nuts for 30 days. And as I spoke about a few blog posts ago, food actually tastes really good...even without sugar or corn in it. You just have to actually decided you're going to do it and then do it, taking it one week, or one day, or even just one meal at a time. And once you're doing a whole30, don't decide that this is the day to pick up any other resolutions with it. Don't you dare decide it's the 30 days you're going to start doing a couch25k running program. Don't start writing a novel or set up a new chores calendar to start. Just let this be the only resolution for the 30 days. It's enough.

2) Have compliant beverages on hand that you like the taste of and that are not just plain water. My favorites: coffee with almond/coconut creamer, hot tea, water with lemon juice (I buy it bottled for this purpose), sparkling water with fresh lemon and lime juice (tastes a lot like soda), and apple juice (should you drink it for every meal? No. But sometimes you need to treat yo self, so drink a glass of juice). There's something really depressing for me when I feel like I can only drink water. (It's a personal problem.) Drink a lot of water because you need to stay hydrated not because you feel like you "have to because of whole30."

3) You actually have to make plans*. I hate meal planning what food I'm going to eat on which day, so I don't plan out each and every bite I'll take for the week, but I make sure I have enough ingredients for a variety of different meal types with varying prep times. I always have a few options for each meal so that when it comes to eat I don't feel stuck wishing I could just get in the car and find something else. Always, always, ALWAYS have at least one super, super easy and filling option on hand, too. I don't just mean snacks, but things like hot dogs (yes, there are compliant ones) and pre-cut/pre-washed fruit and veggies. You also need to have snacks ready AT ALL TIMES. I've started having sliced cucumbers and baby carrots on hand for snacks so that when I start getting hungry and the idea of a nut-fruit bar makes me cranky, I have something fresh to eat. P.S. Tessamae's ranch is great for dipping veggies.

4) Cheat. Take every single shortcut you can find. Grocery stores have tons of pre-cut fruits and veggies. Tessamae's and Primal Kitchen have really good options for ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, mayo, etc. Yes, it's more expensive to buy the pre-spiralized zucchini noodles from Publix, but it ensures that I'll actually eat a vegetable rather than quit, and it's always going to be cheaper than eating out. Don't make it harder than it has to be.

5) Do the dishes. Everyday. If you don't, you'll regret it. The dishes actually make this whole thing for me much more difficult than the "what I can't eat." You have to make a lot of your own food, so if you're like me, that means a giant influx of dishes. You can't let them back up or you won't be able to cook your next meal (without a lot more frustration...not only can you not just go to Zaxby's, but now you have to clean only to get them all dirty again seconds later).

*These are my favorite "go-to" meals/sides. Look at them. They are ridiculously simple and have maybe 5 ingredients:

BUNLESS BURGERS
Make burgers (I personally like seasoning with minced garlic and salt/pepper) and just eat without a bun. They still taste good, promise.

POTATO/CARROT BAKE
I toss some baby carrots and diced potatoes in some olive oil (and by toss I actually mean spray a garlic infused olive oil I found at Aldi on it and then stir it for a second) with seasoning you like. I personally like doing salt/pepper and a cajun seasoning. I bake it at like 400F for 20ish minutes? Basically however long it takes for me make the burgers happen.

TUNA SALAD SALAD
Can of tuna, salt/pepper, Tessamae's lemon garlic dressing, sliced almonds, romaine lettuce. Mix together. It's amazing.

BBQ CHICKEN SALAD
Mix a can of cooked chicken with some of Tessamae's BBQ sauce and then top it on romaine lettuce.

APPLE W/ ALMOND BUTTER
Seriously. Just an apple with almond butter. It's seriously one of the best things you can put in your mouth.

CHICKEN MEATBALLS & ZUCCHINI SPAGHETTI
Make chicken meatballs with ground chicken and spices (I do minced garlic, onion powder, and a variety of Italian seasonings), find a compliant spaghetti sauce (the trick is to make sure there's no sugar in it), and serve over zucchini noodles (which I buy at Publix and then sauté in olive oil for several minutes).

STEAK
I'll get some steak tips or thinly sliced steaks (because they're faster to cook) and cook them in a pan with spices I like.

APPLE/SWEET POTATO BAKE
Diced apples and diced sweet potatoes. Toss in melted ghee (clarified butter) and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. and top with crushed pecans. Bake at 400F until the apples and potatoes are soft.

GREEN BEANS W/ BACON & ALMONDS
Cook up some bacon (make more than you need so that you have some leftover for breakfast) and toss it in with some green beans and sliced almonds. Not the veggie side to have at every meal, but it's dang good.

SCRAMBLED EGGS & BACON
Seriously...it's in the title. If you get tired of scrambled eggs, top them with salsa. Never underestimate the power of salsa.