Whole30 Food Favorites

Yesterday, I shared about our Whole30 experience. Today, let’s talk FOOD FAVORITES!! I am happy to share some of my favorite recipes later, but for now, here are some of the staples we wouldn’t want to have done without these 30 days.

1. COFFEE. I love coffee. Even black coffee. In fact, especially black coffee. Prior to this challenge, I always put a tsp of real maple syrup and some half & half in my home brewed coffee before, and I opted for lattes at the coffee shops, but now, I can’t get enough of a good cup of high quality organic brewed beans in my aeropress. Thank you, whole30, for letting me keep my daily joe.
2. Ghee. It was nice to be able to make clarified butter from my Kerrygold and use it as a cooking fat.
3. Fried Plantains. We didn’t discover these until the last week of the program, but we LOVE THEM. Seriously, we are obsessed with salted plantains pan fried in coconut oil. Amazing snack.
4. Almond butter. Yes, please.
5. Toasted Coconut Chips. These are delicious and divine.
6. La Croix. We didn’t drink soda before, so we weren’t replacing other carbonated beverages, but when you can’t have any treats, there is something so refreshing and exciting about getting to have a flavored sparkling water.
7. Lara Bars. Not for everyday use, but when you’re in a pinch and need some food STAT, we loved having a few of these on hand. (Not all flavors are whole30 approved. Check for added sugars).
8. Epic Bars. These were especially appealing when we were traveling. A little protein/meat boost is the perfect thing for a hungry traveler.
9. GT’s Kombucha. As if I didn’t already love this stuff already. Every once in a while we treated ourselves to a GT’s Kombucha because they don’t add sugar to their brews. Our favorite flavors are Gingerade, Trilogy, and Gingerberry. Yum!
10. Aidell’s Chicken Apple Sausage. This is the only flavor I could find that was whole30 compliant, but it was a breakfast staple for us.
11. Eggs. We have never gone through cartons of eggs as quickly as we did this month. We found that we were eating full breakfasts every morning, and eggs were a staple of that.
12. Sweet Potatoes. In soup, as a side, for breakfast. Sweet potatoes all the time.
13. Avocado. The yummiest of healthy fats.
14. Spices. I am certain that eating lots of meats and vegetables does not mean it can’t be full of flavor! Thanks to lots of garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, Bragg’s seasonings, allspice, etc.
15. Nuts. Almond butter. Raw Almonds. Pecans. Cashews. Almond milk. Thank the Lord for nuts!

Over the next few weeks, I will share a few more recipes that we have loved! If you are planning on trying the Whole30, be sure to follow @whole30recipes on Instagram! That was a really helpful resource for me.