Whole30 Chili

I decided to do the Whole30 to finish out the summer feeling happy and healthy. I made this decision because I was feeling like my energy was really low and I was craving unhealthy foods constantly. I love the Whole30 because you cleanse your body of all processed foods and just eat clean.

I am on day 3 and I feel good. The first day I was doing great and feeling awesome until about 2 o’clock. I suddenly had the biggest craving for anything and everything unhealthy. Here are a few snacks that crossed my mind: a McDonalds hash brown, Starbucks pumpkin loaf (my weakness), oreos, cheese, or a buttery croissant. As you can see, all super processed and full of things I am trying to cleanse my body of. I seriously contemplated getting in my car and driving to Starbucks to give into my craving, however I did not. I am tired of saying “Oh I’ll start tomorrow.” So here we are. Day 3.

The best advice I can give to you if you’re trying the Whole30 for the first time is, be prepared. Create a grocery list, plan out your meals and snacks, and tell everybody you’re doing it. I find this holds me much more accountable because people will often ask how it's going. When it comes to planning food I mainly use Pinterest and my Whole30 cookbook. Here is what’s on the menu for this week. I will probably do a few more posts on the Whole30 as I continue throughout the month but today, we're talking chili!

I have to tell you that I’ve made a healthy chili before and it came out horrible. The broth was thin, the flavor was lacking, and all around the chili was not hearty and comforting like you’d want it to be. But this Whole30 chili is everything! It is thick, absolutely delicious, and is packed with so many rich vegetables. I made this recipe for my aunt and uncle last week and my uncle loves chili but the regular kind of homemade chili. You know the kind with all the fixings and loaded with cheese, sour cream, and beans. I was more than nervous that he wouldn’t like my recipe and had BigY’s number on speed dial ready to order a pizza when my meal was booed out of the kitchen; but boy was I wrong. My recipe was not booed, I did not see a contorted face upon their first bite, and no one, I mean no one left that table with an empty stomach. Guys, I am not joking when I tell you to double, maybe even triple this recipe if you are making it for more than four. It is so good and everyone will want seconds. My husband and my uncle were so stuffed but were literally licking their bowls because the chili was just that good! Run, I repeat RUN to the grocery store to get these ingredients and make this chili for dinner tonight!


I will be posting lots of recipes this month that eliminate refined sugar, grains, dairy, and legumes. Please let me know if there is anything you’d like me to try, I love altering recipes to make them healthier. Happy eating!

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Whole30 Chili

by Whole30 August-2-2017

Tasty chili made with fresh vegetables and guilt free!

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground meat
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 3 tsps (or 3 cloves) minced garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp (recipe called for 1 tsp but I do not like heat) chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1 finely chopped orange bell pepper
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 cups beef broth

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot on medium heat and add ground beef. Cook until meat is browned and cooked through. Remove from pot but leave the juices. 2. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, mustard powder, and salt to the pot. Cook until the onions become translucent. 3. Add the pepper, tomatoes, broth, and meat to the pot. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer. 4. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins Total time: 1 hour 35 mins Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom