Survival Products, Whole30 Thursday

Survival Products

I’m not going to lie. The Whole30 was hard for me. For someone who loved sweetened tea, chocolate, and cheese, giving all those things up at once was difficult. At many points, I didn’t think I would make it the full 30 days. I had to look for some “survival products.” Things that made the challenge a little easier by either making the cooking easier or the food taste better. I also needed to find a few convenience products for when I was on the go.

Not only did those survival products help me through the Whole30, but I continue to use many of them today. The Whole30 really changed my eating habits and cooking habits. Vegetables are part of almost every meal, and I cook a lot more. I haven’t had fast food…wow, I can’t even remember the last time.

You can read about all my results HERE.

The way I shop and look at food was also impacted. I now look at labels very carefully for any and all added sugar. It’s not just the grams of sugar that you need to look at, but the actual ingredient list. Real ingredients with easy names, and not things I can’t pronounce, are a must.  Many of my old favorites have been replaced, and I’m sharing those replacements today.

Of course, I didn’t keep everything out of my diet. I did bring back dark chocolate, a little dairy, and a little whole grain. Oh, and wine. Mmmmm…wine.

If you’d like to purchase any of the products I’ve included, just click on the picture. I’ve included my Amazon Affiliate link, which helps me run my blog, but there is never any cost to you.

Whole30 Products for Cooking

This group is my survival products that I used to cook with or in recipes.

I couldn’t bring myself to eat raw eggs, which are the main ingredient in homemade mayo. I’m just too weirded out and afraid of food-borne illness. You can take a few precautions, like making sure your eggs are cage-free and organic, but I still was afraid I’d be getting salmonella.

This is the avocado oil mayo I purchased. I didn’t use it a lot, but when I wanted to make chicken salad, it was awesome. I used in tuna, when I got sick of using just plain avocado. A nice way to mix things up a bit. Pun intended.

I had never heard of “aminos” before the Whole30. Honestly, I’m still not even sure what they are, but this coconut aminos is a great substitute for soy sauce. I used it in a couple of sauces during the Whole30, and continue to use it in place of soy sauce today.

The last cooking product that I loved was ghee. It’s basically butter with the milk separated from it. With a high burning point, it’s great to cook with. I used it to fry eggs or potatoes, and it gave them a very rich flavor. You can make your own clarified butter, but it involves boiling, cheesecloth, and straining. Too much work for this busy mom. Especially when I was starving!

Condiments

I’m a big fan of condiments. I used to use Ketchup all the time, but that was a pretty big NO on the Whole30 because of all the added sugar. I needed something on my burgers, so I did find one without added sugar by Tessemae’s. It doesn’t taste like the Ketchup you’re used to, but I liked the flavor. It’s very thick, and almost has a barbecue taste.

Mustard is another condiment I love, and that was much easier to find without sugar. Here’s what I used.

As for salad dressing, I tried my hardest to make my own, but it just tasted like vinegar to me. No matter how little I used, that was all I could taste. Instead, I found these amazing dressings from Tessemae’s. This whole pack is Whole30 compliant. If you want to buy them in the store, make sure to check the refrigerated section, as they are not on the shelves with the other dressings.

On the Go

During the Whole30, I was lucky that I mostly could eat at home. However, there were days we were on the go, and I needed to bring a snack. I brought extra food if we went to social functions, just in case there weren’t any vegetables or fruits to eat.

In the book, they only recommend Larabars in an emergency. To me, being hungry on the go was an emergency. These were my three favorite flavors. There are quite a few more, but not all are compliant, so remember to read the ingredient list, if you’re doing the Whole30.

If you’re not, this one is my favorite now.

Another thing that was easy to bring with was nuts. There is a warning in the book against too many of these, but I found that if I ate a small handful with an apple or some grapes, it would be a satisfying snack on the go. I bought the big bag, and just scooped handfuls out, but these 100 calorie packs are great to keep in your purse or car for emergencies.

As I mentioned, I ate a lot of veggies on the Whole30, and continue to do so. Sometimes, plain veggies just get boring, so dipping them in the salad dressings above was great. I loved dipping carrots, celery, broccoli or cauliflower in guacamole. Most of the time, I made my own, but if we were going somewhere, I brought the 100-calorie packs along. I couldn’t find them on Amazon, but they do sell them at Target, Costco, or Sam’s Club, and they are also made by Wholly Guacamole.

I used Sunflower seed butter on fruits and veggies very sparingly. It’s pretty tasty, but again, you’re not supposed to overdo it, if on the Whole30. You could also try almond butter, but I found it hard to find any without traces of peanuts actually in it, which are not Whole30 compliant.

Hopefully, you found these suggestions helpful. Whether you’re doing the Whole30 or just trying to eat a little healthier, these are some great alternatives. No added sugar (except the Larabars with chocolate in them) and plenty of great taste.

For more great recipe ideas or more information on the Whole30, check out these books:

If you have any questions, please leave them below. Are there any other healthy survival products I can add?