Category Archives: Food

Whole30 Soup Recipes

I love soups. They are easy and reheat great (in fact, a lot of times the leftovers are even better). Soups were one of my staples when we tackled our first Whole30. Especially for those crazy weeks. I know I can get a couple of suppers and even a lunch or two out of one pot.

Yum! Great list of soups that are ALL Whole30 approved. Need to check this out for my menu plan this week!

I tend to make soups without using a recipe, but I did some digging around on the internet and found a bunch of recipes that are Whole30 approved and look tasty and fairly simple.

Whether you are in the middle of a Whole30, trying to eat real food, or just trying to feed your family you’ll find recipes in this list of Whole30 soup recipes that will make the tummies in your house happy (especially as this cooler fall weather is arriving).

For more Whole30 meal suggestions, be sure to check out my list of 20 Whole30 Breakfast Ideas!

 

Whole30 Soup Recipes



What are your favorite soup recipes? Any that are Whole30 Approved? I still have some more posts coming up with Whole30 meal ideas and tips for if you ever decide to take on the challenge. Also don’t forget to check out the list of 20 yummy and healthy recipes ideas:

20 Whole30 breakfast ideas and recipes! Great resource for healthy breakfasts - the hardest for me to come up with recipes for. (My FAVORTIE breakfast casserole is on this list)

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Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash

Super yummy and easy Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash! My FAVORITE spaghetti squash recipe - must make while it's squash season. (Can be vegetarian too!!!)

Last month, during our Whole30 I cooked spaghetti squash for my first time. We’ve since made it on several different occasions with the recipes having varying levels of success.

Let me tell you, this recipe for Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash is my favorite! Black beans, cumin, paprika. So many tasty flavors combined together and when you add melted cheese it’s only going to get better. Even my 17 months old who never eats ate this up!

This dish can easily be vegetarian or have chicken added in (or add the meat to just half of it). Either way, it’s good! (My husband would tell you with meat is always better.)

You also have the option of using the spaghetti squash shell as your serving dish or putting it in a baking dish. One less dish to do is always nice. 🙂

Super yummy and easy Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash! My FAVORITE spaghetti squash recipe - must make while it's squash season. (Can be vegetarian too!!!)

If you are like me and are looking for a good first recipe to introduce spaghetti squash to your family or if you are a spaghetti squash veteran and wanting to try something new, this recipe needs to be on your menu. Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash is going to be my new standby during squash season.

Download the free menu planning template and guide to make your life easier and save money!

4.8 from 5 reviews
Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1½ cups black beans
  • 1½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1½ teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 2 cups diced cooked chicken - optional
  • 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • Oil
Instructions
Spaghetti Squash
  1. Carefully cut spaghetti squash in half. Scrape out the seeds and stringy insides. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt. Place cut side down on a pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle it. Turn squash over and use a fork to scrape across the squash short ways to make the spaghetti.
Everything Else
  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil or coconut oil.
  2. Add onions and jalapeno and saute a few minutes. Add garlic, bell pepper, salt, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Saute around 5 more minutes.
  3. Add corn and black beans (and chicken if using) and saute until heated through.
  4. Add spaghetti squash strands to skillet and carefully stir and toss everything together. Adjust salt and seasonings if needed.
  5. Transfer mixture into both halves of the squash or into an 8x11 glass baking dish.
  6. Sprinkle with cheese.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Super yummy and easy Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash! My FAVORITE spaghetti squash recipe - must make while it's squash season. (Can be vegetarian too!!!)

Linking up to these fun parties!

Whole30 Recap for Week 3

21 days of Whole30 eating are behind us! This week has flown by and it’s already time to write the Whole30 recap for week 3. How did it go? Does it stay as easy as week 2? You are about to find out.

Whole30 Week 3 Recap! Great recipe ideas if you are doing a Whole30 or even are just trying to eat real food! She did it with a 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old too!

Reminder: Who exactly is doing this challenge?

My husband and myself and our 16 month old and 3 1/2 year old. The kids are eating what we eat for the most part but the 16 month old still eats oatmeal for breakfast (no dairy in it though) and on occasion a rice cake. The 3 year old has an option of oatmeal for breakfast, but she’s only had a couple of bites. She used to love oatmeal, but it just hasn’t been her thing lately.

How Did We Feel?

To some it up in one word: Great! Last week was one of the first weeks I’ve had in months where I felt like I was in a good routine – things went smoothly, I was extremely productive, exercised 5 days, and had more energy that normal. It was nice. Hopefully week 4 will be just as productive.

The last couple of days I haven’t cheated but I have noticed that I’ve thought about off plan foods a lot more, and how wonderful some of them sound. That hasn’t happened up until now. 8 more days. We can do it. I’m ready to bake again. 🙂

What Did We Eat?

Whole30 Week 3 Recap! Great recipe ideas if you are doing a Whole30 or even are just trying to eat real food! She did it with a 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old too!

Crispy baked chicken thighs, paleo breakfast casserole, tex mex paleo casserole, Moroccan chicken, and spinach and chicken topped sweet potatoes.

Breakfasts I like to keep simple. Who really wants to get up earlier to cook? Not me. We made sweet potato boats (okay), paleo breakfast casserole for the second time (my favorite – I’ll be posting the recipe on Friday), scrambled eggs, and sweet and white potato hash browns (sweet potato hash browns are my other favorite breakfast item).

Lunches were once again salads for Shaun and myself and leftover or sweet potatoes for the kids during the week. We also had guacamole and veggies one day. Sunday lunch was a whole roasted chicken served with acorn squash and carrots.

Suppers had some homeruns. The Tex Mex Paleo Casserole was loaded with veggies and had good flavor. The 16 month old inhaled it and even my husband who doesn’t like sweet potatoes said it was good. We had spinach and chicken topped sweet potatoes again, enchilada pasta (no one loved this except the 16 month old), crispy baked chicken thighs (recipes coming next week), and Moroccan chicken (this is the third time we’ve made the recipes – we all love it).

Snacks were kept simple. The easiest Whole30 snack options we’ve found have been dried fruit, nuts, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Frozen grapes make a fabulous treat.

If you want a sneak peak of what we are eating this week, be sure to check out my menu plan. You can also get ideas on my Pinterest account. If you have any favorite Whole30 recipes, be sure to let me know!

Linking up to these fun parties!

Frozen Grapes The Easiest Snack Ever

Frozen Grapes! Such a genius idea and they make the easiest snack ever. Plus, they are Whole30 approved!

I can’t be the only one. I’m sure we’ve all had times we’ve tried to cut back on sweeteners (even honey and maple syrup). Other times wheat or dairy.  We are in the middle of a Whole30 right now, so that means we are doing without all of those.

Sure, things like ice cream and popcorn aren’t a necessary part of our diets but sometimes I just want something cold and refreshing or a snack I can sit down in front of a movie with to munch on. Dried fruit, fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts. All great options but none really have that special snack edge that ice cream does. 🙂

I remember discovering this super tasty way to eat grapes years ago when I was in high school and have used it every since. You need to try it! It might sound weird, but it’s sooo good and frozen grapes make the easiest snack ever. (Plus, they are Whole30 approved.)

Here’s your super easy instructions:

  1. When grapes go on sale, stock up! Buy pounds of them.
  2. Pick the grapes off the stem and place in a colander. Rinse well and then dump on a towel to dry.
  3. Then simply pour them onto rimmed baking sheets in a single layer and stick in the freezer.
  4. Once frozen, put in a zipped freezer bag and they’ll be sitting in the freezer waiting for you to fill up a bowl to munch on.

Unlike most fruit, you can eat these straight out of the freezer. No thawing necessary. They are the perfect texture. My husband says they taste like a slushy. 🙂

What’s your favorite frozen fruit? Have you had frozen grapes before?

5.0 from 3 reviews
Frozen Grapes - The Easiest Snack Ever
 
Ingredients
  • Grapes
Instructions
  1. Pick grapes off the stem and put in colander.
  2. Rinse well and pour onto a towel to dry.
  3. Put grapes on rimmed baking sheets in a single layer and place in the freezer.
  4. Once frozen (give it several hours), transfer to zipped storage bags or containers.
  5. Eat directly out of the freezer.

 

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Whole30 Recap for Week 2

Whole30 Week 2 Recap! Great ideas for what to eat on a Whole30 or Paleo diet. Some of my favorites!

Well, two complete weeks of Whole30 eating are now behind us. We are half way done!!! You can find the recap from Week 1 here. This last week definitely felt easy – more of just a way of life. It’s been nice. We didn’t have company or any out of town trips, so all our meals were eaten at home.

Who exactly is doing this challenge?

My husband and myself and our 16 month old and 3 1/2 year old. The kids are eating what we eat for the most part but the 16 month old still eats oatmeal for breakfast (no dairy in it though) and on occasion a rice cake. The 3 year old has an option of oatmeal for breakfast, but I think she’s only had it twice the last two weeks.

Whole30 Week 2 Recap! Great ideas for what to eat on a Whole30 or Paleo diet. Some of my favorites!

The majority of the groceries we bought  this weekend for the next couple of weeks. We need to run to the meat market for a couple of things and I’m sure we’ll be making another small trip to the store before 30 days is up but the majority of the shopping is behind us. 

How did we feel?

This week was awesome compared to the first! Food cravings were gone. I no longer felt the intense urge to eat sugar or dive into a bowl of chocolate. In fact, I have a box of chocolates on my desk at work that was given to me before the Whole30 and I can look at them and not have to fight thinking about how much I want to EAT THEM. 🙂

Shaun said that he’s had more energy, not felt as tired, and has not been as hungry. His body has adjusted to eating less and not eating all the carbs he did before. I think I might have had more energy that I otherwise would have, but it’s hard to tell when you are so exhausted from weeks of not sleeping. But I do know, my week felt quite productive and I had enough energy and desire to exercise 4 days.

The one off thing that happened to me during week 2. The kids and I get home around 3 and have a snack. That day I never felt hungry. We visited with a friend for a bit on the way home and arrived around 4. I suddenly felt horrible. My face felt like it was breaking out in a cold sweat and my legs got week. I’d had plenty of water that day, so it wasn’t dehydration. I ate plenty of snacks that afternoon even though I never felt hungry and it went away and hasn’t happened since. It was strange.

What did we eat?

Whole30 Week 2 Recap! Great ideas for what to eat on a Whole30 or Paleo diet. Some of my favorites!

Guacamole, Spaghetti Squash with Marinara, Zucchini Sweet Potato Cakes, Chili Verde, Paleo Breakfast Bowls, Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

Breakfasts consisted of more scrambled eggs, zucchini sweet potato cakes, paleo breakfast bowl (we all loved this recipe and the leftovers tasted great too. I left the bacon out since I couldn’t find any without sugar and I made the “sausage”), and sweet potato hash browns. Except for Friday and Saturdays, the breakfasts need to be something already cooked or that can be make in 10 minutes or fewer (such as scrambled eggs). I don’t want to get up early to make a labor intensive breakfast. We also all have apples or fruit of some kind.

Lunches looked a lot like last week. During the weekdays Shaun and I have big salads and the kids leftovers or sweet potatoes. One day the kids and I ate guacamole with veggies to dip in it. On the weekend we had Paleo Breakfast Bowls (the leftovers of which became breakfast) and leftover Chili Verde.

Suppers were pretty tasty! Thai Chicken Soup that I cooked in the Crockpot, Slow Cooker Chili Verde, Fajitas Whole30 style (sautéed onions and bell peppers and chicken slices topped with lettuce, salsa, and avocado), Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti, Baked Sweet Potatoes topped with shredded chicken, diced bell pepper, and spinach, and leftovers. Sides once again were fruit and roasted veggies.

My top three would have to be the Thai soup, fajitas, and stuffed sweet potatoes. Shaun loved the Chili Verde.

Snacks consisted of nuts, dried fruit, and fresh fruit and veggies

(Don’t forget, I share my menu every Monday! You can see some of what we’ll be eating the next week here.

The Next 7 Days

During days 7-14 I started to try and train myself to not mindlessly snack, even if it’s healthy. If I’m hungry, than consciously get something to eat. I’m going to continue to try and just have snack of nuts and dried fruits in the afternoon (that I put into a bowl instead of eating out the container) and otherwise only if I’m actually hungry.

We are half way done!!! If you have any favorite Paleo/Whole30 recipes, let me know so I can add them to my Pinterest. If you’ve done a Whole30, does it get harder again towards the end?

Linking up to these fun parties!