I have never read so many labels. I always thought label readers were a little silly. I was of the opinion that if you ate in moderation everything else would be fine. A little arrogant and naive was I. What a challenge I faced when we started our Whole 30. So many things have sugar and ingredients that aren’t really food!
If you have already done your Whole 30, want to eat paleo or just want food that doesn’t have hidden stuff check out my favorites.
Sausages
Sausages were one of the hardest things to find that didn’t have sugar. Whole Foods carries a few but they are pricey. Trader Joe’s has one, Garlic & Herb Chicken Sausage that is good. The two below are my favorites. The True Story sausage is one we found at Costco. There is an ingredient that comes from beets that might make it non-compliant for Whole 30. Since it comes from a vegetable I feel a little better about it than some of the chemicals in other sausages. The Aidells sausage was a nice find for breakfast. It is sweetened with fruit juice instead of sugar. It is very tasty and we usually cut it up and put it in our morning scrambles.
Pasta sauces
One of our go to meals is still pasta. Though our pasta is now made from zucchini not flour. A pound of ground beef, a bunch of veggies and a can of Trader Joe’s marinara makes dinner in under 30 minutes. TJ’s has a few other sauces that are without sugar. The puttanesca is one of my favorites. Be sure to read the labels closely because many do have sugar.
Coconut oil and ghee
I have come to love the flavor of coconut oil. It is great for sautéed veggies. It adds some healthy fat to your meals. Are you noticing a trend of Trader Joe’s products? In full disclosure, I work there. Though most of the products are picked because they are a great quality at a reasonable price. The coconut oil is a couple of dollars cheaper and the ghee while not organic is more affordable than the $10 ghee at Whole Foods.
Spices
If you are going to do a Whole 30 be sure to find some good spices. These are my two favorites. The tuscan seasoning is great on chicken and veggies. You could say the same for the chinese five spice, but in reality I put that stuff on everything! My favorite use is to put it on butternut squash, toss with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
Beverages
If you spend enough time on the Whole 30 forums you will hear about La Croix. They have some flavors that make them stand out from the other sparkling waters. I have yet to find the elusive coconut flavor.
One of the reasons we love the La Croix is it is kind of nice to have something in a can. It feels like a treat without the sugar. As a bonus it puts the coozie collection to work again. Not feeling like slumming it with a can coozie put your sparkling water in a wine glass with a slice of fruit. You can even use them to make your own mocktails.
Do you have any favorite Whole 30 foods?
I don’t know and haven’t done whole 30 but I never think about how things like jarred pasta sauce and SAUSAGE have added sugar. Luckily I usually do make my own sauces, starting from tomatoes!, but recently I have been using Trader Joe’s vodka sauce. I’ll have to go look at the label-now I’m thinking I’m sure it has added sugar! Eek!