POSTS TAGGED : clean eating

Fit Friday: Day 12 of The Whole30

Whole30 Day 5
Well, it is day 12 of the whole30 for me, and I am SO proud of myself that I have made it this far! I honestly thought I would turn back after day 2, but I’ve stuck through it! Yay me! I’ll for sure be posting about some great recipes that I have been making for you guys to check out, because let me tell you…it gets hard to pick what to eat after a week or so! Lol! 

What I’ve Learned So Far:

  • Pretty much everything we eat has sugar added in to it. That was the thing that has made this so difficult for the last two weeks! EVERYTHING has sugar added in to it and it is CRAZY! I sat in the grocery store for HOURS both weeks just trying to find compliant things and it was rough. Let’s just say I made a LOT of salads with my homemade balsamic vinaigrette, I ate a lot of fruits and veggies, and we grilled a LOT. 
  • Planning every single one of your meals in advance is HARD. There are times where I just wanted to walk into a restaurant and order a cheeseburger and have it be over. I have already put SO much effort in to planning what I am going to make each day and I’m only half way through it. <sigh> But, like they always say, if you don’t plan, you plan to fail. So, on with my meal planning I will go for the next two weeks.
  • You will do a LOT of dishwashing. I have to wash the cutting board between each meal since I’m always cutting up veggies and meats. I use at least a plate for every meal and sometimes a plate and a bowl. I use other bowls and such to prepare meals…let’s just say…there are a lot of dishes and there are only two people in my house. I may be eating well, but I’m using a lot of water….lol…
  • You pretty much can’t eat out anywhere and if you do, you have to give the waiter a 10 minute long list of questions. A lot of places cook their meats in soybean oil which is non-compliant so that’s out. I’ve pretty much only ordered a salad with chicken and some veggies and my own homemade dressing every time I have eaten out. Anyone have any great tips on Whole30 compliant restaurants in the Austin area? I would love you forever

Whole30 Compliant

Bottom Line: How Do I Feel?

Well, I won’t lie to you…for the first few days I was constantly hungry! I had a headache, felt exhausted, and wanted to rip someone’s head off if I didn’t get some sugar pretty soon. Since then, it hasn’t been that bad. I do still have to talk myself down off of the cliff whenever I see ice cream or sweets on TV, but other than that I am full and satisfied with my meat and veggies! I have to say though, I’m not feeling this BURST of energy everyone else always talks about getting around half way through. Maybe it’ll hit me this weekend. <Fingers crossed>
 
If you’re interested in doing the whole30, I would recommend giving it a try. If anything, it’s great to know that you are in control of everything you are putting into your body. It’s also nice to know that I CAN go 12 days without sweets and live to tell the story. I will remember this (hopefully) next time I get those late night cravings for ice cream…
 
An today I leave with you some Whole30 humor…enjoy!
All That Glitters Blog Signature

 

Spaghetti Squash Bowls With Meat Sauce

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese- great healthy recipe for the pasta lover trying to eat healthy

Look at me being all healthy today! You guys should be SO proud! I’m proud too, because my husband ACTUALLY ate this and he ENJOYED it! Points for everyone! But in all seriousness, this is a GREAT recipe! I had been wanting to make spaghetti squash for a very long time, but I was always hesitant because I didn’t know if I would actually like it. Well, when my cousin brought one over to cook last summer, it was the perfect chance to try it. Well, try it I did and I LOVED it. No, it’s NOT pasta and you are kidding yourself if you think it will be the same, but it is still REALLY good..and I LOVE my pasta. 

My cousin made us spaghetti squash marinara, and it was good, but I knew that if I REALLY wanted to love it (and wanted my husband to love it) I was going to have to add a little bit more to it. Enter, the meat. My husband thinks that meat sauce makes EVERYTHING better and in this case I have to say I agree. Add some meat and a few extra veggies into your sauce and you have a full fledged feast on your hands:) Spaghetti Squash with meat sauce and peppers- such a great substitute for those who want to eat healthy and love pasta

Ingredients:

  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • 1 jar pasta sauce- I used Classico Tomato Basil
  • 1 bell pepper- I used half a red and half a yellow
  • 1 lb ground beef or turkey
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Suggestion: Add more veggies! Throw in a few mushrooms, a little onion, and maybe a little bit of spinach!

Spaghetti Squash bowls with meat sauce- tastes amazing and won't leave you hungry!

Directions:

Squash:

  1. Start by heating your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut your spaghetti squash in half. Y’all, this was hard. I used 3 different knives before I almost gave up. Thankfully we had a pumpkin carving knife sitting in our drawer from Halloween. Worked like a charm- highly recommend! Lol!
  3. Scrape out the seeds on the inside of your squash, just like you would a Halloween pumpkin.
  4. Spread a little olive oil around on the insides of the squash and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
  5. Lay face down on a cookie sheet covered in tinfoil. I also like to put a little olive oil on my tinfoil to prevent sticking!
  6. Once your oven reaches 400 degrees, put your squash in the oven.
  7. Cook the squash about 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven, or until soft.
  8. Once your squash is soft, remove from the heat and using a oven mit to hold it still, scrape out your spaghetti squash with a fork. It should be stringy like (duh) spaghetti! You don’t have to scrape the entire squash out, but at least do the top.

Sauce:

  1. Cook your ground meet in a frying pan until half cooked.
  2. Add your chopped peppers (and other veggies) to the pan and cook until meat is browned.
  3. Add your sauce and simmer on medium-low until squash is fully cooked.
  4. I like to add a little spice to mine with some basil, oregano, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper.

Spaghetti Squash Bowls:

  1. Once the squash and sauce are done, scoop your sauce out into your squash bowl.
  2. Cover with mozzarella cheese.
  3. Place back in to oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
  4. Serve! This is the fun part! Wes and I enjoyed eating out of the squash bowls, it was fun. You have to scrape along the bottom to get more squash, it was an experience. If you, however, don’t get pleasure out of being a child playing with your food, or you are trying to in fact feed a child, you can scoop it all out in to a regular bowl. 

Spaghetti Squash with meat sauce- recipe

I’m so serious about this one you guys! I was full, my husband was full. We actually had so much food left over that I will be having it for lunch twice this week! Not only was there a lot, but it tastes so good too. Highly recommend this one, especially if you are trying to be healthy and are a pasta lover like me!
Thanks so much for stopping by! If you know of a. a better way to cut a squash than with a pumpkin carver or b. any other great spaghetti squash recipes, let me know in the comments below!
All That Glitters Blog Signature