Billed as a short-term nutrition reset, the program involves 30 days of cutting out a bunch of foods that could be causing you gut issues, among other things: alcohol and sugar; grains (wheat, oats, corn, rice) and legumes (beans, nuts, soy); dairy (milk, yogurt); additives (carrageenan, MSG, sulfites); and baked or junk foods. Instead, the diet instructs you to fill up on veggies and natural fats (like avocados and nuts); moderate amounts of meat, seafood, and eggs; and some fruits.
Whole30s rules also take most prepackaged foods off the menu in place of, well, whole ones. That means youll have to prepare most own meals on your own. Add in a few more obscure rules (butter is okay, but only if its clarified), and Whole30 recipes have a reputation for requiring a whole lot of cooking.
But, it's still a damn popular diet-plenty of successful Whole30 graduates have attested to impressive benefits of a diet that doesnt involve counting or restricting calories, including weight loss , higher energy levels, improved athletic performance, better sleep , and enhanced mental clarity.
So what if you hate cooking, but want to try the Whole30? Fortunately, you dont have to subsist on raw celery dipped in ghee for four weeks to make it through. Here, 15 Whole30 recipes that are easy to whip together in the kitchen that'll make the diet a breeze (or at least a little easier).
1. Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde
Pile this on top of some cauliflower rice, add a side of avocado, and call it a day.
Per serving: 195 calories, 7 g fat, 495 mg sodium, 5 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 27 g protein.
2. Cashew Tuna Salad Cucumber Bites
Sometimes, the best dinners come in snack form, and this meal can be eaten as a treat or a full-on meal.
Per serving: 287 calories, 21 g fat, 217 mg sodium, 10 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 20 g protein.
3. Chicken Bacon Ranch Sweet Potato Bake
Honestly, this recipe has the three main food groups (chicken, bacon, and ranch), so what's not to like?
Per serving: 438 calories, 24 g fat, 500 mg sodium, 25 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 33 g protein.
4. Sheet Pan Shrimp With Broccolini And Tomatoes
This dinner only looks fancy. Throw all the ingredients onto a sheet pan, bake it, and enjoy.
Per serving: 238 calories, 11.5 g fat (1.5 g sat), 474 mg sodium, 9 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 0.2 g sugar, 26 g protein.
5. Kale And Potato Soup With Turkey Sausage
This hearty soup sounds perfect for a cold winter night. Sign me up.
Per serving: 232 calories, 4 g fat (0.2 g sat), 647 mg sodium, 31 g carbs, 5.5 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 19 g protein.
6. Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryani
Consider this meal proof that cauliflower rice doesn't have to be boring.
Per serving: 221 calories, 6.5 g fat (3 g sat), 646 mg sodium, 11.5 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 5.5 g sugar, 30 g protein.
7. Breakfast BLT Salad
Thought you couldn't have a BLT on Whole30? Think again.
Per serving: 292 calories, 18 g fat (4.5 g sat), 335 mg sodium, 18 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 17.5 g protein.
8. No-Bean Chili
Honestly, real Texans eat chili without beans anyway, so you're practically a Texas resident if you eat this.
Per serving: 222 calories, 12.7 g fat (4.9 g sat), 724 mg sodium, 11.5 g carbs, 3.3 g fiber, 6.5 g sugar, 16.8 g protein.
9. Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potato Hash
For those of you who've wished you could eat chicken wings and sweet potato hash at the same time.
Per serving: 318 calories, 18 g fat (4.6 g sat), 480 mg sodium, 21 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 19 g protein.
10. Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Face it: Eating with your hands makes everything taste better (not that these wraps needed any help).
Per serving: 325 calories, 18 g fat (5.4 g sat), 554 mg sodium, 18 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 25 g protein.
11. Spicy Salmon Sweet Potato Skillet
Is it just me, or does eating salmon in any form make you feel healthy?
Per serving: 473 calories, 21 g fat (3 g sat), 1337 mg sodium, 41 g carbs, 9 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 34 g protein.
12. Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Forget stuffed peppers; these stuffed sweet potatoes will fill you up even more.
Per serving: 398 calories, 18 g fat (6 g sat), 1111 mg sodium, 30 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 28 g protein.
13. Low-Carb Lettuce Wrap Sandwich
Whip this sandwich up the night before and take it to work the next day, so you don't have to lament over the salad bar again.
Per serving: 279 calories, 19 g fat (3 g sat), 1410 mg sodium, 10 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 26 g protein.
14. 5-Ingredient Egg White Frittata
Cook this up once and eat it for breakfast all week. Meal-prepping, FTW!
Per serving: 181 calories, 7 g fat (1 g sat), 365 mg sodium, 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 23 g protein.
15. Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken
Sheet pan meals are great for when you want to impress someone special, but don't want to do a ton of work (it also doesn't hurt if they're delish).
Per serving: 274 calories, 13 g fat (3 g sat), 425 mg sodium, 6 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 31 g protein.