I can list about 10 people I know who are are trying to eat better and are giving Whole 30 or Paleo a try with the new year. I have shared before on THIS post that I have eaten Paleo for about 3 years. I was not as strict while I was pregnant and while I have been nursing. I didn’t want to restrict anything for risk of losing my milk, I ate oats, dairy and wheat when I wanted it. Now that Finn is 9 months I have started again to be a 95% Paleo eater. I have to admit I did try macro counting for about two solid months. I got burned out on that real fast, I don’t have the time to weigh all my food and I don’t want to send that message to my girls of obsessing over food. I did like parts of it, like paying more attention to the amount of protein, fats and carbs my body needs. But you can do that by making sure you eat a balanced diet. I have to say that I see the BEST and fastest results and I am the happiest with myself when I eat Paleo and a Whole 30 lifestyle. I see the most muscle definition when I eat Paleo. I don’t drink any caffeine at all and sleep about 6- 7 hours a night. Eating a healthy diet and loosing an hour of sleep to actually workout every morning GIVES me more energy. Amazing how that works.
I do get asked often what my favorite meals and snacks are. I thought I would share what saves me while on Whole 30 and my Paleo lifestyle. These are not sponsored. These are just things that have helped me.
The hardest part for me when I go strict Paleo cutting out on a little sweet treat. Even natural sugars are a no-no to loose weight and if you are on the Whole 30 diet. So that means no honey, no maple syrup, no dried fruit and very limited fruit.
WHOLE 30 AND PALEO SNACKS
The way I curb those sweet tooth cravings are with my new favorite drink called Crio Bru, I am seriously so in love with it. I want to tell everyone about it. Crio Bru is a superfood and an all-natural coffee alternative (does not taste like coffee) made from cocoa beans, roasted and brewed just like coffee. It tastes more like really dark chocolate- or unsweetened hot cocoa. It is 99% caffeine free and actually high in antioxidants and has ZERO additives and the best part- Only 10 calories per serving and 0 sugars! YES! So it is Whole 30, Paleo, 21 Day Sugar Detox approved. I found my Cri Bru online HERE. I love the peppermint flavor HERE. You could sweeten with Truvia or sometimes I added a little coconut cream to it.
I brew mine in THIS really cute French press. Or you can brew in a coffee maker, if you have one. You can also use the french press for loose leaf teas, that I love as well. I actually don’t add any sweetener to mine. I just mix two tablespoons of the Crio Bru in boiling hot water and follow the instructions on the french press. You could add some coconut milk to it. I really like dark pure chocolate so I enjoy the taste just as is.
Speaking of drinks. I find that when I drink something warm it really fills up my belly and helps me to feel full before bed. THIS tea is another favorite. I like it again without any sweetener in it. It has a warm honey flavor that is very calming before bed.
I have shared my favorite protein bites before. But I thought I would share them again. I had spent a lot of time a while ago looking through a lot of Protein Bite recipes on Pinterest. I came up with my own recipe that has ZERO added sugar. It is hard to find any that do not add honey that are Whole 30 compliant. I love these because they totally feel like a treat to me. Again they have that dark chocolate taste that fills that desire for a sweet treat and they actually leave me feeling satisfied and full!
- 1/2 cup almond butter (I buy mine online HERE)
- 1/2 cup chia seeds (I buy mine online HERE)
- 1 scoop protein powder (I buy mine online HERE )
- 1/4 cup cacao powder unsweetened
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut and another 1/2 cup to roll in at the end
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or mint extract is really good too
- Additional add-ins-
- 1/4 cup Cacao Nibs HERE (these are an alternative to chocolate chips- bitter chocolate that adds a yummy crunch and flavor *they don’t taste too great on their own)
- 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries
- Shredded Chicken (we used a Rotisserie Chicken and shredded it)
- Shredded Carrots
- Bite Size pieces of Red and Yellow Peppers
- Raw Broccoli Slaw
- Cooked Pasta (this is really great for kids to feel like they aren’t just eating veggies)
- Butter Leaf Lettuce (to use as your wrap)
Lettuce Wrap Sauce Recipe
- ½ cup canned full fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup smooth almond butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (I buy mine HERE it is the BEST replacement to soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (or sriracha)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey (don’t add if you can’t have sweetener on your diet)
- 1 minced garlic clove
- pinch of salt
Cook all of the above ingredients in a medium sauce pan. The original recipe says to blend it in the blender after, I didn’t do that and it turned out great. Adapted from THIS recipe.
A BIG favorite with every member in the family is my Paleo Pot Pie. I shared the recipe HERE. I get nervous sharing recipes that I made up, but I have heard from several of you and good friends who have tried it and loved it. So add that to your list!
WHOLE 30 AND PALEO BREAKFAST
The breakfast that I eat about 90% of the time are eggs with veggies. I love to do a lot of broccoli, peppers and onions with my eggs to fill me up. If you want something different your your breakfast these are our favorite Paleo Crepes. My girls love them.
All you do is beat 1 Tablespoon Arrow Root Powder with 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of water. Just wisk those ingredients together so there are no clumps and there you have it! I used 5 eggs, 5 Tablespoons water and 5 Tablespoons of Arrow Root Powder to get nine 8″ crepes. My girls eat about 3 of these when I make them, but they add Nutella to theirs. I like them with a little almond butter and blueberries.
One thing I am LOVING lately are THESE shakes from Daily Harvest. They are so convenient and help to keep you on track with eating healthy and Paleo. I love that I can grab one and hurry and blend it and it is packed full of veggies and healthy ingredients that I don’t always have on hand. Use code NESTINGWITHGRACE for three FREE smoothies on your order HERE.
Find a bunch of meals I make week after week HERE
What I buy from Trader Joe’s and a Shopping List for you too HERE
ALL my other Healthy Recipes HERE I share ONLY the recipes that we make again and again
A few other tips that keep me on track with the Paleo Diet-
- Buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it to keep on hand in the fridge for quick meals and when you are starving before dinner
- Keep chopped up veggies ready in the fridge to grab instead of chips. If you are like me and will eat the entire bag of sweet potato chips- just don’t even buy them!
- Drink WATER! I keep water in THIS tumbler to keep the ice cold for a million hours- this really helps me drink the most water. Used coupon code NESTINGWITHGRACE for 10% off!!
- Hang on and keep up your diet- it gets easier after day three!
- Track how you FEEL. Do you feel bloated at night anymore? Do you feel better making healthy choices rather than guilt at the end of the day? Those are wins!
You can find more Paleo and Whole 30 meals HERE where I shared how I food prep for our family for the week in just a few hours.
Hopefully my little tips help you if you are going to start eating clean and healthy this year!
This recipes sound delicious. I want to try all of them but the Cri Bru I can’t wait to get. What flavor do you like in this? I see there are several to choose from.Thanks for all of the info.. on everything. I want to order this . If you could tell me what flavor you get I’ll try that first.
Thanks Donna! I did the light roasted and have liked it! I want to try them all too:)
Funny, bought 2 bags of Crio Bru at sprouts after Christmas in the clearance aisle for $2…. so excited to try it, especially after reading your post. I bought the pumpkin spice… wish they had the chocolate at the time… will have to keep an eye out for it.
That is a really good deal!! Good job buying it! I am always on the look out for it- hard to find so amazon did the trick.
Love to hear how you like the pumpkin!
All of these recipes sound great! Will definitely be trying them soon! Thanks!
Awesome! Let me know how they are!
I am thinking about trying Whole 30 but have to admit….dang. It sounds so hard. I’m going to follow your recipe boards to see if I can get over my commitment issues!!! Gulp.
HAHA! You could try the 21 day sugar detox…a little less of a commitment 🙂