Our family Whole30 - week 2 & 3 recap

We're now 3 weeks into our Whole30 and I think we can safely say we've got the hang of this. Food prepping and planning is no longer taking longer than usual. We have a pretty solid base of recipes that we're working through and it's become easier to think about ways to adapt our usual eats to fit the Whole30 parameters when we want the old staples. Sadly we haven't yet figured out a way to make sushi, pizza or ice cream work but that's another thing all together. We're surviving without them.

How are the kids doing with our Whole30?

The kids are still going strong with their healthy March too. We've weathered the whining (although even there there was much less than I would have anticipated there being) and they're used to the new normal. The kids are defaulting more often to veggies and fruit and we've swapped out Hayden's unhealthy Kraft mac & cheese for Trader Joe's mac. The Campbell's canned soup is gone and we've got him at least trying some healthier low sodium options. We're still trying to find a keeper there but the fact that he's trying them and keeping an open mind is what counts. He understands why we're hunting for something else. Parker's discovered he loves almond and coconut milk ice cream and homemade protein ice cream. When they're up for a treat, we make black bean brownies and call it a day. I've got to tell you, I'm kind of loving having fewer sweets in the house and think we're definitely going to be keeping a lot of these changes in place well after our Whole30 is done.

Highlights from the past 2 weeks:

• Neither Andrew nor I have cheated once, which is HUGE! It definitely helps to know the rationale behind no cheats. If you put even a bite of pizza in your body, you're effectively undoing the detoxifying effect of getting the grains and dairy out. While I'm not typically someone who is rigid about my nutrition to the point of depriving myself of something I want, in this case I get the rationale so it's easier to stay the course and only eat on plan.

• We're sleeping like babies. Without that food coma effect that we sometimes have after a big dinner or a few days of sugary eating, we're both feeling more mentally clear and refreshed and that's having a positive impact on our sleep.

• Andrew's noticed a change in his clothes and to date is down quite a few lbs. (we'll see if he's ok with me sharing when we finish but for now let's just say he's doing well!) I'm feeling a lot less bloated and sluggish and even though weight loss wasn't a goal for me, I'm down close to 8 lbs in 21 days. We continue to be amazed that we are losing weight and feeling better while still eating bacon and eggs for breakfast and steak and veggies for dinner. This is most definitely not a deprivation diet!

• We've weathered temptations and made it work. Dinner with my parents at one of our favorite restaurants? Check! 22 hour fieldtrip on a bus to NYC and back? Check! Favorite sushi restaurant with the kids? Check!
  
• I've figure out how to shop at our usual stores for foods that fit our plan. We're definitely shopping more heavily at Trader Joes than than Stop & Shop but even BJs has tons of healthy options available which fit our healthier eating plan.

• Here's a sampling of our meals (most recipes are posted under the recipes tab but let me know if you see one you'd like and it's not posted):

We're entering week 4 this week and the end is in sight. What I can tell you though is that we plan to maintain a lot of what we're currently doing even when we're done with our Whole30.

Here's our plan for this week: