It’s now the end of day 22 for my whole30, and it’s time to start planning on how this will carry over into a long term nutrition plan.
The Whole30 plan is extremely restrictive for several reasons: to promote a healthier relationship with food, to detox from sugar, to heal the gut, and to eliminate potentially irritating foods from your diet so that you can test them one at a time later. Obviously, it’s a difficult thirty days and is not intended to be followed forever and ever.
As it stands, I’ve experienced excellent results from this Whole30 – lost pounds, pants are fitting more loosely, more energy and focus, etc. As a result, I plan to follow these guidelines for my long term diet:
- Continue to base meals on vegetables, cooking at home at least 5 days a week
- Allow honey back into my diet (sparingly and probably as the only form of added sugar)
- Continue to forgo fast food, frozen food, and other forms of over-processed food
- Allow dairy back into my diet (sparingly – based on my first Whole30’s food reintroduction, dairy had no real effect on my body)
- Eat whatever I want once during the week (when at brunch or out)
- Allow paleo-ified versions of food (paleo cakes, cookies, pizzas, etc.)
- Allow grains like quinoa and brown rice
I’ll continue blogging recipes and experiences as they arise.
Zucchini Noodles + Buffalo Meatballs
Total prep to plate time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
4 zucchini squash
1 lb buffalo meat
4 cans tomato sauce (make sure there’s no sugar added)
3 cloves garlic
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs coconut flour
1 egg
red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
Steps
Preheat your oven to 430 degrees.
Using a mandolin or knife, cut zucchini squash into long strips and place in a colander (make sure it’s in the sink). Cover the strips with salt and let them set for twenty minutes to draw out all of the moisture and prevent zoodles from getting mushy.
While the strips are in the colander, mix together the meat, coconut flour, egg, red pepper flakes (however much you want), one half of a can of tomato sauce, and any other seasonings you like in meatballs. If the meat won’t stick together in balls, add a little bit more coconut flour. Roll in balls, place in a glass casserole dish, and cover with tomato sauce. Place them in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
After the zoodles have drained in the colander for 20 minutes, rinse VERY well with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the olive oil and minced garlic cloves into a sauce/frying pan (or a wok if you have it), and heat (medium-high) until you can smell the garlic. Add the zoodles and saute for approximately 4 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. I like the zoodles to remain somewhat firm.
Remove meatballs from oven, add meatballs and sauce to zoodles, and eat. NOMNOMNOM.
Janeesa Hollingshead 