Whole30/Paleo Chili

Maybe it's because we should be experiencing fall weather or maybe it's because it just sounded good, and lets be honest, easy to make, that I decided to make chili as one of my main meals for the first week of this new plan. Here's the basic recipe:

Whole30/Paleo Turkey and Veggie Chili

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. ground Turkey
- 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 can of tomato sauce, no salt or sugar added
- 2 small cans of tomato paste
- 2.5 tomato sauce cans full of warm water
- 5-6 carrots, finely chopped
- 3 bell peppers, I used one yellow, orange, and red
- 2 yellow squash, chopped
- white pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
- cumin, to taste
- chili powder, to taste
- paprika, to taste
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- onion powder, to taste

Directions:
- Add olive oil to a pan and heat, add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to soften
- Add turkey and cook until no longer pink and is thoroughly cooked
- Once turkey is cooked add it to the crockpot (I use a crockpot bag to make clean up easier)
- Add remaining ingredients and stir well
- Cook on high for a few hours (3-4)
- Serve immediately or freeze in batches for another time

30 Days- Whole30 (Paleo) for Picky Eaters!

It's been a while, a long while, actually, since I last blogged. Life got in the way in a big way and I just couldn't get to it. But now, I'm prioritizing cooking healthy, easy, meals and am going to try and blog both the meals and the progress/results I get from this change.

For the next 30 days I am going to follow the Whole30 "rules" which from what I can tell seems pretty much like a Paleo inspired plan--its more strict in order to focus on eating just whole foods and not creating substitutes. 

Approved foods on the Whole30 plan:

• Lean meats
• Veggies
• Fruits
• Healthy Fats 

That means no dairy, legumes, processed food, added sugar (natural or not), or grains for the next 30 days. The goal of Whole30 is to build a new relationship with food--one where you're not emotionally or physically dependent on any type of food. 

My main concern--I'm a pretty picky eater so I have to try and find variety in my meal plans without trying to force-feed myself something that will derail my plan. 

The best way for me to stick to any kind of plan is to meal plan for the week on the weekend, that way I can grab and go to work and when I come home I just have to grab and heat-up. 

Today I started my meal planning, on the menu this week is a paleo/whole30 friendly turkey-veggie chili, turkey meatballs, spaghetti sauce and zucchini noodles. 

For breakfast I plan to scramble some eggs, roast some potatoes, and have some avocado with it. 

Stay tuned for this 30 day journey with me, and bare with me as this blog transitions between just recipes and moves towards recipes and updates. :)