Is anyone else sitting around feeling like it was JUST Christmas morning? I know I am! How are we already to the end of January? This is just blowing my mind. If you’re reading this and you just crushed the January Whole30, you are a badass! You should be extremely proud of yourself! If you didn’t start on January 1^st, and waited maybe until January 8^th, then keep reading. This one is for those of you who will Whole30 over Superbowl Sunday. Sounds scary, right? Nah, it doesn’t have to be. Today I’m going to help you understand why!

This year will mark the 3^rd year that I have done a Whole30 over superbowl weekend. So, you can trust that these tips and recipe ideas, have come from some experience. For me, it’s become a day that I enjoy the company of friends and family, more than I worry about the food. And I hope that for you too. Let’s break the chains from the food-with-no-brakes, hormone-jacking, pleasure-center-igniting stigma that comes along with a Super bowl Sunday spread. I’m changing the rules. Let’s get started on the tips first!

• Offer to host- As the host you have much greater control over the food, and over the environment you are going to create. I like to host events so that I can plan and prepare the main food, and then when people ask what they can bring, I can tell them! Also- being able to control your environment is a huge factor. For me, food stays in the kitchen. It’s not laid out on end tables, and coffee tables for the convenience of sitting over the top of it and eating. It’s in the kitchen where you have to get up to get it. We also find a great deal of comfort in our own homes. So, if you’re new to the Whole30 and feel like venturing out to someone else’s house, or a bar/restaurant where there will be plates of deep fried food piled higher than you can see could be extremely overwhelming, then the comfort of your own home can be pretty appealing.

 

• If you can’t host, and will be attending a gathering at someone else’s home, then bring a compliant dish to share. If you know the host well, call him/her up ahead of time and explain that you’re on a Whole30 and that staying successful is really important to you and then work out a dish that you could bring that would allow you to feel safe. Calling your friend or family member ahead of time also lessens the chance that there will be a “scene” over the fact that you’re not eating any of Aunt Peggy’s 17-layer taco dip she makes every year. Also- make sure you have your emergency food bag with you in case you feel yourself waning. Make a plan ahead of time, set your intentions, know that you will not give up no matter what foods you are faced with, and stick to the plan. Trust me, you will feel much better than everyone else in the morning (wink).

 

• Make a plate of food to eat and sit down to eat it! How often, during gatherings/parties are people standing around a counter or table just eating? Pretty dang often. I urge you to make a plate of food (you’ll likely have more to choose from if hosting) and sit down to eat with intention and attention. When you’re standing around eating, you’re likely not paying any attention to how much of gosh knows what, you’ve been eating. The food-with-no-brakes potential is strong in that situation, and a little bit scary.

 

• If you are new to Whole30, or truly just don’t feel comfortable putting yourself into a situation where you’ll be bombarded with poor food choices, then don’t go. It’s ok to make that decision for yourself. The superbowl happens every dang year. Stay at home, in your pj’s, cozied up with a blanket, and your compliant meal to enjoy the game. Sounds pretty nice to me! Being able to navigate social events will come with time. There’s no rush, you come first!

NOW….onto the food! Here’s what goes into some of my favorite Whole30 superbowl Sunday dishes. FAIR WARNING – I keep it super simple!