I have a confession to make. I HATE meal planning.
Seriously, I hate it. It seems like it takes forever and more than half of the time I don’t even stick with the plan anyway. It just frustrates me and as a result I don’t like spending the time to do it.
But with the Whole30 starting tomorrow, I HAVE to plan my meals. If it were a “regular diet” (meaning choices that I’m used to and not the restrictions for Whole30) it would be different. I could plan one day at a time and be okay. With this, I really have to plan ahead so I can shop and make sure I’m on top of everything. It will be way too easy to grab something off plan if I don’t map things out. In other words, if I fail to plan it really is like I’m planning to fail.
I don’t want to fail. I want this to be a success and for a few reasons… The first is that I’m hoping to get relief from my symptoms and just generally feel better. The second… well, I announced on facebook that I’m doing the challenge and I’ve told family, coworkers… I want to show them I can do it! Failure is not an option – thus meal planning is a necessary evil.
I actually started my meal plan last night with the help of some the Whole30 cheat sheets. I printed a shopping list, pantry guide, and the meal planning “meal map.” I also did some searches for “Paleo Meal Plans” to come up with templates and additional ideas. I also looked up the sale papers for Winn-Dixie and Whole Foods to see what was on sale this week. If I choose food items that are in season or on sale I will save more money so knowing what is on special each week is key.
Then I put it on paper. And yes, I drew out the name in the “style” of the Whole30 font/title design. I will admit, that was half me being artistic and half pure procrastination. I wrote out three meals for each day for the first four days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). Even though I designated specific meals to specific days and times, it’s okay to mix and match within reason. I only did four days so far because I don’t want my produce to go bad and I will reevaluate my needs after a few days.
Here is what I have so far:
DAY 1: Wednesday, August 1st
Breakfast:
3 egg omelet with veggies (bell peppers, onions, spinach)
1/4 cup blueberries
Green tea
Lunch:
Big Ass Salad (aka BAS)
I shamelessly stole this term from Mark Sisson at Mark’s Daily Apple. I’ve actually been making the BAS for a while and I love it! All you have to do is throw a few handfuls of mixed greens in a bowl with whatever fresh veggies (or even leftover cooked veggies) you have around, add some protein and your favorite dressing and you’re good to go! I pre-prep all my veggies, etc so all I have to do is throw my salad stuff in a bowl before I go to bed and grab it on the way out the door in the morning. Easy-peasy.
Dinner:
Grilled flank steak
Sliced tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
DAY 2: Thursday, August 2nd
Breakfast:
2 poached eggs
Sliced tomato
1/2 avocado
Lunch:
BAS made with leftover steak from the night before 🙂
Dinner:
Chicken stir fry
Cherries
DAY 3: Friday, August 3rd
Breakfast:
Veggie frittata
Nectarine
Green tea
Lunch:
Leftover stir fry
Spinach salad w/ avocado
Dinner:
Damn Fine Chicken (recipe from Nom Nom Paleo)
Mixed veggies
DAY 4: Saturday, August 4th
Breakfast:
Veggie frittata (leftovers from Friday)
Cherries
1/2 avocado
Lunch:
Damn Fine Chicken leftovers
Salad
Almonds
Dinner:
Grilled tuna
Salad
Melon
Like I said before, this meal plan isn’t set in stone. I’ve selected what I want to make, I’ve made my grocery list, and I will stock up on what I need. However, I will move meals around as needed. On Friday, I will reevaluate, check the local sale papers, and then plan meals for the next few days. In the meantime I will be posting daily updates about my Whole30 experience here.
Wow, I can’t believe it starts tomorrow! I’m kinda scared but also really excited! Time to get to the grocery store!
Next time on “Here We Go, Paleo!” – Whole30 Day 1
Paleorific! 