Slid(er)ing into Whole30 like…game on! After downing sugar cookies like it was my job, I’m diving head first into the new year and another January Whole30. Since this is round two of January Whole30, I like to think I’ve grown to be a bit wiser so here I am sharing with you my wisdom (and pitfalls). The key to success? Planning. And lots of snacks. Read on for a Whole30 meal plan (and recipes!) that will save you from the hangries.

In case this is your first rodeo, the Whole30 program was started by Melissa Hartwig, a nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author of The Whole30, Food Freedom Forever, It Starts with Food and The Whole30 Cookbook. The idea arose in 2009 to eat only clean foods for 30 days as a personal challenge that caught fire. And here we are following in her footsteps, with a focus on cleansing the body of inflammatory foods and more mindful eating. The rules are simple, but it’s a tough act to follow.

Here’s a quick recap of the rules, which you can also find on the Whole30 website:

Whole30 Rules

Rule #1: Eat real food. Whole foods, with ingredients you recognize.

No artificial garbage.

Rule #2: Avoid these potentially inflammatory foods.

That means no:
-Sugar, real or artificial.
-Alcohol, even in cooking.
-Grains or gluten-free pseudo grains.
-Legumes or peanuts.
-Dairy, cow or sheep.
-Baked goods, junk food or treats that contain “approved” ingredients. For example, pancakes. The goal is to break the craving, not replace it with coconut flour pancakes.

That’s a heckuva lotta ‘no’s. But, it’s doable. Here are my critical tips for success:

1.) PLANNING: Meal prep and planning is critical. There’s nothing worse than realizing you don’t have anything to eat and then falling off the bandwagon. Make large batches of compliant foods on Sundays so you can eat care-free for the rest of the week. Or, make larger portions for dinner so you can eat leftovers for lunch.

2.) SNACKS: Finding yourself hungry without compliant foods is the danger zone. Assemble an army of MVF’s (most valuable foods) that will keep you energized in between meals like fresh fruits, nut butters, unsweetened dried fruit, nuts (with the exception of peanuts) fresh veggies and guacamole.

3.) HYDRATE: Oftentimes when we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty. The great thing about Whole30 is that it causes us to think first before grabbing something. If plain water doesn’t do it for you, try prepping water with lemons, cucumber, berries, etc. for something more flavorful to sip. Sparkling waters are a great option if you’re craving something with bubbles. Teas without caffeine also keep me from reaching for sweets, especially at night.

So where to start? See below for my 6-day meal plan, along with my original recipes for survival. Note that this is part 1 in a two-part series. I’ll be sending along the remaining recipes in part 2. Good luck and stay compliant, my friends!

Delicata Egg Sliders
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
-2 Delicata squash, sliced into 1-inch rounds as shown
-12 pasture-raised eggs such as those from Vital Farms
-Salt, pepper and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-optional fresh parsley and Parmesan*

*Recipe is both Whole30 and Low FODMAP if Parmesan is excluded.

Directions:
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Drizzle olive oil on a large sheet pan and place the squash rounds in a single layer on the pan. Drizzle with additional olive oil using your finger to ensure the surface is fully coated to get a nice golden crisp and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the squash from the oven and flip over the squash rounds. Crack an egg in the center of each ring and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper. Place
back in the oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on how done you like your eggs.
Step 3: Remove the pan from the oven and option to garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan. Serve two slices each on their own, with a grain such as quinoa or with additional roasted veggies like brussel sprouts.

Spaghetti Squash with Cashew Ricotta
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Spaghetti Squash
– 1 spaghetti squash
– 1 jar of marinara sauce (without added sugars)
– option to add meatballs, ground turkey or ground beef
Cashew Ricotta
-1 1/2 C cashews, soaked overnight (or at least 4 hours)
-1/2 C water
-1 T apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
-1 clove of garlic
-2 T nutritional yeast
-dash of onion powder, salt and pepper

Directions:
Step 1: Make the spaghetti squash by cutting in half horizontally with a very sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds and strands. Place a damp paper towel on a microwave safe dish. Put the spaghetti squash halves on the paper towel-lined dish, cut side up. Microwave for 15 minutes, or until the flesh of the squash is tender. Remove from the microwave and once cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape out the strands. Place the spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl.
Step 2: Prepare the cashew ricotta by placing all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Place in a small bowl.
Step 3: Heat the marinara in a microwave safe dish or over the stove top in a sauce pan until warmed. Add the marinara to the bowl of spaghetti squash and stir until combined. Option to add the ricotta directly to the bowl of spaghetti squash, adding as much as you like. Alternatively, plate individual servings of the spaghetti squash and marinara, topping with your desired amount of cashew ricotta. Option to add your desired meat.

Chorizo Sweet Potato Sliders
Makes: 12 sliders
Ingredients:
Sliders:
-1-2 sweet potatoes
-1 chorizo package, 10 oz.
-1 bell pepper
-1 jar of salsa verde
Guacamole:
-2 avocados, pitted
-1 small plum tomato, diced
-1/4 onion, diced
-1 lime, quartered
-handful of cilantro, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the sweet potato “buns” by slicing the sweet potato into thin rounds, approximately 1/4 inch thick. Drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan to lightly coat the entire surface. Place the sweet potato rounds on the sheet pan in a single layer. Put in the oven for 15 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork. There should be some brown toasted marks as well. Remove from the pan to cool.
Step 2: Make the guacamole by mashing the avocados in a small bowl. Add the diced tomato, onion and cilantro, stirring to combine. Squeeze in 1 wedge of lime and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir, taste and add more lime, salt and pepper as desired.
Step 3: Prepare the chorizo by adding it to a pan on the stove top over medium heat. Break apart the chorizo into crumbles as it continues to cook. It’s done once browned and slightly toasted. Remove from the stove top.
Step 4: Assemble the sliders by adding a heaping spoon of chorizo to each sweet potato round. Layer on guacamole, a sprinkle of the chopped red pepper, cilantro to garnish and a drizzle of the salsa verde.

Sweet Potato Toast, 3 Ways

Ingredients:
-1-2 sweet potatoes
Cinnamon Banana “Toast”
-1 banana
-Nut butter of choice
-Cinnamon
Avocado “Toast”
-1 avocado
-1 lime
-salt and pepper to taste
-black sesame seeds
Berries ‘n Creme “Toast”
-1 can of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
-1 carton of fresh berries

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the toast by slicing the sweet potato horizontally, approximately 1/4″ thick. Spray or drizzle a sheet pan with olive oil to lightly coat. Place the sweet potato slices on the sheet pan in a single layer. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. The slices are done when easily pierced with a fork and slightly browned. Remove from the oven to cool.
Step 2: Assemble the Cinnamon Banana “Toast” by layering your favorite nut butter on a slice of the sweet potato. Slice a banana and place the slices on top of the nut butter covered “toast”. Sprinkle on cinnamon.
Step 3: Assemble the Avocado “Toast” by thinly slicing an avocado. Place as many slices as you like on a sweet potato slice. Drizzle with a lime wedge, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and black sesame seeds.
Step 4: Assemble the Berries ‘n Creme “Toast” by first placing a metal bowl in the fridge or freezer an hour beforehand. Open the can of coconut milk (which should have been in the fridge overnight or at least 8 hours). The cream and water should have separated. Scoop the cream out of the can and place in the cooled metal bowl. Beat with an electronic mixer until soft peaks form, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Scoop a heaping spoonful of the cream onto the sweet potato slice. Top with your favorite berries. Option to layer on honey (not Whole30 compliant).

Mango Coconut Chia Pudding
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
-1 can of full-fat coconut milk in a 14 oz. can
-2 mangoes
-1/4 C of chia seeds
-optional unsweetened coconut chips for garnish

Directions:
Step 1: Make the chia pudding by opening the can of coconut milk into a medium mixing bowl. Use an immersion blender to combine the solids and the liquid so no chunks remain or whisk by hand. Once blended, stir in the chia seeds so distributed throughout. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
Step 2: Make the mango puree by slicing the mangos into chunks. Then, peel the mango and toss the skin. Place the flesh in a food processor and pulse until it is the consistency of  a thick jam with some chunks remaining. Alternatively, use a fork to mash by hand, but this will take some time and muscle.
Step 3: Assemble the mango chia pudding by layering about 1/4 of the mixture in the bottom of 4 glasses, reserving a little of the mango puree as a garnish. Remove the coconut chia pudding from the fridge and layer evenly across the glasses. Garnish each glass with the remaining puree and optional coconut chips. Enjoy!

The post Whole30 Survival Guide: Part One appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Hello, lover. Basic veggie burgers be gone because I’m some kind of sweet for these vegan and gluten free sweet potato burgers. Loaded with quinoa and Cannellini beans for a protein packed patty of sweet, sweet goodness. 

With Memorial Day coming up, I’ve got burgers on my mind, veggie burgers, that is. While anyone can make a good burger, veggie burgers are a bit trickier to navigate and the frozen ones are generally loaded with all kinds of fillers or isolates to amplify the protein. And let’s be honest, the Morning Star burgers are good, not great. When I want to sink my teeth into a burger, I want big juicy greatness to make it worth the while. Enter, the the sweet potato burger.

These sweet potato burgers can come together in less than 20 minutes if you follow a few hacks. First, microwaving a sweet potato is totally righteous and will save mega time. Pierce with a fork, place on a microwave safe plate and heat for 5-7 minutes. Baking might be better, but ain’t nobody got time for that. Second, make the quinoa in advance so you can just throw it right in. I usually make a big batch of quinoa every Sunday and throw it in everything from stir fries to burrito bowls and salads. These two hacks will save you upwards of an hour! Hello, I have things to do and people to see!

Now my one precaution with this recipe is that it is very sticky. Two things can help: 1.) consider refrigerating the mixture in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and 2.) option to coat the patties in panko bread crumbs, which also gives it a nice crisp on the outer edge. Honestly, I don’t usually do either, but you do have to be very careful when flipping and make sure to have a nice sear on the bottom before you flip so they don’t fall apart.

Other than that, these are a piece of cake and re-heat super well. If making on the grill, I highly suggest placing them on a sheet of tin foil. Happy flippin’ burger season, friends!

Sweet Potato Burgers with Quinoa
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
– 1 sweet potato
– 1 15 oz. can of Cannellini beans
– 3/4 C cooked quinoa
– 1/4 white onion
– 1/2 tsp garlic powder
– 1 T nutritional yeast
– 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Step 1: Cook the sweet potato. Poke holes around the sweet potato with fork. Place on a microwave safe dish and heat on high for 5-7 minutes, depending on the size of your sweet potato. The sweet potato is done when you can easily pierce through the center with a fork. Let cool, then peel away the skin and place the flesh of the sweet potato in a medium mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add the onion to a food processor and pulse on high until medium diced. Rinse the Cannellini beans and add to the food processor. Pulse with the onions until you form a rough paste, allowing for some lumps of partial beans, which give the burger texture.

Step 3: Add the bean mixture and the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl with the sweet potato flesh. Mix well. Form the mixture into 4 patties.

Step 4: Heat a skillet to medium and grease with coconut oil or your favorite oil/spray. Add the patties to the skillet, 2 at a time, if needed. Brown each side for about 5 minutes, being careful when you flip.

Step 5: Assemble the burgers with your favorite fixin’s! Shown: avocado, tomato and purple daikon on a pretzel bun.

*Recipe adapted from Popsugar.

The post Sweet for Sweet Potato Burgers appeared first on The Shooks Life.