Whole30 Resources and Advice: Budget-Friendly and Body-Celebrating Whole30 Favorites

TW: disordered eating, eating disorders

It’s that time of year again…Whole30 January! This year will be a little bit different, since we will be in the middle of a pandemic and will be quarantining and then doing “Christmas” with Andrew’s family (aka we are stopping halfway through the month). However, I’ve done Whole30 approximately five times now so I’m compiling a couple resources that I use and have loved if you’re looking to do one this year. It always makes me feel better after two months of eating delicious sugary starchy food that makes me feel quite ill to do a Whole30 and get back to moving my body a bit more, but if it’s not for you…you know yourself best so you do you, boo! Dairy just seems to make me feel pretty sick the older I get so it’s good to just eliminate it for a short time. I did a round up of my favorite Whole30 restaurant options in the area as well if you’d like to get carry-out. Andrew and I also really enjoyed Territory meals for our Whole30 to make things simpler (and cut down on dishes)! If you’d like to try Territory use this link, or use this promo code “SIIS” to get $25 off your first two months!

You can read more about my very first Whole30 journey here. This was all the way back in 2016, and I’ve gained a lot of perspective and a whole slew more yummy recipes since then!

A message about doing Whole30

Whole30 always makes me feel my best so I continue to do it in January, but my life is not ’bout that diet culture life so don’t get sucked into it. If you eat something wrong just keep going…sorry but no one needs to start again. That’s ridiculous. No body got time for that, we got worse health concerns than eating oat or some soy in something. Also, don’t break the bank on a Whole30…find meals and snacks you like that are satisfying and stick to those. The easiest and cheapest Whole30 is to make a batch of something and eat it for the next three days (hello, pulled Buffalo Chicken!). Another fun idea is to do a “soup swap” with a friend doing the Whole30, because the most annoying thing about doing this whole thing beyond not eating sugar is for SURE the sheer amount of dishes you will do. Prep breakfasts ahead of time…trust me on this one. As always, choosing to do a Whole30 isn’t about hating yourself. You’re perfect the way you are, you beautiful creation! But you will feel a LOT better on your inside afterwards.

Mental Health and Whole30

Please monitor your mental health throughout (and after), and make sure that you’re having a healthy and positive response. After I did my first Whole30, and after a series of very serious personal hits in 2016, I got really militant about food and started becoming a disordered eater, so make sure to check in on yourself. Disordered Eating helpline. I do not recommend this for people with a history of disordered eating or other food related disorders. We are already under an intense amount of stress in this time, so please be gentle with yourself. I find that my depression intensifies around Day 7 – 10 (it’s the sugar) and then starts to get better. You CAN do this, friend!

Andrew and my favorite Whole30 meals:

(I don’t have specific recipes for these because we’ve modified them so much, but here is my big Whole30 Pinterest board and my January 2021 board)

-Pulled Buffalo Chicken (on a baked Sweet Potato or alone)
-Bacon, Eggs, Roasted Broccoli
-Pulled BBQ Pork (just get compliant BBQ sauce)
-Carrots, Raisins, Pistachios (we eat this as a slaw or salad)
-Cast-iron mustard brussels sprouts and pork chops
– Steak, potatoes, green beans
-Sweet potato soup with coconut cream (SO GOOD)
–Compliant sausage or bacon egg casserole

Whole30 Favorites Shopping List

Fun Fact: A the very beginning my 2019 Whole30 I met the love of my life, my husband Andrew! He picked out restaurants that would be compliant the whole time we were dating and he even made me a few Whole30 meals! So if you do Whole30 while dating just know that a real partner is one who supports you through this! Love you, Andrew!

Want real life advice from a friend about doing Whole30 (especially as a person feeling pretty bummed out by diet culture)? Email me at thelowlowstyle (at) gmail.com and I’ll help you out the best I can! I’m not licensed by Whole30, but I have done it a number of times and read all the books. Plus, when you’re not a “health junkie” or “workout fiend” just doing something good for your body can feel really heavy…I’m not any of those things, just your friend slogging through sugar withdrawal (-: