whole30 - must haves

I can't believe there are just a handful of days left before we finish our Whole30! It went by so much faster than I expected and was much easier than I expected. I do believe that a lot of has to do with preparation and having the right ingredients and tools on hand. On that note I wanted to share a little bit about things that we found really helpful on this journey. 

Let me start out by saying that pre-Whole30 both papa bear and I had a big problem with diet coke or just sweetened beverages in general. I was the worst, I couldn't even imagine eating a meal without some sort of "juice" or soda. So I knew a glass of water with lunch or dinner wouldn't cut it. We instead stocked up on Pellegrino at Costco and I took Jenna's recommendation and bought the Tazo iced tea in passion that I already loved so much at Starbucks. I would make batches of the iced tea or jugs of water with berries and citrus fruit and I can honestly say I happily enjoy my meals with either one of those beverages. There are even days I do just have a glass of water (we drink plain water throughout the day as staying hydrated is of utmost importance). 

Next, I'll brake down the products we use the most on a practically daily basis:

1. Pineapple - this was a lifesaver for me when it came to cutting my sweet tooth. The first few weeks I practically lived on this stuff - just cut up in a bowl with some mango, in a smoothie or to flavor my water. My "dessert" cravings are essentially gone now but I've loved adding pineapple to savory dishes as well - kebabs, cauliflower "rice" or just sautéed with veggies. So, so good. Costco has fantastic ones for pretty cheap too!
2. Eggs - these little darlings will become your best friend on this diet. It's absolutely insane how many eggs we end up going through in this house per week! I eat some version of eggs for breakfast practically every day, we snack on hard boiled eggs (that are easy as pie to make in the oven) and I've whipped up an omelet for dinner when I'm feeling lazy. I've been getting the most divine bright yellow ones at the farmer's market and I don't think I could ever go back, even Whole Foods eggs don't have yolks this bright!
3. Grill pan - this thing is our everything. From the very beginning we both knew that if we weren't eating meals that were even more delicious than what we regularly ate we would never make it. Grill pan to the rescue! We picked this one up at T.J. Maxx for $15 and I have no complaints! Thanks to this pan we have had kebabs, steak, lamb chops and grilled just about anything you can imagine. It's also such a healthy way to cook your proteins. It's provided us with some very, very delicious and decadent meals with very little effort. 
4. Bananas - these are a close tie with eggs for how many we go through. Breakfast, snacks and as a base for smoothies we eat this all day every day. I buy a good two or three bunches every weekend and end up freezing half a dozen or so on Sunday to have them ready for smoothies. Papa bear's patented snack has become a banana with some almond butter, not my thing but he loves it!
5. Coconut milk - this has become my dessert. It is the most amazing base for smoothies! It instantly takes a boring smoothie up a notch, making it taste like something you would enjoy while on vacation. This brand in particular is great because it's free of anything yucky. We get ours at our local Asian market but I've heard you can get it through Amazon too. 
6. Limes - we must have gone through five pounds of these at this point. Throw it in some water, drizzle it on meat or do what I do practically every day and use it as the easiest dressing in the world to add a little kick to any salad. Love, love, love these things!
7. Coconut oil spray - I'm not sure who else sells this other than Trader Joe's but it is fantastic. For how many times a day we end up using frying pans we couldn't live without this stuff - easy and no mess. Plus it smells like Hawaii!
8. Tazo Iced Tea in "Passion" - I already talked about this at the beginning of this post so I'll simply say - this stuff is awesome and refreshing!

I also want to mention that I made a big batch of clarified butter at the beginning of our Whole30 journey and I am SO glad I did. I save it for things like green beans and asparagus but it's perfect for when you're craving that buttery flavor as opposed to olive oil or coconut oil. This is how to do it!

I hope you find this helpful and as always feel free to ask me any questions you may have. And I have to reiterate that Jenna is the ultimate resource and inspiration! She has so much great material on her instagram so make sure to pay her a visit!

Next week keep an eye out for posts about our lunches and dinners as well as my post about finishing Whole30!!!