Whole30: day 13

We're in quite a rhythm with Whole30 eating right now, almost two weeks in. We have a breakfast routine down with a few options that I can cook up quickly or some things we can grab and go.  If I am looking for something quick and small (e.g. before a 5:30am swim), I'll have a banana with almond or cashew butter or a Kit bar (made by Clif). Note that the Whole30 suggests not to include fruit in a pre-workout meal but I just don't feel like eating veggies at 4:45am!

If I need something more substantial (e.g. before a long ride or after an early Am workout), I've been cooking up scrambled or poached eggs with some form of veggie and/or sausage (Aidell's chicken apple) scramble. My favorite combination is sausage, mushrooms, spinach and sweet potato with half an avocado alongside eggs. Thankfully I made a huge batch of the scramble at breakfast today so I'm all set for tomorrow too. PurplePatch swim and run will require some serious post-workout refueling!

Favorite breakfast: spinach, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, sausage with scrambled eggs and guacamole

Same sausage scramble but this time poached eggs and fruit too

WholeFoods to the rescue: frittata with chicken and avocado

Sweet potatoes, bell peppers, spinach and sausage, eggs and avocado

As for dinner options, we've had a fairly varied menu and we've eaten out more times than I thought we would... and with success! I was worried that I would annoy the servers with all my questions but they tend to "get it". They are clearly used to food allergies and picky eaters in general! I enjoy cooking but on days when my schedule is nutty or on a weekend evening, it's just nice to change the scenery. We realized that steakhouses are one of the best choices... simple piece of meat with some basic sides such as steamed broccoli, sautéed spinach, sweet potatoes. At Izzy's on Saturday night, we even discovered their chimichurri sauce is compliant and delicious!

Great friends still invite you over for dinner when you are on Whole30:
grilled chicken with roasted veggies and a mixed green salad

Spiced chicken and parsnips

Burger, sweet potato fries and sautéed Brussel sprouts

Cauliflower fried rice with shrimp and bok choy

As far as Blanco is concerned, the best meal to date has been my "Whole30 shepherd's pie". My tweaks were to use ground buffalo rather than ground beef (sautéed up with carrots and onions) and sweet potato topping. To get some extra fat in the dish, I crushed up some cashew nuts and added to the top of the pie for some crunchiness, then served some steamed broccoli with a squeeze of lemon on the side... super simple!

Now, after all this Whole30 eating, you might ask, how do I feel? I have definitely noticed that my energy levels are more consistent. I am also not nearly as hungry (#hangry) as I used to be... After a breakfast at 8am, I used to be gnawing on my arm wondering if I could eat lunch by 10:30am or 11am, but now, I feel satiated much longer. I think I am eating slightly more quantity than I used to eat for breakfast (yoghurt, fruit, granola) and it is clearly sustaining me throughout the entire morning. Also, after finishing each meal, I no longer have that feeling of a *big food baby*! After feeling light-headed for the first few days of eating this way, I now feel back to normal... I think increasing food, in particular fat quantity helped. Thanks @gosonja for that!

During and after workouts, I have deviated from the strict Whole30 protocol, as I am using Nuun for hydration and Osmo recovery drink mixed with almond milk for a recovery drink (adding for full disclosure!).

This coming weekend will be a test of our nutrition plan since training volume is set to increase dramatically. Rich and I will be heading down the California coast to Santa Monica on our bikes... I think it's about 460 miles of riding in 4 days. I'm more worried about Rich finding enough food to get through each day's ride. We've been packing bananas, nuts, Lara bars and Kit bars on rides and runs recently but those choices will get old fast this weekend!