Weekly Food Menu - 9.23.19 to 9.29.19 Keto and Vegetarian

Monday
Meal 1: Bulletproof Coffee
Meal 2: Baked Avocado Eggs with Sour Cream and Salsa
Meal 3: Chicken Popper Zucchini Boats
Snack: Sugar-Free Keto Low Carb Key Lime Pie with Cream Cheese and Fresh Whipped Cream

Tuesday
Meal 1: Bulletproof Coffee
Meal 2: Baked Avocado Eggs or Leftover Dinner Chicken Popper Zucchini Boats
Meal 3: Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Snack: Keto Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding

Wednesday
Meal 1: Bulletproof Coffee
Meal 2: Baked Avocado Eggs or Leftover Dinner Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Meal 3: Easy Chopped Avocado Caprese Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Grilled Chicken
Snack: 1/4 cup Fresh Organic Blueberries with 1/2 cup Full Fat Plain Greek Yogurt

Thursday
Meal 1: Bulletproof Coffee
Meal 2: Baked Avocado Eggs or Leftover Dinner Caprese Salad with Chicken
Meal 3: Creamy Chicken Florentine Soup
Snack: Sugar-Free Keto Low Carb Key Lime Pie with Cream Cheese and Fresh Whipped Cream

Friday
Meal 1: Bulletproof Coffee
Meal 2: Leftover Dinner Creamy Chicken Florentine Soup
Meal 3: Easy Low Carb Keto Alfredo Sauce with Spaghetti Squash and Grilled Chicken
Snack: Keto Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding

Saturday
Meal 1: Bulletproof Coffee
Meal 2: Leftover Dinners from the week
Meal 3: Creamy Ranch Cauliflower Risotto with Chicken Sausage
Snack: Keto Low Carb Milkshake Recipe - Vanilla

Sunday - FOOTBALL DAY!
Meal 1: Bulletproof Coffee
Meal 2: Leftover Dinners and Queso Dip in a Crockpot with Veggies
Meal 3: Warm Ranch Crack Dip with Cream Cheese and Veggies
Snack: Any Leftovers from the week

Here are the links for all the recipes listed above:
https://myjourneyworthsharing.blogspot.com/2019/09/new-recipe-bulletproof-coffee-keto-paleo.html
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/baked-avocado-egg-recipe/
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/chicken-popper-zucchini-boats-recipe/
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/broccoli-cheese-soup-low-carb-gluten-free/
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/chopped-avocado-caprese-salad-recipe/
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/low-carb-keto-alfredo-sauce-garlic-parmesan-cream-sauce-recipe/
http://www.justjessieb.com/2019/09/creamy-ranch-cauliflower-risotto-paleo-whole30-keto/
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/how-to-make-queso-dip-in-a-crock-pot-3-ingredients/
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/warm-ranch-crack-dip-recipe/
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/no-bake-key-lime-pie/
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/low-carb-keto-sugar-free-chocolate-pudding-recipe/
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/keto-low-carb-milkshake-recipe-vanilla/

It’s been an interesting few weeks for me as I switched over to a Keto diet, this has been a whole new experience as I have not had diary in over a year and a half.  I was very nervous about how my body would react to it but I’m happy to say it’s been good.  The first week I definitely felt really full and bloated however I think that was from the higher fat as I have not been use to eating.  I’m really excited about this weeks recipes as I have made a few of her recipes and they are very tasty.  I have used a combination of Keto and Vegetarian since my older daughter has been no longer eating meat, I don’t want to cook several different meals each night so I’m trying to find the best of both worlds. Hope very one has a very happy and healthy week!

New Recipe - Bulletproof Coffee (Keto, Paleo)

Bulletproof Coffee

Ingredients: 
8 oz hot coffee
1 tbsp organic grass-feed butter (Ghee for Paleo)
1 tbsp organic MTC oil

Add in options
A few dash’s of Cinnamon
A drop of Almond Extract
A drop of Vanilla Extract (omit if using Vanilla Stevia)
A few drops of Stevia (I like Vanilla Stevia) or a package of Stevia or Truvia (depending on how sweet you like it) or 1 to 2 tbsp Maple Syrup for Paleo (omit for Keto)
1 to 2 tbsp Heavy Cream (Coconut Milk for Paleo)

Directions:
1. Add all of your ingredients to a bullet blender or Ninja blender, blend for a few seconds or until everything is smooth and mixed well.  Pour into a coffee mug and enjoy!

This is so amazing, I tried this yesterday at a friends house and now I’m hooked.  The flavor and richness of the coffee is amazing and it really curbs my appetite for several hours which helps on a busy schedule.  Enjoy!!!

Basic Bulletproof Recipe 

Creamy and Delicious!

These are add in's but you can change it up to 

Weekly Food Menu - 9.2.19 to 9.9.19 Paleo and Keto

Monday
Meal 1: Leftover Meat Bagel with Egg, tomato and avocado
Meal 2: Leftover homemade chicken salad (using leftover cooked chicken)
Meal 3: Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs with Old-Fashioned Mock Potato Salad with Eggs
Snack: Mixed Berry Muffins

Tuesday
Meal 1: Eggs Florentine Skillet
Meal 2: Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
Meal 3: Vegan Pesto with Sautéed Veggies and Chicken (my own recipe)
Snacks: Cinnamon Bun Minute Muffin or Keto Protein Shake (post-workout)

Wednesday
Meal 1: Eggs Florentine Skillet
Meal 2: Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
Meal 3: Chimichurri Chicken Breast with Summer Squash Sauté
Snack: Mixed Berry Muffins or Keto Protein Shake (post-workout)

Thursday
Meal 1: Eggplant and Bacon Home Fries with Eggs
Meal 2: Leftover dinner or Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
Meal 3: Sausage Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Snack: Mixed Berry Muffins or Keto Protein Shake (post-workout)

Friday
Meal 1: Eggplant and Bacon Home Fries with Eggs
Meal 2: Leftover dinner or Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
Meal 3: Jerk Chicken Legs with Bacon Cheddar Mock Mashed Potatoes
Snack: Cinnamon Bun Minute Muffin or Keto Protein Shake (post-workout)

Saturday
Meal 1: Maple Pecan Drop Scones
Meal 2: Leftover dinner or Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
Meal 3: Chicken Scallion Stir-Fry with Cauliflower Rice
Snack: Butter Pecan Pound Cake and/or Keto Protein Shake (post-workout)

Sunday
Meal 1: Maple Pecan Drop Scones
Meal 2: Leftover dinner or Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
Meal 3: White Fish en Papillote with Roasted Cauliflower
Snack: Butter Pecan Pound Cake or homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream

All this weeks recipes are from one of my favorite Low Carb cookbooks that I use to use from time to time, I decided to bust it out for this week as the recipes are pretty easy to make and they are all very delicious.  Most of the week is still Paleo friendly however I will be introducing some diary back into my diet to add a little more fat variety instead of just eating avocado all the time. I do love eating avocado but I need to change things up, I did buy some organic cottage cheese that I would like to try as I use to love eating that with some fresh berries as a quick snack or early breakfast if I was busy or short on time.  I will have some heavy cream with some recipes or homemade whipped cream for a quick and easy keto dessert.  I will also have a little organic full fat cream cheese in my mock mashed potatoes at the end of this week. I will keep an close eye and track of my foods again this week to see how I’m feeling, any differences in my body and any stomach.   Hope everyone has a happy and healthy week!

This is the cookbook I’m using this week, it can be found on Amazon for less than $20.00 and is a great cookbook especially for lower carb meals.  I have made several recipes and they are coming out tasting fantastic.

Weekly Food Menu - 8.26.19 to 9.1.19 Paleo and Keto Week

Monday
Meal 1: Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice with Taco Turkey Meat
Meal 2: Leftover dinner
Meal 3: Veggie Ranch Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (cauliflower)
Snacks: Lemon Vanilla Meltaways

Tuesday
Meal 1: Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice with Taco Turkey Meat
Meal 2: Leftover dinner
Meal 3: Instant Pot Chicken Soup with “Rice” (Cauliflower Rice)
Snacks: Strawberry Avocado Spinach Protein Smoothie

Wednesday
Meal 1: Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice with Taco Turkey Meat
Meal 2: Leftover dinner
Meal 3: Easy Tahini-Marinated Chicken with Garlic Sautéed Broccoli
Snacks: Lemon Vanilla Meltaways

Thursday
Meal 1: Keto Turkey and Breakfast Skillet with Kale or Spinach
Meal 2: Leftover dinner
Meal 3: Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Snacks: Strawberry Avocado Spinach Protein Smoothie

Friday
Meal 1: Keto Turkey and Breakfast Skillet with Kale or Spinach
Meal 2: Leftover dinner
Meal 3: Crispy Salmon Filet with Zoodles in Lemon Balsamic Dressing
Snacks: Lemon Vanilla Meltaways

Saturday
Meal 1: Meat Bagels with Egg, Spinach, Tomato and Avocado with fresh organic raspberries
Meal 2: Leftover dinner
Meal 3: Going out for dinner
Snacks: Strawberry Avocado Spinach Protein Smoothie

Sunday
Meal 1: Meat Bagels with Egg, Spinach, Tomato and Avocado with fresh organic raspberries
Meal 2: Leftover dinner
Meal 3: Keto Oven Baked Magherita Chicken with Sautéed Onions, Garlic and Yellow Squash
Snacks: Lemon Vanilla Meltaways

Here are the links to the websites for the following recipes listed above:
https://myfoodstory.com/low-carb-mexican-cauliflower-rice-recipe/
https://blog.paleohacks.com/turkey-egg-breakfast-skillet/
https://ditchthewheat.com/meat-bagels/
https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/ranch-turkey-meatloaf-paleo-whole30/
https://www.evolvingtable.com/roasted-garlic-mashed-cauliflower/
https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/instant-pot-chicken-rice-soup-paleo-whole30/
https://blog.paleohacks.com/tahini-marinated-chicken
https://www.paleoscaleo.com/chicken-bacon-ranch-casserole/
https://iheartumami.com/crispy-salmon-filet/
https://paleoleap.com/keto-oven-baked-margherita-chicken/
http://fedandfit.com/21-dsd-lemon-vanilla-meltaways/

After coming off of Whole30 earlier this week and reintroducing some foods back into my diet, I’m not feeling like I was last week with Tigers Blood so it’s back to the drawing board for me which means I want to try some different foods and watch my carb intake for this coming week.  I’m going to journal this week and see how I’m feeling each day as I want to see if I notice any differences from this week to next week.  I’m excited to try a bunch of new recipes from all different websites, not sure if the family will be all over them but I will see what they think. Hope everyone has a very happy and healthy new week!

New Recipe - Strawberry Avocado and Spinach Protein Smoothie (Paleo and Keto)

Strawberry Avocado and Spinach Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/4 cup organic frozen or fresh strawberries
1/4 cup coconut cream or full fat coconut milk (canned)
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or coconut milk (container)
1/4 Avocado
1 handful of spinach
1/2 to 1 scoop of Paleo Protein Powder
Sweetener of choice (honey, maple syrup, coconut palm sugar, stevia, truvia) or omit all together

Directions
Place all the ingredients in order into a bullet or blender, mix until smooth.  This is 1 serving so if you are making a batch for the family just increase everything by 4 expect the protein powder I would only add two scoops not 4 scoops or will be too much.

Whole30 Links And Resources

It's never easy starting a new program and with the Internet at our finger tips it can be overwhelming with all the information out there.  I’m not a certified Whole30 Coach yet but I did want to share some of the resources I use and provide some helpful resources for all my newbies about Whole30, from the details of the program, to shopping lists from various stores, recipe links, measurement charts and my Facebook group.  I have done a lot of reading and searching on the Internet along with reading all of Melissa Hartwig’s Whole30 books “It Starts with Food” and “Food Freedom” along with all her cookbooks so I wanted to list out these resources to help those who are interested in learning about the program.  For those looking for a change in their life or a reset from their daily unhealthy eating habits, this is a fantastic program.  It was absolutely changed my life and my relationship with food, I have learned so much about myself and how I let food control my life for so many years.  I love this program so much that I have shared it with many of my friends and family who have also joined me on my journey and their own journey.  The results along the way have been outstanding, at first it was about weight loss for me but after going through the program and watching other peoples transformations along with myself Whole30 is so much more that.  Body changes, mood changes, will power, cooking delicious recipes, medical changes...I could keep going it’s that amazing.

My recommendation before starting Whole30 is to read her book “It Starts with Food”, it’s a full detail and background of how the program began and how it works.  I don’t recommend just jumping into it without reading the book or going over the program online, I usually set a whole week aside before starting a round to get myself ready with creating meal plans, grocery lists, food prepping and cleaning out my fridge and/or pantry of all my trigger foods.  This is key to be successful, if you are not prepared you will fail and be discouraged which is not fun, so being prepared will help keep you on track and allow you to enjoy the program and all the benefits it has to offer.  Whole30 is not for everyone and it can be hard especially if you are doing it by yourself, that is why I created a Facebook group to help with daily motivation, sharing recipes, food pictures, links, Non-Scale Victories, health articles and just a place for people to ask questions and share their updates and downs.

Whole30 Books:
It Starts with Food
The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom
The Whole30 Cookbook
The Whole30 Fast and Easy Cookbook (Best Ever)
The Whole30 Slow Cooker (Love this book too)
The Whole30 Friends & Family: 150 Recipes for Every Social Occasion (Releasing in October)
The Whole30 Day by Day: Your Daily Guide to Whole30 Success
The Whole30 Food Freedom Forever: Letting Go of Bad Habits, Guilt, and Anxiety Around Food

Whole30 Website 
https://whole30.com/
https://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/
https://whole30.com/category/whole30-101/
https://whole30.com/category/socializing-and-traveling/
https://whole30.com/whole30-pre-workout-post-workout/
https://whole30.com/prepare/?gobacktext=Return%20to%20my%20whole30%20dashboard&gobackurl=https://whole30.com/do-the-whole30#prep
Whole30 with family and kids: https://intentionalbygrace.com/whole-30-challenge-with-kids/

Shopping Lists, Guides and Must Haves 
https://whole30.com/downloads/book-shopping-list.pdf
https://physicalkitchness.com/whole30-convenience-foods-grocery-list/
http://stayfitmom.com/whole30-travel/
https://greatist.com/eat/whole30-approved-kitchen-staples

Whole Foods Shopping Guide:
https://mealpreponfleek.com/the-ultimate-whole30-whole-foods-grocery-list/

Thrive Market Shopping Guide:
https://www.wholekitchensink.com/thrive-market-whole30/
https://lifehealthhq.com/thrive-market-whole30/

Trader Joe’s Shopping Guide: 
https://physicalkitchness.com/the-ultimate-trader-joes-whole30-shopping-list/
https://www.sustainablecooks.com/best-ever-trader-joes-whole30-shopping-list/
https://littlebitsof.com/2016/03/whole-30-trader-joes-must-haves/

Costco Shopping Guide:
https://www.tasteslovely.com/the-ultimate-whole30-costco-shopping-guide/
https://littlebitsof.com/2016/01/whole30-costco-must-haves/

Target Shopping Guide:
https://littlebitsof.com/2017/01/whole30-target-must-haves/

Sprouts Shopping Guide:
https://littlebitsof.com/2017/08/whole30-sprouts-must-haves/

Kroger/Fry’s
https://littlebitsof.com/2016/06/whole30-ralphs-kroger-must-haves/

My Favorite Whole30 Recipe Websites:
https://whole30.com/category/recipes/
https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/diet/whole30-diet/
https://www.skinnytaste.com/recipes/whole-30/
https://paleoglutenfree.com/recipes/
https://physicalkitchness.com/category/recipes/whole30/
https://therealfoodrds.com/category/specialty-diets/whole-30/
https://www.bulletproof.com/recipes/whole-30/best-whole30-recipes-1b2b2g3c/

Measurement Chart:
Women's chart - https://www.liftingmakesmehappy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/beachbody-measurement-tracker-female.png
Men's chart - https://i.pinimg.com/736x/07/63/aa/0763aa68b0d2fd92ddcfd0015a1a5e67.jpg

My Facebook Group - My Journey Worth Sharing
You will need to find this group and send me an invite, once I'm able to view the invite I can accept you into the group.  This group is not only used for Whole30 by for every day sharing of recipes, workouts, motivation and just supporting each other whether we are on a round or not.  It's a great way for us to stay connected and engaged in living a healthy lifestyle.

This page is consistently being updated so please check before each round that way you have the most updated information.  Good luck to those doing Whole30!  Again I'm not an official Coach yet but I can help guide you if you need help based on the resources I have provided above.

Whole30 Weekly Meal Planning - Always Be Prepared!

For anyone who is interested in doing Whole30 the biggest advice I can give you is to make sure you are prepared before you begin your round.  A huge part of this journey is preparing your meal plans, grocery shopping and meal prepping, if you miss any of these steps your round of Whole30 will be even more challenging.  I tell all my family and friends to be PREPARED because if you are not you will FAIL...yes I’m that blunt and direct when it comes to this because I care and don’t want to see anyone fail during their round it’s that important to me to see everyone get the full benefits of this program.

Step 1:
The first step is creating your weekly meal plan, there are a lot of Whole30 recipes online or you can use the Whole30 Cookbooks which I love.  I usually change it up each week by going back and forth with website recipes and my cookbooks as it depends on what is going on in our lives and how much cooking I actually want or have time to do. I use the same Meal Plan each week as it’s easy to fill out and great to have on display for the whole family to see what we will be eating during the week. My meal plan is set up with the date on top and week I’m currently on during the program, then I have sections for Meal 1, Meal 2, Meal 3 and snacks (I don’t usually snack unless I’m working out and next an extra meal or out and need one as an emergency).  I write down each of my recipes in each box so I’m know what I’m making on those specific days, most of my lunches I use for leftover dinners from the night before however if you notice you don’t have any dinner leftovers you can definitely add lunches to your meal plan.  I try to stretch breakfast out for at least 4 days that way I’m only making two different breakfasts for the week and not something different every day.  Dinners I do make a different recipe each night as I don’t expect my family to have the same thing every night plus I use those for leftovers the next day for lunches.  Then by the end of the week I sometimes try to leave Sunday open for any and all leftovers to eat that day as I don’t like wasting food.  If I have a lot of something like with a stew or chili I will then put them in a freezer zip lock bag and freeze them for a quick meal another day when I’m in a bind.  Try to make things easy on yourself as it can be overwhelming especially the first week.  Once you get into meal planning you will love how easy it is and how helpful it can be during the week.

Step 2:

The second step is creating my weekly grocery list.  I make four sections Fruit/Vegetables, Dairy/Non-Dairy, Meat and Canned/Other staple items, then I look through each recipe and write down exactly what I need even the staple items.  Then when I’m done I look through my list and check in my fridge, freezer, pantry and baskets to see if I already have some of those items that way I’m not buying too much stuff and wasting food. Once your grocery list is made, it’s time to hit the stores.  The first week you may have to go to multiple stores to find your items which is okay but may be exhausting, once you have all your Whole30 staple items the next few weeks of grocery shopping with be a breeze.  I usually start stocking up on my staple items a week before doing my round to make grocery shopping much easier on me.  Check out my list of favorite Whole30 Staple Must Haves at the following link http://myjourneyworthsharing.blogspot.com/2019/07/whole30-pantry-must-haves-also-paleo.html which happens to be on my blog under Whole30. Once you have purchased everything, it’s time to head home and starting preparing your foods and recipes for the week.

Step 3:
The third step is the most time consuming part of your weekend.  This is where you lay out all your stuff you just purchased from the grocery store or stores and begin to prepare your meals. I like to put all my veggies in my sink full of water and let them soak while I pull all my recipes and lay them out, that way I know how to prepare my veggies, meaning do I slice, chop or dice them based on what the recipe is showing.  I take one recipe at a time and figure out what I need to prepare ahead of time and get that all ready then I place my ingredients in a zip lock bag or container and label it with the recipe name on it so when I’m ready to cook that meal most of the work is done.  I do the same with my meats which is usually chicken, ground turkey or salmon.  Then I like to cook my breakfast for the first few day’s of the week that way it’s all done and I prepare my lunches if I’m using a recipe otherwise I will use leftovers from the weekend.  The first week of Whole30 I make a lunch for the first two day’s to get me started then the rest of the week I use dinner leftovers.  My preparation can take several hours depending on how much food I had to prepare, I would say an average I spend any we where between 3 to 5 hours which is a lot but once it’s all done my week is set and cooking is much faster and easier.  I don’t cook my dinners on Sunday as I have time during the week to do that and prefer them to be made fresh each night.  So typically make my sauces and dressings the day of the recipe and then just throw it all together each day.  Having my veggies and meat all ready prepared makes it easy when cooking dinner.

I know this is a lot of information and things to do but I promise your round of Whole30 will be so much easier when you are prepared and in control.  I know it’s hard to do meal prep on the weekends with life and family stuff going on so I just encourage you to do your best and be as prepared as you can for the upcoming week.  If you aren’t ready it will be very difficult to stay on course, make sure you have back up meals or emergency snacks with you just in case.  Remember why you are doing this and how much better you will feel when you are ready and prepared.  Good luck with completing your round of Whole30, if you need any support please comment below on my blog or reach out to me on Facebook or Instagram.