Snacking is basically not allowed on Whole 30, it's not encouraged anyhow. We are suppose to be retraining our bodies to eat three meals a day and feel satisfied and our minds need to learn to ignore snacking cues that arise from habit or boredom. In my case that's watching TV at night. The minute I sit down my brain thinks chips, nuts, ice cream.

The following recipe is not awesome, but there's not much that is compliant to snack on. I don't consider raw veggies, olives or salami much of a snack, but that's about all you can have on Whole 30. Nuts are allowed and will help satisfy the snack urge. They're also good to have in your purse or car, along with a meat stick and a piece of fruit, in case you find yourself stuck someplace where you can't access Whole 30 compliant food and you're starving. My favorite nuts are raw cashews, they're buttery and a bit sweet.

When I want to treat myself, I'll have a Lara Bar, which is technically compliant, but not encourged because the reason I'm reaching for the Lara Bar is to satisfy my sweet tooth, a big no-no. We need to learn to ignore the sugar dragon, it's a huge part of eating clean which is the whole point of Whole 30. The sugar cravings really do subside, I know this because I have done Whole 30 before. But the first week is rough, I crave sweets like crazy.

Spicy Cocoa-Orange Almonds  (from the Whole 30 Cookbook)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (1/2 orange)
1 Tbsp. ghee
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp course salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1 cup raw, unsalted, almonds or macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 3-5 minutes, until the juice is reduced to 2 tablespoons. Remove from heat, whisk in the ghee until melted and then add the cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, cayenne and orange zest. Add the nuts and stir well to coat. Spread the nuts onto a shallow baking pan and bake 12 - 15 minutes until the nuts are toasted, stirring twice. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and let cool completely. Store in a container, up to 3 weeks.