my big vegetarian whole30

Welcome to my big vegetarian Whole30 experience!  First, let me preface this post by saying that I was bad and did not research enough before I started the Whole30.  I was familiar with the concept, but as a vegetarian, it seemed much more challenging when I realized that I was unable to eat any grains or beans along with already excluding meat.  BUT,  I will say that it was easier than I thought it would be.  I wanted to put together some of the tips and tricks that I used in case you are vegetarian and wanting to do the Whole30, but are intimidated by the restrictions.

First off, if you are considering trying the Whole30….DO IT!  Seriously!  It changes how you think about the food that you eat on a daily basis.  I usually eat pretty healthy, but I definitely have a tendency to binge on chocolate and "healthy" snacks.  There are so many "healthy" foods that really aren't that good for you.  I have done 28 day sugar cleanses in the past, but it really didn't even stack up to how differently I felt during the Whole30.

Here are some of the changes that I experienced during the Whole30:

-Energy:  My baseline energy levels increased and they remained more stable throughout the day.

-I completely quit coffee:  I didn't need it!

-Sleep:  I slept more soundly and awoke feeling more rested.  It was also much easier to get up in the morning right away, even after short nights of only 5-6 hours of sleep.

-Mood:  I felt happier & more emotionally stable as the weeks rolled on.  Small things didn't bother me as much as they used to and I had a more positive outlook.

-Food view:   I began to view food differently and was able to see past emotional cravings and view foods for their nutrient density instead.  I began to assess which foods would give me the most nutrients or a different mix of nutrients throughout the day.

-Weight loss:  I lost about 8 pounds, although that was not my goal with this program.

So what was it like?  How did I prepare for and survive the Whole30?

research

Okay, this is important.  Do lots of research before you begin.  There are quite a few ins and outs, especially when trying to figure out what is approved for vegetarians.  For example, did you know that all grains and beans are out?  This includes gluten free healthy grains like quinoa and other legumes like peanuts.  How rude!  And cheese.  Again.  Rude.  Take the time the week or so before you start to research and to find recipes that are compliant that you will like to try.

planning

I would highly highly highly recommend meal prepping.  Seriously, do it.  Save your Sundays for this process because I guarantee, it will make the week ahead a MILLION GAZILLION times easier.  Meal prepping takes out the indecision that can arise throughout the week.  It gives you a clear, obvious answer for what you need to eat that day.  I don't know about you, but I always eat worse when I don't bring a lunch because then I have to scramble to find something healthy and quick.

On a similar note, pack your food the night before for work.  Again, it helps to keep you on track and it saves you time in the morning.  AKA, you can't be "forced" to buy an unhealthy lunch because you didn't have time to pack yours.

cost

There is this idea out there that eating healthy has to be expensive.  It doesn't.  It soooo doesn't.  You just have to be smart about it.  First, familiarize yourself with the local grocery ads.  Foods are different prices at different stores.  In the Twin Cities, we have a grocery store called Fresh Thyme that has awesome sales on produce each week.  Most cities will have something similar.  Fresh Thyme is spread out across the country and I know Aldi usually has good deals on produce.  Stick with your local ads, shop at multiple stores if you need to (you might not be able to get everything for the lowest price at one store), and buy seasonal produce.  This means that the produce is at it's peak freshness and abundance, so it should be less expensive than during other parts of the year.  I also try to make sure that I capitalize on bulk sales.  For example, when almonds were on sale for $5.99/lb., I bought a bunch in bulk so it would last me a few weeks.  I do the same when pistachios are on sale because helloooooo, pistachios are delicious.

Finally, cost is not just about how much you pay when you buy something.  Do you make it worth it once you have it?  I used to be awful at doing a healthy food grocery run overhaul and then it would sit in the fridge and I would do nothing with it.  Now I take a look at the ads, pick what I want to buy, and then find recipes that fit those ingredients.  I try to be super efficient with this.  If I do mess up and have to throw something away, I always question why I bought that item in the first place.  When you're shopping, ask yourself:  will I actually use this?  Only buy it if you will use it in a timely manner and not throw it away.

The most expensive part for me was doing a 2 day juice cleanse for the first two days.  Although it was more expensive, I think it was well worth it and it made adapting to the rest of the month much easier.

my tips & tricks:

Sweet potatoes are your friend.  I ate a literal shitload of sweet potatoes.  Since that was pretty much my only source of high volume carbs, I didn't mind eating them every day.  I mixed in a few other varieties of potatoes, but sweet potatoes are the bomb. dot. com.  I'll post the recipe that I used.  :]

Eggs are also a good friend, although I tried to keep it at 1 per day.  Some days I succeeded, others I did not.  And I have no shame in that.

Mix. It.  Up.  It can be easy to find a few things that you like and to just eat those for 30 days.  And by day 30 you will be bored and chomping at the bit to try anything else.  Try different seasonings.  Try different preparations of foods--hello, zoodles?!?!  Try different foods that you haven't tried before!  It’s one thing to have go-to's, but still aim for diversity.  Not only does it keep things interesting, but it guarantees that your are consuming a variety of different nutrients!

Water.  Drink lots of it.  I was amazed at the end by how much water I was drinking.  I always have a 24 ounce Starbucks cup with me.  When I started the Whole30, I was drinking about 2-3 of these cups every day.  Now I am drinking 4-5 every day.  It actually helps me wake up, too.  I didn’t have coffee until the last week or so and it has been super minimal because I definitely don't want to become dependent on it.

my cheats

Okay, so I'm the first one to admit that I am not perfect.  Not even close.  (Shocking, I know). There are a few products that helped me to survive:

Simple Mills Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Almond Flour Crackers

RX Bars (Blueberry and Apple Cinnamon)

Larabars

Jackson's Honest Sweet Potato Chips

social impact

Okay, so the social impact of the Whole30 can be intimidating.  I rarely ate out on the Whole30 and it was a challenge to explain to friends and coworkers the reasons behind my decision.  It never feels good to have people shame you for a health decision that you are making for yourself.  That being said, it was much easier to stick to once I felt the changes start to take place.  I had evidence that what I was doing was having an impact, which made it much easier to stick to my guns.  Before you start or have to explain to your friends, ask yourself why you want to do this.  Find your why.  It's not the same for everybody and that's okay.  Once you figure out your why, be prepared for a range of responses.  Some people will be in awe and ask how you are doing it and may even jump on board to do it with you.  That's great!  Others will think you are a nut in a box of Cracker Jacks and will dismiss your efforts.  Some might even try to make you feel stupid for trying it.  Don't let those haters get you down.  I know it can be hard.  I've been there.  Remember:  if you are doing the Whole30, you are doing it for you.  Nobody else.

Going out to dinner is a tough one, too because there is such a limited selection of Whole30-friendly foods at restaurants.  If you are comfortable with it, be that person who goes out with friends and inquires about the oils that foods are cooked in, how foods are prepared, and for substitutions to meet your needs.  I think it's funny that one of the common critiques of the Whole30 is that you turn into "that person".  Whatever.  Again, remember that this is for you.  If you are comfortable with it, then go out for dinner and ask the extra questions.  I didn't go out much, but that doesn't mean that you can't.

Here's my advice though:

1. Be honest.  Explain your why to your friends.  Be prepared for a variety of responses.  Just remember, you don't need to justify or argue your decision to anybody but yourself.  This. Is. About. You.
2. If you are feeling really ambitious and don't want to lose the social aspect to food, invite your friends for a dinner party.  Make foods that work for you and for them.  Boom.  Compromise reached.
3. Be prepared.  There were times that I packed my own food for visits to non-Whole30 friendly places or went grocery shopping for myself when I went to visit my sister.  Having my own stash of food made it much easier to stick with it.

Okay, I know this was a lot to take in, but I hope it was helpful.  My next blog project is going to be putting together some of the recipes that I used throughout the Whole30, including some of the juices!  If you have any questions at all about the Whole30 or what I did, please reach out to me in the comments or directly and I can answer them for you!

to your health,

anne

***Correction:  A few weeks after posting this, I was researching the Whole30 again and found that there is a vegetarian FAQ page.  They allow you to include gluten free grains and some legumes, although peanuts are still excluded.  You can check it out here.