How I did it. An overview.

I spent a solid week researching and ramping up for this. And probably 3 months talking myself into it in bits and pieces. When I first came upon the idea of the Whole 30, I knew it would be good for me. But I really, truly from the bottom of my heart did not think I could do even three days, forget 30.

First, I read a LOT of the whole 9 website. Everything you'd need to know is on there. A printable shopping list, lots of manifestos about why you're NOT eating certain foods, if you want to know that. I did purchase the book, so I'd have a full understanding of what I was doing, but found that most of the information is available on the internet on various websites.

Throughout the process, if I came to a wall or had a question, just a thorough google search would give me several answers to compare from both real people, the whole 30 forum, and other "paleo" bloggers. I have been keeping a pinterest board to help us transition our foods to more whole foods and to do way less (if any?) processed foods (even some treats). All of this transitioning will take some time. I'm trying to wean the shortest one in the house off goldfish crackers. Plus, if goldfish crackers are in my possession, I basically eat the whole bag. Health food might look different to everyone. I'm going to give this system a solid try, and see if it will work for us.

Getting started: The stock-up

We're fortunate to have an EarthFare food store very close-by. Otherwise, maybe a Healthy Home market, Trader Joes, Home Economist or other good health food grocery store would probably work.

General:
Almond flour (not to make cookies or anything, but occasional "breading" of chicken, pot roast, etc.
Also bought tapioca flour and coconut flour to use on occasion.
Good eggs--go ahead and get two dozen if you plan on eating them for breakfast and making some things like mayo and coconut creamer for coffee. And get the good, free-range omega-3 ones while you're at it. Regular grocery stores have these and often put them on sale.
CANNED Coconut Milk: get it from the Asian section. Get the full-fat kind. No sugar. I used at least 5-6 cans in 30 days.

Produce:
I stocked up on vegetables that were (A) on sale or (B) I knew I already really liked. It's important for the first few days to make food you already like and not try to go out on limbs. It actually may be important for the whole 30 days. It was for me. My go-to veggies are: green beans, broccoli, zucchini, squash, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, raw spinach leaves and romaine/mix salads, peppers, asparagus and tomatoes. Best fruits for me are banana, apple, grapes, mandarin oranges (in juice, not syrup), strawberries, & plums. I like a few other fruits, but those are the ones I would grab.

Oils:
very important to have the "right" fats on-hand. I bought coconut oil, some extra-light olive oil (good for making mayo or anything else where you don't want or need the olive taste). I already had EVOO at home. If I could have found Ghee (clarified butter), I would have gotten it on the first run. GET THE GHEE. It should be in the same grocery neighborhood as these other items. Ghee saved me when I needed a little buttery flavor or I didn't want my food to have the coconut-oil flavor as much. You can also make your own clarified butter, but by the time you buy really good butter to do that with, you may as well get it ready-made.


Salads:
1.  Just make your own dressing. Find a sugar-free recipe or make a standard vinaigrette without sugar or sweetener.
2.  My favorite is a recipe I made before all of this. I omitted the sugar. The sugar does it make it the best salad dressing on the planet, however.

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

1/2 c. sugar or splenda (not on Whole 30)---I am going to try this now with a dash of honey

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
*1 tsp. worchestershire (forgot this when I initially posted)

Mix together and pour into a container (I use finished olive oil bottles) and shake well. 

Store UNREFRIGERATED for up to two weeks.

3. My favorite salad base was raw spinach. Felt like real veggies with nutrients versus some lettuces that are not as nutritive. I added a little apple, strawberry or a small amount of dried berries to help with the bitter flavors. If you liked raw veggies more than I do (hardly at all), this is a great place to add in some carrots, broccoli, cucumber, etc.

Treats:
Doing a whole 30 really isn't about treats. When I wanted to "splurge," or was hungry on the go, I found that Larabars worked for me. The blueberry, cashew cookie, & banana bread were the best. (Read ingredients...they aren't ALL compliant.) If I started to get hungry, and it wasn't meal-time, I would have a small snack of almonds or pistachios and a little bit of fruit. One day I cooked some apple slices in ghee and sprinkled them with cinnamon. They honestly would have tasted better fresh and crisp.

Eating out:
It's sooo much easier just to eat at home. We went to a sushi/Japanese place for a friend's get-together at one point, and I just ate before I went. There was really going to be nothing there that would work. I was very dedicated to having the closest guideline-following experience I could. The only times I felt that I had "cheated" in any way was trying to eat out. It's just hard to know what those folks are cooking in back there. I ate salads out and brought my own dressing. I carried an apple in with me, so I could cut it up in my salad. I asked for no cheese, no croutons, whatever I needed to. I looked up allergen information at Qdoba and Chick-fil-A, as they have to list soy, gluten, and dairy. Panera just says that any of their food might come in contact with an allergen. Thanks, Panera. Way to go. Chain restaurants are at least good about having nutritional information on their websites. But if you have to get some grilled chicken and a salad out, you just need to. I say, it's radically easier to eat at home or pack some stuff if you ever have the chance. I did eat at a Mexican restaurant on day 30 and got fajitas with no tortillas, rice or beans. Just meat, veggies, lettuce, pico and guacamole. It was awesome.

Favorites:
Spaghetti, pot roast, fajitas, steak, grilled chicken...I just ate them without their gluten or rice friends while husband and short guy ate them with. That helped life feel a little normal.