September Whole 30

Whole 30, something we’ve all heard of by now, something most of us have probably done (I’ve done it twice), and something I’ll be starting up next week! Whole 30 is a month long program devoted to resetting your body by nourishing it with whole foods. While it falls into a “diet” category it really is structured to be so much more. There are multiple success stories out there on how it has changed people’s lives, helped heal autoimmune diseases, and reintroduced people to a love of healthy eating etc.

Chicken sausage, sweet potato, bell pepper and spinach stir fry that will be seen during my Whole 30! Peep the ugly orange athletic socks.

For me, I love the way it makes me feel and truly love the fun challenge it puts around cooking (food nerd alert). I’ve been on a bit of a bender since moving to Dallas. Rightfully so I think. I’ve wanted to eat, drink and see all the things I can while exploring my new city. Zero regrets, buuuuut it’s time to reign it in. I was talking to a friend a couple weekends ago who is currently following a vegan diet. She lives in D.C. and like me, has eaten and drank all the things while enjoying the summer months. She mentioned how she’s an all or nothing girl. I’m the same. I struggle to just say “I’m going to eat healthy this month,” and actually follow through with it. While I stay pretty regimented during the week, weekends, parties and events come up and all bets are off. Give me every piece of cheese, tortilla chip and dessert in sight.

Crock-pot chicken loaded in a sweet potato with compliant salsa, guac, and red onions. Based off this recipe.

My experience with Whole 30 in the past has helped control this type of chaotic eating in the best way. The guidelines (aka rules) of Whole 30 give me the structure I need to actually say no in situations like this. I find that acquaintances are more understanding when you say no to a cheesy app or cocktail when you say you are following a program like Whole 30 or vegan or whatever it may be, opposed to just saying, “oh i’m just trying to be healthy.”

Kale & turkey taco salad with compliant salsa, tomatoes, green onion, avocado and crushed plantain chips.

Ramble on, let’s get to the quick bases of Whole30. For 30 straight days you say yes to whole foods, quality animal protein, and all the veggies. You say no to dairy, legumes, sugar and grains. With the way our cooking and healthy eating mindset has shifted in the past few years, this isn’t as daunting as it used to be. I completed my version of Whole 30 August 2016 and January 2017. I wrote a post going more into the program and links to some favorite recipes here.

Sliced banana drizzled with creamy almond butter, tahini and a sprinkle of cinnamon - my favorite non-egg Whole 30 breakfast.

Is anyone else doing September Whole 30? It kicks off Monday, September 2nd and runs until Tuesday, October 1st. I mentioned above that I have done Whole 30 twice, that being said it has been “my” version of Whole 30. I give myself grace and may slip a drink in here and there on the weekends, but I do try to keep in under control. Because the more alcohol I drink, the more grains, sugar and non-whole 30 items I crave. Whole 30 also tells you to restart to day 1 if you slip up. Let’s get real, a mistake here and there is okay. If I have a non-Whole 30 food, I move on and do better the next day.

I have a couple friends here in Dallas who are doing Whole 30 with me. I’m excited to branch out on my cooking and do a few special dinners with them. However, my biggest advice for Whole 30 is don’t overthink it. People often complain about the amount of money they spend on groceries and the meat heavy dishes. I try to keep things easy and not out of my wheelhouse, by including smoothies or eggs for breakfast, loaded salads or snack boards for lunch and some kind of easy chicken and veggie dish or soup/chili for dinner. No need to buy an instant pot or air fryer just to successfully complete Whole 30 ;) Below I’ve included some Take A Bite Whole 30 approved recipes and a round up of recipes I hope to try in this upcoming month.

Take A Bite Whole 30 recipes:
Lunch Board
Cauliflower Soup
Butternut Squash Soup (no granola, I like to top with crispy prosciutto when on W30)
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Turmeric Chicken Zoodle Soup
Crock-Pot Chicken Curry
Crock-Pot Carnitas (in a lettuce wrap, pictured above)
Thai Chicken and Broccoli Curry
Thai Chicken Lettuce Boats
Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Sauce (no cheese)
2 Ingredient Shakshuka (using no sugar added marinara)
Baked Egg Sweet Potato
Mayo-Less Salmon Salad
Mayo-Less Tuna Salad
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Figs
Pumpkin Green Smoothie
Strawberry, Almond Butter and Fig Smoothie

Whole 30 recipes I love already or hope to make:
Hibachi Style Chicken with Magic Mustard Sauce (my fave Defined Dish meal, pictured above)
Buffalo Chopped Chicken Salad
Ultimate Chicken Taco Salad
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Kale + Chicken Waldorf Salad
Everything Bagel Chicken Salad
Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Tom Kha Gai Soup
Spicy Potato Kale Bowls with Mustard Tahini Sauce

Give my Whole 30 Pinterest board a follow and I’ll be sure to update it through the month.

Go to Whole 30 Meals/Snacks:
Cobb Salad
Taco Salad
Banana or Apple with almond butter
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Loaded Salads
Chicken Sausage Stir Frys (just make sure your sausage is sugar free)
Smoothies
Breakfast for Dinner with scrambled eggs, bacon and roasted sweet potatoes
Spaghetti Squash
Plantain Chips with Guacamole or Salsa
RX Bars
Dates with Almond Butter

Helpful links:
Approved RX Bars
Approved Larabars
Trader Joe’s Whole 30 Staples
Aldi Whole 30 Staples
Whole 30 Approved Almond Milk

The best Whole 30 snack or dessert - medjool date and almond butter!

Now that you’ve read all of this and may be gearing up for a #SeptemberWhole30 yourself, I want to leave you with this article. While this article brings up a fantastic point and many many things I agree with,I still plan to complete Whole 30 next month. Having completed whole 30 twice and successfully not gone on a rapid binge day 31 I’m feeling confident about the 30 day and beyond challenge. But, read this article, be mindful of it and take it as you want.

Annie

Are you doing #SeptemberWhole30? Comment below if you are or if you have questions!

Bites of My Life

Coming off a few days in Dallas last week, a few days in OKC, then off to Grand Lake to celebrate my best friend Maddie’s bachelorette aka Camp Cloud. A nod to her future last name (Cloud) and I just love a good theme so we took the camp thing and ran hard with it. Ending a busy week while simultaneously preparing for another one. My mom and sister are coming to Dallas later this week before I head back to OKC for Labor Day and the return of OU football!

-Really really trying to read before bed. This incredible book helps!
-Fresh chop…finally.
-Checked into the Tucker Hotel (my parents) last Tuesday for work in OKC before heading off on Maddie’s bachelorette. How amazing is this bed frame? Here’s the link if you love it too.
-Is it really a party unless there is a balloon garland these days? Actually much easier to make than you may think with the help of these kits.
-Perks of bachelorette trips is getting all your best friends together.
-Camper gifts thanks to Liquid IV, Etsy and Kate and Co. And if you order Liquid IV, use code _ANNIETUCKER for 20% off your order).
-Camper and counselor aka bride and maid of honor!
-Build-your-own breakfast sandwiches per the bride-to-be’s request and “Maddie’s Mimosa Bar” thanks to her cute future Mother-in-Law!
-Absolutely tooting my own horn with this scrappy Sunday dinner that turned out to be enough for lunches this week too. Posted step-by-step stories on how I made it over on instagram.

Annie

p.s. Did you see last week’s recipe post? This 3-Bean Salad is vegan friendly and perfect for lunches.
p.s.s. I’m doing September Whole 30 starting next Tuesday. Anyone else? I’m working on a post rounding up Whole 30 recipes I already have, but can sense more coming to the blog this upcoming month.

3-Bean Salad

One of my best friends has been following a vegan diet for the past few months and claims she has never felt better. I eat vegetarian accidentally all the time and have tried eating vegan once before. There is a ton of information out there about the benefits of veganism, so I thought I’d challenge my self to eat plant based last week. I prepped some delicious overnight oats, and this delicious 3-bean salad, but dinner got away from me when I ended up at a new Dallas hot spot and dove into enchiladas completely forgetting about my “vegan” diet. OOPS!

Anyway, back to this salad. I love beans, but I feel like they can get a bad rap. For vegans and vegetarians, beans are an incredible source of protein. Even for meat eaters, I think we should all love a bean now and then. There was a little sandwich spot at OU that my friends and I loved to go to. I’d almost always order a 1/2 sandwich and salad combo with my salad choice being their 3-bean salad. It wasn’t a popular opinion amongst my fellow 20 year olds, but I loved the kidney bean, green bean and chickpea salad they served.

I’m going down a rabbit hole and I’m not surprised if I lost you, but if you are still here, I’m basically just here to tell you that this 3-bean salad is great. Great for lunch balanced with some berries or apple on the side, would be great as a side at a barbecue or could even make a great dip with Fritos or tortilla chips kind of like a Texas Caviar situation.

3-Bean Salad
yields about 4, 1 cup servings

Ingredients:
1 -15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, cubed
2-3 Tbsps. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste (I use a decent amount)

In a large mixing bowl add first six ingredients. If serving immediately add avocado. If serving later, wait to add avocado until time to eat. Add in olive oil, lime juice and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Serve as an entree with fruit, a side dish or with chips for a dip!

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Will stay good for 5-7 days (without avocado). I take this salad as lunch and divide amongst 4 of my favorite jars and take 1/4 of an avocado with me to add day of right before I eat.

Annie

Bites of My Life

I had the realization that I’m going to be away from Dallas the next four weekends. After a sheer panic I calmed down knowing it’s all for good reasons. This weekend is Maddie’s bachelorette, followed by Labor Day/first OU game, a wedding and a work event. I honestly just love my time in Dallas and don’t like the idea of being gone so much. Just when I thought summer was the busy season and ready for the structure of fall, the new season hit me with it’s craziness.

-First visit to Flower Child and I’m hooked. Mother Earth bowl because it’s what you do.
-Cheers to two full months in Dallas and having these friends to eat my way through the city with. We went to the hot new Te Deseo on Tuesday. We loved it, but pro-tip: sit in the bar or courtyard if you can.
-3-Bean salad packed with vegan protein was prepped for lunches last week and is coming to the blog tomorrow!
-Pressed Juicery had it’s grand opening last week and I shamelessly waited in line at 7AM to claim my free item. I have bought their juices before (which are great), but had never tried a “freeze” until now. Being that the ingredients are so minimal I didn’t even feel weird eating it for breakfast. It 100% lives up to the hype.
-I had big plans to make this for dinners last week. After busy work days I had zero energy to even boil water so a big salad using the pasta’s ingredients did the job.
-Working on my matcha guide for Dallas. I’ve heard great things about Drip, but there matcha didn’t stand up…
-I was co-maid of honor for both of my sisters, but being maid of honor for one of my best friends is really special. Maddie was in Dallas this weekend to wedding dress shop and invited me along. I feel incredibly honored to have been part of the process. Seeing her firsthand in the dress (she said yes!!!) is something I’ll never forget. It’s a stunner. Celebratory sparklers at lunch to honor the day!
-Followed by rounds and rounds of ranch waters with her dress shopping squad.
-My contribution to Hatch Chili “fam” dinner. A group of some new friends here in Dallas got together Sunday night to cook up as many Central Market Hatch Chili items as we could. There were hatch chili tortilla chips with hatch chili guac and hatch chili sausage for appetizers, hatch chili burgers with hatch chili pepper jack, hatch chili marinated beer can chicken, my hatch chili corn succotash and broccolini grilled with hatch chilis. Finished off with cheesecake…no hatch chilis involved there.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Last week started and ended well I can’t say it didn’t, but several parts of last week had me feeling off and foggy headed. I mentioned this to a few people today and got similar responses. Were they just agreeing with me to sympathize or was the Mercury in retrograde again?? I mention this because last weeks photos look like roses, food and sunshine, but a picture isn’t always worth a thousand words…

Anyone else off last week? Maybe the Texas heat wave is just making me loopy!

-A basic lunch, but one that always hits the spot (and is super easy yet still impressive. My co-working space co-workers were all oohing and over of this simple meal). Two brown rice cakes, one with smashed avo the other with almond butter and fruit of choice.
-The Defined Dish’s Thai Larb is becoming a weekday staple, I use sambal olek instead of fresh chilis and serve it salad style.
-Doing things with Outdoor Voices and Olivia in the midst of the Texas heat and Klyde Warren Park! There is some kind of free workout going on everyday here (which I love to take advantage of).
-Wine Wednesday with one of my Dallas besties and her new V I E W.
-Hosted a giveaway with Made by Maddie last week to show off these incred new tin plates she is carrying on her site. The response to the giveaway was insane (over 1,000 entries)!! She has more colors coming in, but you can shop her plate inventory here.
-In other MBM how great are these lemons she gifted me!
-After having an off day Thursday it was to refreshing to grab dinner with a new friend at one of our mutually favorite spots, Honor Bar.
-To help be more productive on Fridays, I like to work from a coffee shop where I can have some inspiring surroundings and treat myself to a matcha. Went to Merit last week and the matcha was hundo p.
-Taylor in town!
-My bestie came down and we had the best time bopping around Dallas.
-I love a successful random fridge meal.
-Trying out a new overnight oats recipe that, mainly so I can use my new meal prep jars. The recipe -> 1/3 cup rolled oats, 1/3 cup almond milk, 2 tablespoons chia seeds, 1 teaspoon almond butter and lots of cinnamon.

Annie

Binge bite: If you aren’t watching Queer Eye on Netflix, stop what you are doing and add it to your queue. I started watching it a few weeks ago after my sister recommended it and I can’t stop watching. It is the most uplifting positive show and they way the fab 5 changes these people’s lives gets my crying every time. I started on the current season 4 and I’d recommend you do the same!

Also while we are on the binge watching category, I’m HOOKED on the Gourmet Makes videos from Bon Appetit. Y’all know I love BA, but this video series has taken my obsession to another level. I’ve watched every video Claire has made, but her recent experiment with gourmet Pop Tarts was a favorite. And also had me cravvvvving a Pop Tart.