Whole 30 Update

Well, I am here to admit I'm a Whole 30 dropout (sort of). As much as I wanted to do it while breastfeeding, it just wasn't possible for me to keep my calories up enough to maintain my milk supply no matter how much I ate. I ended up losing 5lbs in 4 days- which is normally great, but not while nursing. With Whole 30, one of the biggest keys to success it preparation. You really can't have any pre-packaged food, so in order to have any snacks on the go, I had to make them ahead of time. Chasing around an active toddler and feeding a 3 month old around the clock doesn't leave much time for healthy snack prep on a regular basis. At the rate I've been eating, I can only eat so much fruit, veggies and things with dates. Dustin, however, is still doing it so I am still making Whole 30 meals and eating them with him. I am just adding back in my pasta, whole grains and a mug of ice cream at night dairy. Combine this with the fact that I'm back in the gym and I still think I'm moving in the right direction. Anyway, here are a couple recipes that we have loved and I wold make again Whole 30 or not.

Date, Shallot and Rosemary Chicken (originally from here)
4 large chicken breasts (I actually used 8 smaller chicken thighs as they were on sale)
2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
7 medjool dates, pitted and diced
3 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Grease a baking dish with cooking spray (I used coconut oil)

3. Line the dish with chicken and top with your sliced shallots and dates.

4. Now pull the rosemary off one of the sprigs and toss over the chicken, then place the remaining 2 rosemary sprigs around the chicken.

5. Mix together the oil and your vinegars and pour over the chicken.

6. Bake 30 min covered and then 5-10 min uncovered to brown the top.

Lemon Artichoke Chicken (adapted from here)
3-4 chicken breasts
1 can of artichoke hearts (I bought mine from Trader Joe's)
1 sweet onion sliced
1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic- peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalmata olives
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Spray your baking dish with cooking spray (I used coconut oil)

2. Line baking dish with with chicken and top with artichoke hearts, onion, olives and garlic.

3. Slice lemon and squeeze some of the juice on top, and then lay the slices on top of the chicken.

4. Sprinkle olive oil on top of chicken and season with salt and pepper. I also topped mine with leftover rosemary from the dinner listed above.

5. Bake at 350 covered for 30 min covered and then 5-10 min uncovered.

Cashew Coconut Energy Bites (adapted from here)
1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
8 pitted dates
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I actually used a dried fruit mixture without added sugar)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Combine everything in food processor until it forms a ball. If it seems too dry, add water one tablespoon as a time until it sticks together.

2. Roll mixture into small two-bite balls and then roll in shredded coconut.

3. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

Carne Asada (from here)

2-3lb flank steak
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 limes, juiced
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika

Directions
1. Combine vinegar, oil, lime juice, garlic and spices together in a bowl for marinade. Allow the steak to marinate for at least 1 hour up to 24 hours. 

2. Broil the steak for 6 minutes on each side and allow to rest for 10 minutes. You can also grill it if you'd like.

Top with some fresh avocado and enjoy- this was so yummy! I served it with pineapple coleslaw (recipe below).

Pineapple Coleslaw (from here)
1 cup broccoli slaw
1 cup diced pineapple
3/4 cup dried cranberries (no added sugar)
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of 3 limes
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Mix everything together in a large bowl and enjoy!