I will start this with saying, Whole30 is worth it. Before my first Whole30 I considered myself to be a “healthy” eater, but Whole30 does not lie! Sticking to Whole30-approved ingredients revealed to me how much I allowed to slip through the cracks of my “healthy” diet. It was wounding to my pride and frustrating to my routine cooking methods at first. Somewhere between day 7 and 14 I began to see the light. There was hope. I liked the newfound energy I had every morning when the alarm sounded and all day long. I was happy with the transformation I saw mainly in my stomach – was it possible that I could have abs?! My skin was clear and glowing and I felt so good.
The Whole30 guidelines can seem pretty extreme at first glance, but there really is so much you can eat. The first week I felt like all I was allowed to consume were eggs, lettuce, and water, of which I referred to as, “sad eggs,” “sad lettuce,” and “sad water” all week long. No thanks. Breaking up with coffee creamer and tortilla chips can be a little daunting. It wasn’t until I did a little more research and discovered alternatives that my experience switched from Sad Whole30 to Happy Whole30. Here are a few items I found that are Whole30 compliant, make the switch to Whole30 a little less abrupt, and are actually amazing!
Nutpods
Nutpods is a dairy-free and sweetener-free half and half alternative made from a blend of almond creme and coconut cream. It is available in three primary flavors with fun seasonal flavors throughout the year and is versatile enough to be used in coffee, tea and cooking or baking. A little goes a long way and I find myself being able to stretch one carton over two weeks. I really just love this stuff so much that I can’t say enough good about it.
Trader Joe’s Plantain Chips
Chips and homemade salsa or pico de gallo is one of my favorite afternoon snacks. Corn chips and tortilla chips are a no-go on Whole30, which led me to plantains. Trader Joe’s carries two different kinds of plantain chips – savory and naturally sweet. The savory are smaller disks made from young plantains. I love these with taco salad and as an afternoon, Whole30 approved snack with guacamole. The naturally sweet plantains are long strips made from fully ripened plantains. I am all about the sweet and salty combination. One of my favorite Whole30 dinners is nachos – pile your meat, sautéed peppers and onions, homemade salsa and avocado on top of a pile of these plantain strips and dinner is served.
La Croix
Obviously soda and alcohol are out on Whole30, but sometimes I just really want to sip on something other than water. La Croix is fun and fizzy, taking water to the next level while leaving still, well, water! No sweeteners or artificial funk. It’s also the perfect ingredient for the perfectly Whole30 mocktail. Think mojito, paloma, or watermelon spritzer. Who said Whole30 isn’t fun?
Lara Bars
The secret to Whole30 success is meal planning and preparation ahead of time. This also works out really well for the budget because I make one trip to the store for the week. But what happens when it’s Sunday afternoon and I haven’t made it to the store yet? Lara Bars is what happens. These are my Whole30 secret weapon. I keep them everywhere to prevent a massive Whole30 derail for those sneaky moments when I am ambushed by hunger and I really just want to cave and order take-out. I mean everywhere – my purse, my office, my car, my other purse. No excuses! A Lara Bar is not a meal, but it will span the gap and buy enough time to go to the store and stock up on the right things for the week ahead. Be aware, not all Lara Bars are created equal. Here is a list of Whole30 approved Lara Bars:
- Cashew Cookie
- Carrot Cake
- Blueberry Muffin
- Apple Pie
- Cherry Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Banana Bread
- Lemon Bar
- Key Lime Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
Believe it or not, you have what it takes to tackle Whole30 and stick with it. Now, with a little extra ammo like Lara Bars, La Croix, plantain strips, and Nutpods, you are well stocked for success. Happy Whole30!
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