Here we are at Week 4 and the last week of this meal plan series! I’ve had a lot of fun putting this together and I feel like I’ve been cooking a lot more exciting recipes than my last couple rounds of Whole30. I hope these meal plans have been helpful, and even if the Whole30 isn’t right for you, you have been inspired to incorporate some of these delicious recipes into your rotation!
This week’s meal plan incorporates plenty of fresh veggies like squash, zucchini, and tomatoes. I know some people’s gardens are overflowing right now so it’s a great time to experiment with them!
I also snuck a pumpkin recipe in there, because I’m a basic B*#&% and it’s never too early for pumpkin spice season, mmmkay?
What’s Next?
If you do the math, you’ll see that the 4-week meal plan still leaves 2 days until the 30 day mark. During this time I like to keep my meals really simple, and try to use up anything left over in my fridge and pantry. Now is a great time to get back to basics with some simple grilled chicken or steak, salads topped with lots of garden fresh veggies, or a frittata using whatever you have on hand.
If you are doing a Whole30, you’ve probably read about the reintroduction phase. After you complete the full 30 days, you should re-introduce foods that you’ve been avoiding one at a time and really take in how you feel after you eat them. You can read more about it on the Whole30 website, and I highly recommend not skipping this step, especially if you suspect you have any food intolerances or foods that just don’t agree with you. Reintroducing them one by one will allow you to really understand how different foods affect you so you can tailor your future eating to what makes you feel your best. The Whole30 is absolutely not meant to be a long term “diet” – it’s meant to be a self experiment and a reset into healthier habits.
Full disclosure: I am going camping this week so I am not following this meal plan during that time! It’s been hard to plan any type of vacation during the time of COVID so this was a super last minute trip that I wouldn’t necessarily have planned during my Whole30 otherwise. I’m keeping my vaca meals Paleo, but if the opportunity presents itself to have some dairy free ice cream I’m gonna do it! For me, the Whole30 is about learning how to incorporate healthy choices into your every day life, not restricting yourself to the point of being stressed out about what to eat on vacation. But, there is no reason for me to throw all my past month’s progress out the window so I’m going to plan ahead, bring healthy choices, and fuel my body in a way that feels right for me. That’s what food freedom is all about!
Links to this week’s recipes:
Citrus Ground Beef Salad from The Castaway Kitchen
Bruschetta Chicken from Primal Gourmet
My Kale Caesar Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Salmon
Creamy “Cheezy” Broccoli Soup from Buck Naked Kitchen
Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding from Eat The Gains (this recipe was a guest post on another blog and is linked at the bottom of her post!)
You can find the blog posts & meal plans from the past 3 weeks here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3.
Click this link for the Week 4 Meal Plan PDF download!
