The Ultimate Whole30 Guide: Where to start, What to Buy & more.

If you’ve followed me for a while it is highly likely you’ve heard me rave about Whole30 on my instagram page. And while I don’t eat Whole30 all of the time, you will find that the majority of my recipes are Whole30-based. A couple of reasons for this:

• After years of obsessive calorie counting (deprivation) guilt filled binge eating & an excessive workout regiment. I was tired of the restrictive lifestyle. The foundations I learned from the Whole30 Program have helped me to rebuild my relationship with food. Over the last 6 years I’ve been able to focus on fueling my body & create a guilt free, balanced approach to eating. ⁠

• The concept of Whole30 is simple: Eat real food for 30 days. Eliminate common inflammatory foods such as dairy, grains, legumes,soy & sugar. (See Whole30 Rules for a more accurate description) . Not all foods are created equal & Whole30 helped me recognize that.

• There are so many benefits to eating healthy that don’t revolve around weight. When I’m eating clean I reap the non scale Benefits like better sleep, clear skin, more energy & less brain fog.

• Whole30 taught me how to read a food label & understand what constitutes real food. While I don’t eat Whole30 all of the time, I’ve become more intentional around the products I buy & foods I bring into my home.

• Whole30 helped me get creative in the kitchen & learn to love cooking.

Interested in doing a Whole30? Here is where you should begin:

• Read: It Starts with Food. This helped me understand the science behind the program & how our bodies use food to function.

• Head to the Whole30 Website & check out all of their Amazing Resources.
• After you have completed the above. Clean out your pantry & fridge & head to the grocery store!

Starting a Whole30 can seem expensive if you are replacing items like cooking oils, condiments, etc. But my advice is this: You don’t need name brands & plenty of low budget grocery stores like Aldi & Walmart are now carrying compliant products. 2. Not everything you buy needs to be organic (educate yourself of the dirty dozen & clean 15), and remember, this is an upfront investment to your health.

Must have Pantry Swaps for Whole30 :

• Cooking Oil Replacement – Avocado Oil, olive oil or coconut oil
• Butter Replacement: Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• Soy Sauce Replacement: Coconut Aminos
• Flour Replacement: Almond, Coconut, Tapioca or Cassava Flour
• Corn Starch Replacement: Tapioca or Arrowroot Flour
• Mayonnaise Replacement (Necessary if you plan on making your own dressings without making your own mayo): Chosen Foods or Primal Kitchen Mayo. Recipe for Homemade here.
• Dairy Replacement: Coconut Milk, Compliant Nut Milk or NutPods Creamer.
• Peanut Butter Replacement: Almond or Cashew Butter

Favorite Whole30 Products

Snacks

• RX Bars: All RXBARs are compliant with the rules of the Whole30® program with the exception of the Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Berries and Maple Sea Salt bars.
• Apples/Bananas with Nut Butter
• Olives
• Dried Mango
• Chomps Meat Sticks
• Mixed Nuts
• Vegetables with Compliant dressing
• Sparkling Water. I LOVE WATERLOO

Condiments

There are so many great recipes out on the internet for making your own dressings & sauces. I’ve included a few of my favorites below as well as my favorite store bought condiments.

• Dressings: I love Tessemae’s & Primal Kitchen Foods. A few of my favorites include: Caesar, Balsmalmic, Green Goddess, Italian, Greek & Thousand Island. Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Dressing.
• Ketchup: Primal Kitchen Ketchup
• BBQ Sauce: Golden BBQ Sauce from Primal Kitchen
• Buffalo Sauce: The New Primal Mild Buffalo Sauce
• Mayonnaise: Primal Kitchen or Chosen Foods
• Marinara Sauce: Rao’s or 365 Brand
• Pesto: Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale & Basil Pesto
• Dump Ranch Recipe
• Dill Pickle Ranch (MY FAVORITE)
• Chipotle Aioli
• Homemade Mayo
• Enchilada Sauce

Pantry Staples

• Alternative Flours: Otto’s for Cassava Flour, Bob’s Red Mill or Generic brands for the others ie: (Almond, Coconut, Tapioca & Arrowroot Starc)
• Oils: Coconut, Avocado or Olive. Generic brands are fine!
• Coconut Aminos: Big Tree Farms or Thrive Market Brand
• Chicken stocks & broths. Kettle & Fire
• Coconut Milk or Nut Pods Creamer (great for coffee & Cooking).
• Seasoning Mixes: Simply Organic or Primal Palate

I recommend starting a Thrive Market Membership (even if you cancel after the 30 day trial) and load up on your Whole30 starter kit. Use this link to get 25% off your first order.

All Time Favorite Whole30 Recipes from my Blog

• Smothered Enchiladas
• One Pan Chicken Alfredo
• Sausage Gravy with Potato Stacks
• Instant Pot Ramen
• Crispy Coconut Chicken Nuggets
• Chipotle Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
  Find all of my Whole 30 Recipes here.

Favorite Whole30 Blogs & Instagram Accounts:

• The Defined Dish – @thedefineddish
• Whole30 recipes – @whole30recipes
• Primal Gourmet – @primalgourmet
• No Crumbs Left – @nocrumbsleft
• 40 Aprons – @40aprons
• Clean Foodie Cravings – @cleanfoodiecravings
• The Whole Smiths – @thewholewmiths
• Buck Naked Kitchen – @bucknakedkitchen
• Healthy Little Peach – @healthylittlepeach
• Little Bit of Real Food – @littlebitsof_realfood
• Wooed by Food – @wooedbyfood
• Real Food Dietitians – @realfoodrds

A few Favorite Whole30 Recipes from others

• Hashbrown & Sausage Breakfast Casserole
• Pot Sticker Stir Fry
• Orange Chicken
• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Sweet Potato Buns
• Hamburger Soup
• Beef & Veggie Bowls with Comeback Sauce

Want A 100% Hassle Free Whole30?

Check out my Whole30 Meal Plans! Complete with:

• Printable meal plan download for each week of W30
• Easy to follow recipes with meal prep instructions
• Printable Grocery lists for each week
• Pantry and fridge stocking recommendations.
• An Easy AF/Plan B Meal List for when life happens.
• Whole30 Snack Guide
• Take Out Guide with Whole30 Compliant menu items.
• 12+ Bonus Recipes