The Whole30 is an elimination diet designed to help people identify food sensitivities, heal their gut, and reset their eating habits. It was developed by Melissa Urban and Dallas Hartwig in 2009. The program in a nutshell, is essentially 30 days of eating nothing but whole foods. What exactly does that mean? Eliminating anything processed that comes in a bag, box, container, etc. Everything that you must avoid is as follows: added sugar & artificial sweeteners, alcohol, grains, gluten, dairy, junk food, and legumes. These food groups are avoided because they are deemed inflammatory or problematic. As someone who already avoids gluten and dairy and barely drinks alcohol the whole 30 isn’t really too difficult for me. The hardest part of this program for me is cooking every single meal and not being able to go out to eat. I meal prep a lot because the days I work are very long hours so it’s easier for me to prep as much as I can.

The rules are to avoid dairy, gluten, sugars and artificial sweeteners, alcohol, grains, legumes, and junk food or baked goods of any kind. There’s also no weighing your self during the entire 30 days. There’s also the Pancake Rule which states, “Do not recreate or purchase baked goods, ‘foods with no brakes,’ or treats even if they’re made with Whole30-compatible ingredients.” If you take a food that’s normally a “treat” and find a way to make a Whole30 version of it, you’re basically saying, “I can’t have pancakes…so I’ll figure out how to make pancakes anyway” and this program wants you to take a break from that mindset and not give in to any cravings. You’re recreating the experience of eating pancakes, rather than changing your relationship with food, which goes against the Whole30.

The creators of the program thought of every detail regarding how to do it, how to end it (the reintroduction phase), what to expect week by week, and how to plan and prepare before starting it. The timeline is a lifesaver for someone just starting out and not really sure where to begin.

What I love the most about this program is how good you feel during and after you complete your 30 days. It’s a bit difficult to put into words how incredible you feel, but you have no bloating, no regretting any meals because now you feel great after consuming everything you eat, and you have tons of energy. You just feel lighter and more vibrant.

This most recent round of whole30 was my third time completing the program. I have to say it was definitely my easiest round, because I knew what to expect and what I liked to eat from the previous rounds that I had recipes saved and other recipes that I found that I really enjoyed. I’ll share some of my favorites below.

For breakfast, it’s probably the only meal I can “grab and go” is two hard boiled eggs, and fresh berries. I typically just purchase a bag of hard boiled eggs to make it easier for myself. I usually like blueberries, strawberries and blackberries to have with that. If I have time, I like to peel and slice sweet potatoes and put them in the toaster and use that as my “toast” and smear avocado on top and sprinkle some Trader Joe’s everything but the bagel seasoning. If you like a more hearty breakfast, this sausage and egg casserole is a go to and can last days if you’re the only one eating it.

For lunch, I’ve been cooking up some chicken dishes. Most recently I’ve been really loving this Mushroom Chicken Thigh recipe. It’s made with bacon, but I don’t really love bacon, so I make it without it.

Dinner would usually consist of chicken and veggies, steaks, burgers, ground beef, etc. Doing the whole30 when it’s warm out is perfect if you like to barbecue. Another chicken recipe I love that I’ve made every round I do this program, is the Marry Me Chicken. It’s made with sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy dairy free sauce with fresh basil, sometimes I add spinach to it. There’s also a recipe that’s very similar to the Marry Me Chicken, but it’s made with shrimp and spinach. It’s delicious and a definite must try especially if you’ve been consuming a lot of chicken and would like to change it up a bit.

I absolutely love this side dish, Cinnamon Pecan Sweet Potato Rounds. It’s easy, makes a lot so you can have left overs and they’re very satisfying while staying on the program.

A lot of my side dishes consist of potatoes. Homemade French fries in the air fryer is always a staple in my house even if I’m not on the program, and my husband enjoys them. I usually swap out the paprika and use salt and some rosemary on top. Baked potatoes and baked sweet potatoes are something I do for work as that’s easy to prep ahead of time and reheat in the microwave while on the job. I also have made mashed sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes which is also very fulfilling and satisfying.

If you absolutely have to go out to eat and cannot avoid it, try to choose foods you know won’t be cooked in any butter or sauces to avoid ruining the program. I opted for an arugula, lobster salad when I went out and swapped out the dressing for oil and vinegar. It was fulfilling and I felt good about not going off the program.

There are tons of recipes on Pinterest and the internet that are whole30 approved. There’s also a lot of condiments that are now whole30 approved. Last I checked, Primal Kitchen is the biggest one that does all kinds of dressings, marinades, and dipping sauces that you can add to your food for more satisfaction. If you’re someone that needs to have something in your tea, coffee or matcha, nut pods are whole30 approved if you buy the unsweetened version-it actually says on the side of the container “Whole30 approved.”

For snacks, I usually pick up dates, nuts, and cotton candy grapes. Beverages usually consist of water or seltzer as long as it doesn’t have any added sugars.

Have you tried the Whole30? Are you interested in starting? Let me know in the comments below!

The Whole30 Review

lisa

The Whole30 Review

How to treat your skin this summer

lisa