Wondering What is Whole30? This comprehensive Whole30 Guide is just what you need to start your Whole30 on the right track. Includes how to plan for Whole30 including what to prep and a Printable Whole30 Shopping List of what foods to eat and which foods to avoid.
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Whole30 Guide
What is Whole30
WHOLE30 is a nutritional diet plan that focuses on eating real-food for 30 whole days.
This food plan is designed to help you change how you feel and eat by:
- eliminating / cutting out all problematic foods that may be making you feel bad such as:
- grains
- legumes
- soy
- dairy
- alcohol
- added sugars
- artificial sweeteners
- and processed foods containing any of these ingredients
- consume all sorts of:
- vegetables,
- fruits
- eggs
- quality meats
- fish
- nuts
- seeds, and healthy fats.
Benefits of completing a Whole30
So why should you do a Whole30? The goal is to give the body a reset so that you’ll become more aware of the foods you eat and how they make you feel.
It’s not a traditional diet so you are discouraged from weighing yourself or counting calories. You may even notice:
- sugar and carb cravings are much lower / completely gone
- better sleep
- clearer skin
- increased energy
- less bloating
- clear / balanced mind / no more brain fog
- lower inflammation
- reduce chronic pain, skin issues, digestive ailments or seasonal allergies
After the first 30 days are up, you may slowly reintroduce foods one at a time which will help you understand what sensitivities or unwanted side effects you might have with certain foods.
Whole30 Rules – What you can and can’t eat on Whole30
- All fresh vegetables: broccoli, leafy greens, cauliflower, mushrooms, all peppers, all squash, all potatoes (even white – this is new), radishes, turnips, onions, garlic, lettuce, arugula, spinach, kale, kohlrabi, beets, zucchini etc.
- Fruits: apples, berries, peaches, plums, pears, melons,
- High-quality grass-fed meats: beef (ground, steak), chicken, duck, pork, turkey, sausage, deli-meats (sugar and nitrate free)
- Wild-caught seafood: cod, eel, flounder, haddock, halibut, monk fish, perch, pike, salmon, snapper, sea bass, trout, tuna etc.
- Seasonings and spices: salt, black pepper, sugar free herbs & seasonings (chili-garlic, paprika, cumin, turmeric etc)
- Healthy fats: extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, lard, animal fats, coconut oil
- Limited amount of nuts, seeds and healthy fats
Whole30 Recipes
We have a ton of delicious and easy Whole30 recipes on our site and here are just a few:
What you can’t eat on Whole30
AVOID:
- All grains – wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, sprouted grains, quinoa, and buckwheat.
- Legumes – beans of all kinds, peas, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts, and peanut butter.
- Soy products – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and lecithin.
- Dairy – milk, ream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, or frozen yogurt.
- All alcohol – even for cooking
- Added sugars – maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, date syrup, stevia and monk fruit
- Artificial sweeteners – erythritol, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, and xylitol.
- Processed foods containing any of these ingredients
- No baked goods / desserts even with Whole30 “approved” ingredients such as banana pancakes or two ingredient cookies
Whole30 Shopping List
I’ve included a Whole 30 Food Shopping List that you can print out listing the Whole30 approved foods that you can’t and can’t eat while following Whole30.
You can download the list by right-clicking and stick it on your fridge after you print it out.
WHOLE30 COMPLIANT FOOD SHOPPING LIST BY LIFE MADE SWEETER
Where to shop for Whole30 Compliant ingredients:
For fresh produce, you can pretty much shop at any grocery store you like or prefer.
Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Kroger, Aldi, Smith’s, Tops’, Walmart, Target, etc.
Best Whole30 Places to Shop
Retail / Grocery Stores
The Best Whole30 Foods at Trader Joe’s : meat, vegetables, avocados, nitrate-free bacon – prosciutto, almond milk, coconut milk, sausages, Whole30 compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
The Best Whole30 Foods to Buy at Whole Foods : meat, pasture-raised eggs, vegetables, avocados, nitrate-free bacon – prosciutto, almond milk, coconut milk, sausages, sauces, dressings, keto-friendly snacks and compliant pantry ingredients
Walmart : meat, vegetables, almond milk, sausages, compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
Costco – Whole30 Guide : meat, rotisserie chicken, vegetables, avocado, almond milk, sausages,Whole30 compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
The Best Whole30 Foods at Target : almond milk, sausages, compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
Wegmans : – meat, vegetables, avocado, almond milk, sausages,Whole30 compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
Zehrs : meat, fish, vegetables, compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
Superstore : meat, fish, vegetables, compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
Bulk Barn : nuts, seeds, compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
For other specialty ingredients in our pantry and even our grass fed meats and fresh seafood, I order these online from various sites. It’s not only more convenient but many times it costs less than the local grocery store! And it is delivered to your door!
ONLINE SITES:
Amazon – Whole30 compliant snacks and pantry ingredients, meal prep etc.
Thrive Market – compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
Natural Market – compliant snacks and pantry ingredients
TruLocal – top quality grass fed meats delivered each month to your door at prices that are less than many grocery stores in the Ontario.
Butcher Box – top quality grass fed meats delivered each month to your door at prices that are less than many grocery stores in the US.
Learn more about Whole30
Start by heading over to the Whole30 website and grab a copy of Dallas and Melissa Hartwig’s book The Whole30.
For more recipe inspiration, don’t forget to check out this page on Instagram.
GRAB A FRIEND OR TWO FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT!
When it comes to any lifestyle change or diet – especially something like Whole30, it’s better to have support from family or friends than to go it alone. It’s the best to have a partner motivate you when you’re feeling down or struggling to get through the rest of the month. Plus you can all help each other with different ideas or recipes when you’re starting to get bored.
You can also visit the Whole30 Forum for sample Whole30 diet plans, extra support where you can find others who are on the same journey.
PREPARING FOR THE FIRST WEEK ON WHOLE30:
Many people experience flu-like symptoms for the first few days to a week.
You may feel run down, foggy, get headaches, feel tired and a bit achy.
It’s no wonder why people quit keto just a couple weeks in.
So what causes these flu-like symptoms on Whole30?
It’s the lack of electrolytes in your body.
My experience was that it is much worse if you have a really bad diet before hand, with lots of sugar and processed carbohydrates. For me, I started strict keto when I had already cut out the majority of sugars and grains.
If you want to reduce the effects, try to cut out refined carbs and sugars for a few weeks before going completely keto.
To combat the symptoms, you have to try to incorporate three important minerals back into your system:
- potassium
- magnesium
- and sodium
Things like chicken stock, bone broth, magnesium supplements and lots of water will also help you.
If you aren’t getting enough water and electrolytes, you may start to experience dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps.
I recommend drinking at least 2-3 liters of water daily and taking a high quality supplement for magnesium.
For potassium, you can season your foods with more salt or add a small amount to drinks. Some people also supplement by using LoSalt (or Morton’s LiteSalt), which is reduced-sodium salt that has more potassium than you can find in potassium supplements.
WEIGHT LOSS
Although the Whole30 program is not designed to be a weight-loss plan, many people may notice some weight-loss once they have completed the Whole30 program.
This is because you are cutting out all of the processed ingredients from your diet and eating much more nutrient-dense foods. The weight will come back if you revert back to your old eating habits.
Learn how to meal prep and create your own Whole30 meal plan
Whole30 Meal Planning
Now that you’ve researched the different foods that you can eat it is time to plan out your meals and do some meal prep. This beginner’s guide on how to meal prep can help you.
When you do meal plans, though, you understand not only what you are going to eat, but when you are going to eat.
This completely changes your mindset around eating.
Instead of stressing about what you’re going to have for lunch you already know.
So how do you meal plan?
Choose one or two days a week to make a larger batch of various components for your meals.
This can mean making one or two whole chickens to last you throughout the week, making a big batch of hard boiled eggs, breakfast egg muffins or roasting a double batch of vegetables.
Whole30 Preparation
Before you start WHOLE30, it’s important to take the time to do the preparation.
Buy all the extra groceries you need from your Whole30 Shopping List and prep as much as you can in advance so you have compliant snacks and meals when you are hungry.
If you take the steps mentioned in this post then you’ll find that your odds of succeeding are greatly improved.
More helpful healthy guides:
Disclaimer: Please not that I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. I am merely providing my experience and what I have learned. Each individual’s dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual. Information is provided to the best of my ability. You can read my full Nutritional Disclaimer here.
Jamie -
I’ve done the whole 30 before, and looking to get back on another round thanks for the list! Great information and article.
Heather -
Thanks for the shopping guide and info! This was very helpful as this will be my first Whole30!