Whole 30 menu and grocery list, week 1

Well, it was actually much harder than I thought to pull together a menu and grocery list for this first week. My two biggest obstacles: going back to work Monday (so, less time) and not being able to find free links to the recipes I plan to cook. With that in mind, my first piece of advice is to go ahead and order Cooking Whole 30, the cookbook that took us through our first adventure last January, and as I stated last post from which we are still cooking regularly. I have refrained from putting any menu items from that book in our week 1 menu to give anyone who wants to follow along time to get it, but let’s face it, two day Amazon shipping means it will be here well before week one ends! (I love and hate that equally.) I will be putting some recipes from that book in future meal plans, like the chicken cutlets below.

Chicken Cutlets with Bitter Greens and Caramelized Pears

But that also gave me a little more reflection on this first week’s menu and what I could reliably provide you. I have chosen 7 dinners, 3 lunches (all are salads) and 1 breakfast. Breakfast was by far the hardest part of the Whole 30 for us last time. Jason felt like he ate way too many eggs, and since I don’t eat eggs I felt at a complete loss. I am still struggling with what I will do for breakfast, having developed a newfound appreciation for oatmeal since my surgery, but I will share with you anything I discover. Jason became an expert maker of frittatas last time around, so that will be our breakfast this week. Salads have pretty much been my staple at lunch for years, and if you have a little leftover protein and some good (and compliant) salad dressing it is a very satisfying lunch. All three of this weeks salads will draw on leftovers from our dinners as well as a “featured” dressing of the week!

All that’s left to talk about is dinner, which for most of us is the main meal of the day. Success on the Whole 30 depends on having a plan, because it would be way too easy to break down and order a pizza at 6:00 if there is nothing in the fridge for dinner, so that is where I spent most of my energy. You might be surprised that there will be a few items cooked on the BBQ in January (grilled salmon anyone?), but we live in California, so grilling is a year round activity here! Please know that I will do my best to provide links to recipes a full 24 hours ahead, and the grocery list is comprehensive so you will have all ingredients on hand.

Week 1 menu:

*Veggie Frittata with Hash Browns

*Mediterranean Salad w/ Lemon Cumin Vinagrette

*Fall Salad

*Tuna Salad

*Roast Lemon Chicken, Roast Butternut Squash, and Sauteed Swiss Chard and Spinach

*Flank Steak, Grilled Zucchini, Simple Salad

*Grilled Salmon, Asparagus, Cauliflower Rice

*Sausages, Braised Cabbage, Potatoes

*Pan Roasted Pork Chops, Roasted Carrots, Crispy Brussels Sprouts

*Chicken Thighs, Roast Broccoli, Roast Potatoes

*Baked Meatballs, Spaghetti Squash, Simple Salad

I will post advice on staples (how to make ghee, etc.), links to recipes, and anything else I can add to my Whole 30 Journey. But, for now, I will leave you with the grocery list so we can both head to the store tomorrow and get everything we need for our first week of meals.

Whole 30 Week 1 Grocery List

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 flank steak
  • 2 servings salmon filet
  • 2-4 sausages sugar free
  • 2-4 pork chops
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 jar Whole 30 compliant marinara, or homemade
  • 1 butternut squash
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard
  • 1 bunch spinach
  • 2 ea green and yellow zucchini
  • 2 heads red leaf lettuce
  • 1 head butter leaf lettuce
  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 1 lb yellow creamer potatoes
  • 1 lb red creamer potatoes
  • 1 bunch broccoli
  • 1 lb asparagus
  • 1 bag cauliflower rice or 1 head cauliflower
  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1 head red cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • 1 lb carrots
  • 1 lb bacon sugar free
  • garlic
  • lemons
  • Kalamatta olives
  • eggs
  • mushrooms
  • cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup cashews raw
  • olive oil
  • balsamic vinegar
  • red pepper flakes
  • cumin
  • oregano
  • fresh thyme
  • fresh mint
  • fresh Italian parsley
  • 2 Granny Smith apples
  • Whole 30 compliant chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 yellow onions
  • Arrowroot flour
  • 1 lb unsalted butter for ghee
  • Nut Pods non dairy creamer for coffee

Ok, I really think I got everything there! But since if for some reason I didn’t, I will be right there along with you as this is the list I am taking to the grocery store tomorrow. I am excited to begin this journey! Here’s to a Healthy New Year for us all!

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