Whole30 Challenge: Day 11 Recap

Whole30 Challenge: Day 11: Dining Out for Dinner Recap

Here we go, my Whole30 challenge day 11 recap. I started out the day with a solid breakfast of 2 hard boiled eggs and 1/2 a sweet potato. So tasty and filling. I also woke up again not feeling the urge for coffee / caffeine. What I’ve been doing is making a cup of rooibis tea in the morning and adding a splash of warm coconut milk. I normally don’t drink my tea with anything, but I read about adding coconut milk to tea on a blog last week and I tried it and it was delicious! A nice, warm healthy treat.

I drank a beet juice with veggies around mid- morning after breakfast and it was really good. I was busy at work and didn’t really get hungry until around 2pm. I heated up a leftover mustard chicken thigh and the last of our cauliflower mash. It was perfect. I really like that chicken and I think I will need to post the recipe!

The real challenge for day 11 was going to be dinner. Over a month ago I planned a dinner with some friends of mine. I didn’t want to not go because I was on whole30 and the founders of Whole30 stress in their book that its important not to feel guilty or bad about ordering special foods at restaurants to accommodate your dietary needs. I’m already used to this from being gluten-free so it’s not that foreign to me. Plus, one of my good friends is also on an eating detox right now so I would be in good company. She is doing the “Clean Program” by Dr. Junger. It is 21 days. My husband and I did the clean program two years ago and we liked it a lot.

When I got to dinner I was greeted by so many friendly faces that I hadn’t seen in a couple months and some over a year. It was great. Almost everyone knew about my site and Whole30, which was pretty cool. Everyone had questions for me, but mainly they asked if I would be upset if they ate bread or drank wine in front of me. I assured them it didn’t bother me because truthfully it doesn’t! I don’t view bread as warm, delicious goodness anymore anyway and haven’t for quite some time. And the wine? Well, wine is another story! I am just on a sabbatical from wine right now.

I reviewed the menu for the restaurant in advance of dinner, which is something I highly recommend for those on any sort of strict diet. You can even call ahead and speak to the restaurant! If they are a smaller restaurant that serves good quality food, I guarantee you they will accommodate you. Just don’t be afraid to ask.

Before I got to the restaurant I had already picked out several dishes I could order- mussels (which the restaurant is famous for), steak, and salmon. All looked good. Then when the waiter told us the specials he told is about a special vegan roasted tomato soup made with tomatoes, garlic, basil, and oregano. And that was it. Unless I’m forgetting something. But I think that was it. Perfect appetizer and whole30 friendly!

My friend and I ordered the salmon with green beans and mussels. I got a Thai mussel with coconut milk,
Curry powder, and lemongrass. It also came with cream but I asked if they could make them without the cream and they said yes. We also each got tomato soup and a green salad. The meal was delicious and perfectly filling. I did drink a lot of water and I had to go to the bathroom several times during dinner. It was kind of annoying and then I went a lot when I got home, too. I am hearing that frequent urination is a sign of detox. Gosh, I sure hope so. It’s also waking me up in the middle of the night which is new to me since starting whole30.

For dessert the girls had fruit with chocolate fondue. I had a couple strawberries and they were good. Overall I was very impressed with how easy it was to stick to whole30 while dining out with a group of people. I didn’t feel deprived or like I missed out on anything. I had a great meal and good conversation with friends. And I didn’t have GI issues after. Win win!

I took some great food pics from dinner that I will update on the site in the coming days. We are headed to Mammoth to go snowboarding for the weekend so my next whole30 update will probably come on Sunday night which will include Friday (day 12) and a story about a man at the gym trying to buy me a shot of tequila. Have a great weekend, everyone!

What about you? Do you find it hard to eat at restaurants with your special diet needs? How do you handle these situations? Post in the comments and let me know!