Trouble with Calcium on Whole30

Boccellin

So I'm doing a two week trial run of Whole30 (squeezing it in before Thanksgiving) to see if I want to attempt the full 30 days as a New Years Resolution in January. Today was my first day on the program itself, and for the most part I enjoyed it. However, I'm the type of person who likes to pre-plan her meals a week in advance, and as I was pre-planning, I noticed that my calcium is insanely low, less than half of goal on most days.

I already tried sardines today. I finished them, but it was hell, and even thinking about eating them again as me feeling nauseated. I do know about kale and collard greens, but I'd have to eat 8-10 cups a day to get enough calcium. I don't mind eating that much, I already eat 6-10 cups of spinach a day, but it would get pretty expensive and I am on a budget.

Can anyone make a recommendation for me here? Calcium rich and Whole30 friendly that wouldn't break the bank financially? And not sardines? For the love of god, no sardines.

segacs

So, first question: Not to disparage your choices, because food choice is personal. But why do you want to follow a diet that flies in the face of science by prohibiting healthy foods like beans, legumes, whole grains and dairy?

Now, having said that, you could try consulting a list of high-calcium vegan foods and see if any of them are included in your plan.

Still, a balanced diet with calcium from a variety of sources, especially dairy, will do you better in the long run.

Boccellin

I don't plan on doing Whole30 long term, its more of a challenge for myself. The no-dairy thing does bother me, and I can't see myself giving it up forever. However, I'm curious to see how I'll feel after doing it for two weeks. If I really don't like it, I can stop at any time, and I am prepared to do so.

But, there are a lot of things in my diet that I do really want to change because I know they aren't healthy. People I know who have tried Whole30 say it's a good way to kick bad habits and help kill cravings. I see this more as a refresh than an actual diet plan. Just an exercise to make myself more aware of a lot of the crap that I am eating without realizing it. I'm hoping this two week experience will help me to make long-term changes if I actually can notice that I'm feeling better.

mwhite61451

Boccellin wrote: »

I don't plan on doing Whole30 long term, its more of a challenge for myself. The no-dairy thing does bother me, and I can't see myself giving it up forever. However, I'm curious to see how I'll feel after doing it for two weeks. If I really don't like it, I can stop at any time, and I am prepared to do so.

But, there are a lot of things in my diet that I do really want to change because I know they aren't healthy. People I know who have tried Whole30 say it's a good way to kick bad habits and help kill cravings. I see this more as a refresh than an actual diet plan. Just an exercise to make myself more aware of a lot of the crap that I am eating without realizing it. I'm hoping this two week experience will help me to make long-term changes if I actually can notice that I'm feeling better.

I just finished Whole30 last week. The hardest part was no milk or grains or legumes, but as you said, it's only 30 days. Hardest part is exercise. Because your carbs are reduced, at least mine were, high intensity is difficult. So I just dialed it back and I was fine. My biggest challenge was sugar. If it's sweet, I'll eat it, doesn't really matter what it is. Except for splitting a piece of chocolate cake, I succeeded. A huge benefit has been that I don't get sleepy during the day...which is huge for me. I have a hypothyroid, so it's an ongoing problem, but cutting out processed sugar has made a big difference. Look at it as only 30 days, not as "My God it's 30 days!" makes it easier. I combined it with 5:2 and was happy with the results...lost 17 lbs. Hardest part now, is not giving in to the urge to start eating the food I shouldn't, but so far so good post (5 days).