Whole 30: Day 8 – How to Keep the Excitement Going
Whenever there is something new, the excitement eventually wears off. Whether it’s a new diet, a new workout plan, a new movie theater, or even a new apartment, the captivation by something “new” will always wear away.
Although Whole 30 is not new to me, the excitement around it started to wear off the last few days. Since my first Whole 30, I tried my best to eat clean throughout the week with a treat on the weekend. This meant that I continued to make a lot of the recipes I first tried while doing Whole 30, and continued to eat out at places I knew were compliant. Yet, the recipes and restaurants became to familiar and honestly, a bit unexciting at times.
To keep the momentum going and keep the excitement of doing this challenge, I knew I needed to mix things up a bit by trying new recipes and new dishes, or at least making ones I haven’t had in a while. So today, I decided to make chicken stir -fry with cauliflower rice and fried plantain. I make plantain multiple times a week, but haven’t made the chicken stir fry with cauliflower rice in quite a while.
For the cauliflower rice, I sautéed yellow onion, carrots, spinach and green pepper in coconut oil with salt and pepper, then added in some coconut aminos (great alternative to soy or teriyaki sauce). When that was done, I used the same pan and sautéed chopped chicken breast in coconut oil, and then added the juice of an orange and coconut amino, and allowed it to cook down. Serve with some fried plantain, and you have yourself a meal! 🙂
Here are also some tips to spice things up a bit and to continue to enjoy eating real, whole food:
- Try a new recipe or use new cookware once a week: This will keep things fresh! Plan it ahead of time by research some recipes before you head the store for your weekly shopping.
- Have a Whole 30 Potluck where you invite friends and family to bring an entrée of their choice that are Whole 30 compliant. This is a fun way to not only enjoy time with friends and family, but eat well and try new recipes! You can even have a contest as to what is the best appetizer/entrée/or dessert!
- Use different spices and sauces: There is such an array of amazing spices and herbs out there that are not only tasty but are good for you. Switch up the seasonings you use in certain dishes to see how it turns out! (You may want to google what spices go with what first, just in case you put paprika instead of cinnamon in your coffee and it doesn’t taste the same). Also, who said you can’t have mayo, ketchup, mustard, or bbq sauce anymore? Check out this link for some recipes: http://whole30.com/2014/10/best-whole30-recipes-sauces-dressings-dips-oh/
- Take pictures of the food you make: Okay, this doesn’t mean you have to post it on facebook, twitter, or instagram, but you can if you want! Visuals are so important when it comes to food, so be proud of what you made and if you want, share it with others so they can be inspired as well!
- Eat out at a new restaurant: Research the menu beforehand to see if you can get something Whole 30 compliant. Eating somewhere new will add a new experience and dish to your collection! Go out with friends or family and make it a shared experience as well.
Happy Day 8! Now go ahead and spice up that palate with a new recipe!
