My first Whole30 meal (planned, anyway)

We've all done/participated in healthy eating trends, right? No matter where we are in our physical health, we all seem to think we could be doing better. And I know FOR SURE that I could be doing better. I've always had a slim figure, but just because I have a slim figure, doesn't mean I'm in shape or am living a completely healthy lifestyle. Appearances aren't everything, people! I've struggled with stomach and digestive issues the majority of my life (we'll get into that on a later date), but despite all of the issues, I've never given it my 100% best effort at trying to determine what is actually causing the issues.

I tried an elimination meal plan a couple months ago. And by "tried", I mean...went to the store, bought all the ingredients, and proceeded to eat like I normally would because it was TOO MUCH WORK trying to cut all of the amazing ingredients I loved out of my diet. Pasta...gone. Sweets...gone. Bread...gone. This diet plan eliminated even more than the Whole30 diet plan does. I couldn't eat any acidic fruits and veggies...such as peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc. I couldn't eat any nuts (Whole30 allows all nuts outside of peanuts). I couldn't eat any sauces or dressings, even if homemade. It was TOUGH and, needless to say, it didn't last long at all. The only thing I kind of stuck to eliminating was dairy products. A while I do think it has helped, it hasn't completely solved my problems. So! Here we are, on the Whole30 journey, and I'm hoping I'll discover what is at the root of my stomach/digestive concerns!

We started the Whole30 meal plan from Real Simple Good and so far it seems really easy and sounds like pretty good food! They provide weekly meal plans with all of the instructions and shopping lists included! All you have to do is add the items into your Walmart Grocery app and show up for pickup (or actually go to the store and pick it up yourself, if that's what you're into). Doesn't get much easier than that! The first recipe I made was our breakfast for a couple days: Mushroom, Spinach & Bacon Egg Muffins. TBH, they look a lot worse than they taste. I was surprised that I liked them, actually, because I'm not a cooked spinach OR mushroom fan...and those are obviously two of the main ingredients. BUT, I added a little bit of salsa on mine for breakfast and they were good! Plus, they kept me full until lunchtime, which can be a challenge.

As you can see, they're puppy approved. :).

I'll include the ingredients and instructions here in case you're interested! They were pretty simple to make and can be stored in the refrigerator to eat on the rest of your week.

Mushroom, Spinach & Bacon Egg Muffins

Ingredients:

10 pieces of bacon, diced (I used precooked because it's easier)

1 shallot, diced (I used green onion)

2 cups mushrooms, diced

2 cups spinach, finely chopped

10 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 TBS avocado oil (used to grease muffin tin - I just used olive oil cooking spray)

Instructions:

1. (If using uncooked bacon) Heat large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add bacon to cook until crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. While bacon is cooking, cut up mushrooms, shallot (green onion) and spinach.

3. Preheat oven to 375.

4. Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk until combined.

5. Add bacon, mushrooms, shallot, spinach, salt and pepper to bowl. Mix to combine.

6. Grease a large muffin tin with avocado oil (or spay with olive oil cooking spray).

7. Spoon egg mixture into muffin cups; about 3/4 of the way full.

8. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

9. Remove from oven and allow to cook before refrigerating.

Thank you, Real Simple Good, for this recipe and many others to come!

January is going to be a month of healthy living and I'm inviting you all to join me in my journey! If you ever have any concerns of your own and/or suggestions on how to possibly improve my digestive health, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to hear from you!

Happy eating!

A place to be #unapologeticallyme.