Prep Dish + Whole30 – Two Subscriber Stories

Learn how my Easy Whole30 Meal Plan helped 2 Prep Dish subscribers complete their own Whole30. You don't have to start from scratch!

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We’ve noticed a trend with our Prep Dish subscribers this month, many are doing or have done a Whole 30 and use Prep Dish as a tool to assist. Not familiar with the Whole 30?  Dallas and Melissa Hartwig created the Whole 30 as a 30-day nutritional reset to show you how certain foods may be having negative effects on how you look, feel and live. While on the Whole30 program, you eliminate certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) from your diet.

Since the Whole30 program follows a “Paleo” style of eating, Prep Dish meal plans are Whole30 compliant or require only a slight modification to make them fit the program requirements. For this reason, many subscribers comment that our menus either help them through the Whole30 or transition off the Whole30 and continue a long-term healthy eating lifestyle. {UPDATE- We new offer 100% Whole 30 Compliant plans}. But the proof is in the pudding! We recently sat down with two subscribers, Ellyn Owens and Mary Underwood, to talk about how Prep Dish has helped with their Whole30.

Prep Dish + Whole30 – Ellyn’s  story

A little about Ellyn: I am a 41-year old working mom to three kids ages 9, 7, and 5 with three busy optometry practices in North Carolina.  I am a travel enthusiast who loves a good book, cup of coffee, and time with friends. Getting food on the table at night is a challenge, but Prep Dish has helped me do it and made it fun!  The benefits of family dinners is backed by research and is our priority. I was also lucky enough to be able to have dinner with Allison and her husband, Brook, while in Austin last month!

What inspired you to do a Whole30?
My cousin lost 60lbs and I was looking for something to inspire my husband to lose weight…so I just started the plan with him.

What benefits did you see from doing a Whole30?
Definitely see improved energy, better sleep and less headaches.

What was the hardest part of maintaining your Whole30?
Didn’t realize I was addicted to sugar…I have a huge sweet tooth apparently and felt bad for the first 2 weeks.

Were you nervous about transitioning off Whole30 and still maintaining a healthy diet?
Not at all…I saw Allison’s ad in a blog I follow called 100 Days of Real Food and knew it would be an easy way to continue. And I can have my dark chocolate fix now and then!

How has Prep Dish helped with your transition after the Whole30?
It was simple way to continue eating well…I didn’t have to plan anything except my trip to the grocery store. So much easier than planning every meal on Whole 30. I love being prepared!

Do you find Prep Dish meals to be compatible with Whole30 principals? Yes! Everything about it! And delicious! I’m a very left brained, rule follower…I don’t have to think about ANYTHING, that’s one reason I love it!

What tips do you have for somebody wanting to start a Whole30?  Grab a partner, I would not have been able to do it alone. You will feel terrible for 2 weeks, sluggish and maybe even have a headache. Detoxing off sugar is no joke. American food makers have been hiding sugar in everything!

What tips do you have for somebody who is transitioning off of Whole30? Prep Dish! Prep Dish! Prep Dish! It’s a perfect way to avoid process food, eat healthy, and get dinner on the table quickly. You may even have enough left over for lunch the next day! (We promise we didn’t pay her to say that! ;))

Prep Dish + Whole30 –  Mary’s  story

A little about Mary…My husband and I run two businesses from our home. His is year round and mine is 9 months of the year: 1 1/2 acre organic vegetable garden co-op. We have kids, grandkids and workers around all of the time to work and/or help so prepping is key to having healthy meals ready to go and we still don’t get to eat many nights before 7. On the plus side we always have fresh organic veggies to add to our meal plans.

What inspired you to do a Whole30?
I decided to do the January Whole30 challenge to get back on track after the holiday binges. I was already eating a Paleo diet and had been a subscriber to Prep Dish since August. I lost 30 lbs last year and want to take another 25 off. This seemed like a good jump start.

What has been hardest part of maintaining your Whole30?
We’ve had a few special occasions so there has been some chocolate around, which is not allowed on the Whole30. I think it might have been much harder if I wasn’t already used to Paleo cooking and hadn’t already been a Prep Dish subscriber. However, what I miss the most and crave is dairy. Adding more nuts has helped.

What research did you do before transitioning?
I did a lot of research before going Paleo a year ago. My go-to, aside from Prep Dish, is Danielle Walker of Against All Grain and Mel Joulwan.

How has Prep Dish helped with your Whole30?
Prep Dish gives me a good start to my week in terms of planning. I use about half of the menus each week (my family is picky). But more importantly, when I fill in my week’s menu the majority of the work is done for me. For example, this week I am using the January Super Fast Menu. I’ll use meal 1 for Monday as written. On Tuesday I will substitute a different chicken recipe for meal 2 as we don’t like Mustard Chicken Legs or Brussels sprouts. My Prep Day is usually on Sunday afternoon and from start to finish takes 2-3 hours. But everything is ready for the WHOLE ENTIRE WEEK!

What tips do you have for somebody wanting to start a Whole30?
Read the Book! Whole 30 has such specific guidelines and thinking you have it all down without reading the book at least once is a mistake. Embrace the non-scale victories! My mantra is, it’s only 30 days. You can do anything for 30 days and you learn a lot about yourself.

What tips do you have for somebody who is transitioning off of a Whole30?
Transition slowly! Prep Dish is perfect for the transition time. Follow the guidelines for transition and you’ll feel much better. Going too fast always makes me feel bloated, awful, and headachey. Let’s face it, it really is a Whole 40.

A big Thanks to Ellyn & Mary for sharing their stories! Connect with us on our Facebook group page, we’d love to hear about your experience doing a Whole 30! 

UPDATE: We now offer Whole 30- Compliant plans, click here for details. 

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