Hi mamas! Olivia here and today, I’m excited to share all about my Whole30 tips and tricks for a busy mama. I’ve been doing Whole30s since before I had kids, and found once I had two littles one in the house, I had to really think about preparing for a Whole30! In the last few years, I’ve discovered some Whole30 hacks, as well as some favorite foods – plus, head to the bottom of the post for a fun giveaway with our friends at Whole30 Mamas! Check out my Whole30 post from last year, too.
Are you pregnant or breastfeeding and wondering if a Whole30 is right for you? Head to our friends at Whole30 Healthy Mama Happy Baby to learn more; together with Melissa Hartwig of the Whole30©, Stephanie Greunke created Healthy Mama, Happy Baby, a virtual pregnancy handbook consisting of a series of short videos with comprehensive information meant to guide women throughout their entire pregnancy. You can learn more about Stephanie Greunke from our Mompreneur Spotlight on her.
Make sure you’re following the Whole30 Healthy Mama Happy Baby account on Instagram, as I’ll be taking over their Instagram on January 20th to chat about my Whole30 tips and favorite foods. If you missed the Stephanie from Whole30 Healthy Mama Happy Baby on Gugu Guru’s Instagram, simply go to our Instagram page and click on the highlight “Whole30 Mamas.”
Tips: Doing a Whole30 can seem overwhelming at first, especially when you have little kids in the house, but I’ve discovered some tips which really do help!
- Find a support group: whether it’s a real life group of friends doing a Whole30 together, the awesome Whole30 forums, or a Facebook group for Whole30 support, find your tribe and use them! Struggling? Confused? Have a non-scale victory to celebrate? Having a support group to encourage and guide you is seriously half the battle.
- Prep, prep, prep: I prep foods literally whenever I can! Are the kids watching a movie for two seconds? Cut some carrots! Is the baby napping? Brown some meat! Use the time when you have it to prep for the time when you don’t. The last thing you want is to be out of time and flummoxed on what to eat.
- KISS: Keep it simple, silly! Whenever someone tells me they are starting their first Whole30, I always remind them to just keep it simple. There is no need for gourmet level food at every meal. I’m a big fan of the Paper Plate Paleo concept – it’s okay to have simple meals – it’s still a meal, even though it’s simple!
- Pre-packaged is OK: We know how hard it can be to find time to prep everything you need, which is why I’m a huge fan of pre-packaged Whole30 foods – while it can be more expensive to purchase pre-chopped fruit and veggies, think of it like an investment in your health for the 30 days! Plus, Trader Joe’s now has spiralized frozen veggies and cauliflower rice – stock up when you can!
- Make it fun: Speaking of spiralizing veggies, why not have fun with your time learning to use all these new foods? We’re fans of the Inspiralizer from Inspiralized (check out Ali’s Gugu Guru registry picks!). Ali, the founder of Inspiralized, makes it so easy to learn all about veggies and how you can make them the star of the meal. She has a bunch of Whole30 compliant recipes on Inspiralized, like these chicken fajita bowls with spiralized sweet potatoes – yum! (head to the bottom of the post to WIN an Inspiralizer Lite!)
Favorite Foods: I’ve developed a love for some favorite Whole30 staples over time – these make life so much easier!
- Primal Kitchen Mayo and Dressings: I am not the type of person who will have the patience to make my own mayo, so when it comes to my mayo for Whole30 time, I always stock up on Primal Kitchen’s Mayo. I use it for tuna salad, chicken salad, marinades, and most importantly, making delicious and fun flavored dips that my kids love with veggies and chicken. Primal Kitchen also makes the best salad dressings, I use them all the time, not just when I’m on the Whole30. My favorites are their Greek Dressing and Ranch Dressing, they’re creamy and so healthy! Use code GUGUGURU for 10% off at Primal Kitchen.com
- Aidell’s Chicken Apple Sausage: I could eat this chicken sausage every day, and I pretty much do on the Whole30. It’s delicious fried up with eggs, or even in a salad; and, my kids love it chopped up for breakfast! It makes a great toddler food.
- Safe Catch Tuna: I’ve been a fan of Safe Catch tuna ever since I was pregnant with my oldest son and only wanted tunafish! My grandmother found Safe Catch at our local health food store and there was no turning back for me; what makes Safe Catch Tuna so special? Safe Catch is the only canned tuna company that tests each and every fish (before they purchase them) to ensure that the mercury levels in their Elite Wild Tuna is 10 times lower than the FDA’s limit! Tuna is full of healthy omega-3s and is a great source of lean protein, which is why I want to make sure it’s safe enough to give to my sons; I feel so much better knowing that Safe Catch tests all of their fish. Plus, not only is Safe Catch free of fillers or additives, it’s also non-GMO verified and sustainably caught so we can feel great about eating tuna again. If you’re pregnant and going to enjoy tuna, you definitley want to make sure you’re eating Safe Catch.
- Nutpods: If you talk to anyone doing a Whole30, they’re going to start telling you about Nutpods! Nutpods are a life-saver during the Whole30. These non-dairy creamers are made from coconut and almond milk, and come in three flavors: hazelnut, French vanilla, and original. I use Nutpods all the time (we recommend adding them to your registry!), and sometimes even use the original flavor in my curries and soups. I carry one with me wherever I go and it’s so nice to have an additional to my coffee, whether I’m home or out. Use discount code GUGUGURU for 25% off your order at Nutpods.com (until 1/31/18). This is a great deal, so stock up now!
- Not Ketchup: If you’re looking for a marinade or dipping sauce on the Whole30, check out Not Ketchup. This line of sauces is sweetened with fruit juice, so it’s Whole30 compliant. My kids love it too, so it makes preparing for meals easy – I just grill some chicken ahead of time and slice it into strips, add some celery strips and snap peas – and a delicious dipping sauce made with Not Ketchup, and everyone’s happy with a simple and healthy meal! Use code WHOLE30FCHUP for 20% off any Fruitchup purchase (single bottle, 2-pack, 4-pack) through Feb 28th at Not Ketchup.com.
Are you doing a Whole30? Let us know – and head below to enter an amazing Whole30 Giveaway – enter to win The Whole30 Fast and Easy Cookbook, a subscription to the Whole30 Healthy Mama Happy Baby Program, 2 Bottles of Not Ketchup, $30 to Safe Catch Tuna, the Inspiralizer Lite, and a Variety Pack of Nutpods!
Whole30 Giveaway
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