Today is a big day for me. Ok, not really a big day but still somewhat of an accomplishment. Sixteen days ago I embarked on a journey to better my health. I made the decision to start what will be my first of many rounds of Whole30 and today, day sixteen, means I am officially more than halfway through!
For those of you who aren't familiar with Whole30, it's a "short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system" (Whole30.com). For 30 days, I willingly gave up added sugar (real and artificial), alcohol (not even for cooking), grains, legumes, dairy, MSG, and sulfites. For most this sounds terrifying but I saw it as a challenge; a way to expand my culinary knowledge in relation to nutrition and to try new things.
We are creatures of habit and often times choose not to deter from what we know we like. We go out to the same restaurants over and over again and often order the same thing every time; and why wouldn't we, our trusty favorite dish never fails us right? Eating the same foods over and over gets boring and following the Whole30 guidelines can seem scary for a lot of people when you truly realize how limited you are with ingredients. I realized this on day one but I also chose to accept the challenge and to really push myself to try new things and experiment with different foods. Thankfully not only am I loving the way I feel, but I am LOVING the recipes I have come up with along the way.
One of the struggles of the Whole30 program is fighting off the cravings. When you give up a lot of foods you think you can't live without, you find yourself daydreaming about them. This becomes a true test of willpower. Fortunately for me, I haven't had many cravings throughout this journey but I owe it all to the foods I'm eating, especially meals like this. These meatballs are not only 100% Whole30 approved, but they also taste amazing and seem indulgent. Oh, and did I mention, they come together in less than 20 minutes.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Whole30, it's a "short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system" (Whole30.com). For 30 days, I willingly gave up added sugar (real and artificial), alcohol (not even for cooking), grains, legumes, dairy, MSG, and sulfites. For most this sounds terrifying but I saw it as a challenge; a way to expand my culinary knowledge in relation to nutrition and to try new things.
We are creatures of habit and often times choose not to deter from what we know we like. We go out to the same restaurants over and over again and often order the same thing every time; and why wouldn't we, our trusty favorite dish never fails us right? Eating the same foods over and over gets boring and following the Whole30 guidelines can seem scary for a lot of people when you truly realize how limited you are with ingredients. I realized this on day one but I also chose to accept the challenge and to really push myself to try new things and experiment with different foods. Thankfully not only am I loving the way I feel, but I am LOVING the recipes I have come up with along the way.
One of the struggles of the Whole30 program is fighting off the cravings. When you give up a lot of foods you think you can't live without, you find yourself daydreaming about them. This becomes a true test of willpower. Fortunately for me, I haven't had many cravings throughout this journey but I owe it all to the foods I'm eating, especially meals like this. These meatballs are not only 100% Whole30 approved, but they also taste amazing and seem indulgent. Oh, and did I mention, they come together in less than 20 minutes.
Yield: 12 meatballs
- 1lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup grated carrots
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup buffalo sauce (to keep this Whole30 use Tessemae's buffalo sauce or a mix of Franks hot sauce and ghee)
Preheat oven to 475°. Lightly grease a mini-muffin tin with oil. Add all ingredients except the buffalo sauce to a bowl and combine until mixed. Shape into 12 equal sized meatballs and place into the prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Once the meatballs are done, transfer to a large bowl and top with sauce; toss to coat and serve.
