Whole 30 is making me a better cook.

I'm a good cook. Just ask the Golfer. He'll be the first one to tell you what a good cook his wife is. I come from a long line of good cooks, so it stands to reason that I would be pretty good at it too.

Whole 30 is making me a BETTER cook.

Why better? Because it is forcing me out of my comfort zone. It is forcing me to try lots and lots of new recipes. In the last 26 days, I've had to really pay attention to what I am buying and what I should never buy again. I've made recipes that normally wouldn't have been my first choice. But I've noticed that my taste buds have definitely changed and things that I didn't care for before I have really grown to love.

Here are some favorites. (Actually, there were many favorites. These were just the ones that I remembered to take photos of before I scarfed it down.)

Spinach salad with baked chicken breast, strawberries, almond silvers, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Fresh, simple, and quick. I've kept baked chicken breasts in the fridge for just this sort of meal.

Hamburger patty topped with guacamole, baked sweet potato "fries" and cucumbers with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Didn't miss the cheese or bun at all. Seriously.

Seared scallops with mango salsa. Delicious and nutritious. Is now a Freeman staple.

 

Meat sauce (ground beef, organic tomato sauce, organic diced tomatoes, onions and garlic) with zucchini ribbons sauteed in olive oil. Didn't miss spaghetti noodles for one second.

Baked salmon with a Dijon mustard glaze, peppers and onions with Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute. Such a quick and easy meal. Have even had it for lunch because, let's face it, salads get old. Salmon is not just for dinner. (Who knew?)

Snacks. We are snackers. Apparently there are PLENTY of healthy "snacks" to get you through. That's if you even need a snack.

Kale chips (a new favorite of the golfer's). This is the before pic. Toss kale with 1 T. melted coconut oil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, pepper, and a little cayenne if you like spicy. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350.

Fruit. by itself. enough said. Especially love this combo of mangoes and kiwi.

Love hint water. having been buying this way before Whole 30. gives you the taste of something sweet without any guilt.

After Day 15, the Whole 30 daily emails encourage you to do something to reward yourself for making it half way through the program. Take a hike. Go for a long bike ride. Do some yoga. That sort of thing.

I treated myself to a trip to Williams-Sonoma.

Actually went with a purpose in mind. Had been wanting this vegetable slicer (hence the zucchini ribbons) and who doesn't need a new cookbook?  Especially one that is filled with things that are good for you.

And here are some of the new things that I've bought and will continue to buy:

Ghee. Will be using this from now on.

Nut butters. No need for me to eat peanut butter and all of it's sugars. I especially like Sunflower butter. Yum.

Had a sample of this at Whole Foods. Tastes just like regular mayo instead it's better for you.

Avocado oil is a great sub for olive oil.

Has my grocery bill gone up with all of these new additions? My first reaction is to say yes. But honestly, I think because I am buying less junk food and eating out a lot less (like, hardly at all) our grocery bill/food bill is probably about even. (I mean, we all know how expensive it is to eat out. And gigantic boxes of Goldfish certainly aren't free.) All of this to say, regardless of it costing more it has all been worth it.

26 days down. 4 to go.