Read our Whole30 series:
Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | 10 things we learned
Do you ever just think about cheese? Like, melty, gooey, delicious cheese. On a pizza, with tortilla chips, on garlic bread. Cheese. What a marvelous feat of science.
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Oh, yeah. We’re still doing Whole30, which means it’s been a while since the last time we had dairy. But it’s fine. We’re fine. Everything is fine.
Though we started together, we’re now at two very different points in our Whole30 journey, which means we have some different perspectives on the diet right now. Here’s how we’re doing.
TRYING TO LIVE OUR LIVES ON WHOLE30
Kaci Yoder, staff writer: I decided I was tired of being a hermit because my social life revolves around food and drinks that I’m not allowed to have during Whole30, so I started actively seeking out places in town with compliant or paleo options so I could, you know, see my friends and leave my apartment. Some successes: pho from Pho Cafe for my weekly pho and Pretty Little Liars (shut up) date with one of my friends, sans any sauces or noodles; a turkey and veggie paleo option at Magpie Cafe downtown so I could enjoy lunch downtown while attending Crop. Less successful: riceless sushi, through no fault of the sushi restaurant. I just missed the rice too much to enjoy it.
I’ll be honest—I don’t have many food photos this week because I didn’t cook much food at home worth photographing. I’ve gone far beyond my monthly grocery budget, so I’m basically just making meals out of whatever’s in my fridge. A plain hot dog for breakfast? Sure. Shoving half a container of spinach into one smoothie? Yup. Trail mix for lunch? I’ll make it work. Don’t make me buy one more specialty sauce. I can’t do it.
Jennifer Tormo, editor: Just like Kaci, I’ve been trying to get back out there. Into the socializing, let’s-have-dinner-tonight world, that is. It’s been kind of weird, though. I went to Mestizo with a friend Saturday night, and the server immediately brought chips and salsa over. I tried to ignore them and buried my face in my menu instead, hunting down a dish that would be compliant and satisfying. After asking the server 10 different annoying questions (yeah, I was rolling my eyes at me, too), I finally ordered steak tacos: “Hold the cheese, hold the tortilla and give me lettuce wraps instead, and make sure none of this is cooked in butter, please.” And then I reached for the chips and salsa. The chip was halfway to my mouth when I remembered: Chips and dip, probably my favorite appetizer in the world, is. not. allowed. Abort; abort! You might kill me, Whole30.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Kaci: Y’all. Today is day 22 for me. I’m entering my FINAL week on Whole30. I have a rough reintroduction plan lined up: first comes dairy and legumes (never been my problem foods), then some paleo baking and sweeteners like honey and maple syrup and then, in very small, once-a-week quantities, grains and sugars. I’m definitely already fantasizing about cheesy potatoes and black beans and paleo banana bread. I just have to try to stay strong for eight more days, and brace myself not to go completely off the rails the minute the 30 days are over. I do feel so much better physically, so I’m not eager to backslide into all my bad habits. The name of the game is cautious excitement.
Jenn: Kaci and I are at very different places in our lives. While she’s almost done, I’m on like, day two, thanks to the fact that I cheated and had to start over. OK, I’m actually on day 6, but still. So far, though, this has been a much smoother Whole30 for me. I haven’t burned anything. I haven’t broken anything. I’ve got some solid recipes in my back pocket now. Some recent faves: this paleo taco bowl recipe makes at least five servings, which is a godsend because it has saved me at least a day’s worth of dish washing. I’m obsessed with this tomato sauce recipe because it is so easy and simple yet so delicious. And I’ve been making smoothies every morning. Smoothies are much safer for me when I’m in a rush: I’m much less likely to burn the house down than I am when I make eggs and Whole30 bacon.
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The anatomy of a Whole30 smoothie (hover over to see ingredients)
