By: Brittney DeVore
Brittney DeVore is a Vital Proteins employee who works on the Customer Advocate team. Here, she recounts how she incorporated our collagen products into her Whole30 diet.
I eat clean and stick to a paleo diet year-round, so indulging over the holidays left me feeling sluggish, and with a face full of blemishes. (Am I the only one that felt like the holidays this year lasted 10 months?!) It was the day after Christmas that I officially decided to join in on the Whole30 train in January. I have done three or four rounds by now, so I didn’t feel intimidated. It’s important to understand that Whole30 is not a weight loss program; it is simply a “reset” program. It’s an opportunity to fill your body with real, whole foods for 30 days, and to eliminate some food groups, additional sugars, gums, oils, etc.
Along with almost everyone on the Vital Proteins team, I have a very intense passion for coffee. I can enjoy a butter coffee, an adaptogenic coffee, or just a regular ol’ black coffee. It’s the definition of true love. Monday through Friday, I normally grab my daily cup (or two!) of our Vital Coffee Roasters, brewed by our sweet barista, Becca. I always add a scoop of our hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides and some creamer. I follow a dairy-free regimen, so my creamer of choice is almond based. This is where things can get tricky. Finding a dairy-free coffee creamer that does not contain artificial ingredients and actually tastes good is harder than you would think. Even some of the most popular brands will sneak in some cane sugar, a lot of gums – like locust bean and gellan gum – and potassium citrate. My personal rule of thumb with Whole30 is if I do not recognize an ingredient listed on a food label, that ingredient is probably not compliant.
This is where our magical Collagen Creamers come in. The Coconut Collagen Creamer has always been my personal favorite. It’s free of dairy, gluten, and added sugars and provides an energy boost in drinkers thanks to the MCTs in the coconut milk powder. Plus, the Whole30 approved emblem is always nice to see on the label!
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An Easy Whole 30 Recipe to Try
Here’s what I use to make my morning cup of joe: 1 scoop of Collagen Peptides, 1 scoop of Coconut Collagen Creamer, 1-2 cups of Vital Coffee Roasters, plus a dash of cinnamon. All you need to do is blend all the ingredients with a frother and voilà: You’ve got your perfect morning pick-me-up in one cup.
… And If You Want to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
I always crave something sweet at the end of the day, especially after dinner. When I’m not on a round of Whole30, I love to dip a square of dark chocolate into some cashew butter. Since this is not exactly Whole30 compliant, I swap it with this Beauty Collagen concoction: 1-2 cups of hot water, 1 scoop of Lavender Lemon Beauty Collagen, a fresh squeeze of lemon, and some fresh ginger as well!
Looking for more Whole30 approved recipes? Check out our full list of collagen-infused recipes here.
