Dear Melissa,
It’s Day 25 of my Whole30, and I’m over it. No foods sound good, and I can’t imagine what to make for dinner. It’s like pregnancy food aversions, except I’m definitely not pregnant. I want to finish my Whole30 strong, but how can I do that if feel like I just hit the wall? –Shelly, at my Santa Monica book signing event
Dear Shelly,
This phenomenon is especially common when you’re approaching the end of a longer habit change, like 30 consecutive days of Whole30 elimination. In the beginning, it’s new and exciting! In the middle, it’s feeling more automatic, and you’re really seeing the benefits. But in the last week, your brain senses “the end” on the horizon and starts demanding a reward. You’ve been so dedicated! You’ve worked so hard! But you still have a few days of elimination, plus reintroduction.
You’re cranky. You’re bored. You’re OVER IT.
Except you’re not actually over it. You feel amazing. You’re so proud of yourself! You’re looking forward to reintroduction, and figuring out which foods may have been contributing to your cravings, fatigue, or symptoms. You’re just in a rut, and need to jump-start your brain into feeling excited again.
Here are three ideas for how to do that, so you keep your promise to yourself and see your Whole30 commitment through.
1. Find new, drool-worthy recipes
If you’ve been eating the same five meals for the last 25 days, it’s no wonder you’re bored. Now’s the time to:
- Scour The Whole30 Fast and Easy Revised Edition Cookbook, The New Whole30, or The Whole30 Slow Cooker for new recipes to reinvigorate your taste buds.
- Browse Whole30 HQ’s favorite recipes and bookmark a few meals that make dinner a little more exciting
- Ask your Whole30 bestie or the @Whole30 community on Instagram to send you their favorite Whole30 dinner recipes for inspiration.
- Take something you’ve been cooking and make it taste brand-new with a new Whole30 Approved dressing or sauce. (Thrive Market has a phenomenal selection.)
2. Find one new jazzy ingredient
Sometimes, finding just one new Whole30 Approved or compatible ingredient can change the whole game, making dinner exciting again.
- Order a new flavor of nutpods so your morning coffee is creamy-dreamy
- Grab one of Siete’s Whole30 Approved taco or fajita seasonings for a Mexican-inspired dinner in a hurry
- Scour your local grocery store for a Whole30 Approved sauce from Primal Kitchen
- Make it “cheesy” with one of these Whole30 recipes using nut-based cheeses, sauces, dips, or nutritional yeast
3. Order delivery
If the idea of making dinner for the 25th night in a row has you feeling down, skip the meal prep, cooking, and dishes!
- Order a box of Made By Whole30 meals delivered straight to your door.
- Find a local Whole30 Approved partner using our state-by-state guide.
4. Bonus tip: Go the extra mile
If you’ve let yourself fall into a Whole30 rut, now’s the time to step up your dinner game. You can eat Applegate hot dogs for three days in a row, or eggs every day for breakfast… but given how many delicious, exciting, creative recipes we have, you really don’t have to.
You may be surprised that a little effort here goes a long way towards exciting your taste buds and making meals fun again.
- Plate your dinners like you’re on a cooking show, and share it on social media
- Cook with your favorite playlist, audiobook, or podcast
- Make a delicious Whole30 mocktail and sip on something fancy while you meal prep
- Try dinner leftovers for breakfast or breakfast for dinner to shake up your routine!
5. Bonus tip: Let it be good enough
It’s also possible you’ve taken your Whole30 in the other direction. If you’ve been making Instagram-worthy recipes three times a day, shopping daily, prepping constantly, and spending hours in the kitchen, it’s okay to take it down a notch. Your dedication and efforts are admirable, but it’s okay to let your Whole30 be “good enough” too.
- Use a Whole30 Recipe Blueprint, where you cook once and eat a few times
- Buy convenience proteins, dressings, or sauces instead of making it all yourself
- Buy frozen, canned, or pre-chopped vegetables, or use frozen veggie blends for instant variety
- Cook a Whole30 5-ingredient meal to keep things simple
So there you have it… not just three, but five tips for jazzing up the last week of your Whole30 elimination and cruising on through to reintroduction. If you have a favorite tip or trick for keeping your Whole30 fresh and tasty, share it with us on Instagram!
Wishing you Whole30 success,
Melissa
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