Whole30 Dinner Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do you lose weight on Whole30? ›

A calorie deficit is needed for weight loss. Because of its restrictive nature, the Whole30 diet will likely help create this calorie deficit. However, unless the food choices you make on this diet become a habit, the weight loss you experience may not be sustainable in the long term.

The Original Whole30 has two phases: 30 days of elimination and 10 (or more) days of reintroduction. During elimination, your meals will include meat, seafood, and eggs; lots of vegetables and fruit; natural, healthy fats; and fresh herbs, spices, and seasonings.

What about bananas? Yes, both pickles and bananas are allowed on Whole30. Yet if they are a potential trigger food for you (for instance, the sweetness of bananas sets off a craving for other treats or makes you want to binge on the fruit), then you may consider including them on your “don't eat” list.

Reintroduction helps you eat the broadest variety of foods in a way that feels joyful, sustainable, and healthy to you. After your Whole30, you'll know how to include foods that are special, delicious, or culturally significant in a way that still supports your health goals.

Some downsides include Whole30 side effects like digestive problems, worsened food cravings, and reduced nutrient intake. The diet restricts certain foods and food groups, which, if followed long-term, can result in nutrient deficiencies.

On Days 10 and 11, you are statistically the most likely to quit your Whole30. (That's why they're “the hardest days.”) By this point, the newness of the program has worn off, and though you've made it through most of the unpleasant physical milestones, you've yet to experience significant benefits.

The cons of Whole30: Very restrictive, which may make eating out or socializing difficult. May be difficult to get adequate calcium for bone health.

Whole30 and Coffee

“Yes, you can have your coffee. You're welcome. You can drink it black, add unsweetened compatible nutpods, coconut milk, almond milk, or add cinnamon or vanilla beans to the brew.

The Whole30 and paleo diets are similarly structured around whole foods and offer comparable benefits, including weight loss. That said, they may also limit your nutrient intake and be difficult to sustain.

Though peanuts and peanut butter aren't allowed on the Whole30 program, other nuts and nut butters are. Cashew butter is loaded with nutrients like healthy fats, magnesium, manganese, and copper.

Why are potatoes OK on Whole30? ›

Potatoes of all varieties are real, nutrient-dense foods. (It's a myth that all white foods are nutritionally barren.) The original exclusion of white potatoes was pretty arbitrary on our end—which we fully admitted in the Whole30 program rules.

Whole30 Rule #1: Eliminate alcohol, grains, dairy, and more!

For 30 days, say goodbye to grains, legumes (including soy and peanuts), dairy products, added sugars (including artificial sweeteners and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup), alcohol, and any processed foods or additives.

I encourage you to read the whole post (and the experience that prompted it), but I'll summarize it here: If you get one bite into a less healthy treat and realize it's not worth it, stop eating.

Whole30 is a 30-day elimination diet designed to reset your eating habits and improve your relationship with food. While weight loss is a common outcome for many participants, it's not the primary focus of the program.

The Whole30 is an excellent way to help heal your gut since the foundation of the program is pure whole foods. In addition, there are several gut healing foods and supplements known for their ability to improve digestive health that you may wish to consider.

While radical health improvements can take place in just 30 days, when you put it into context, decades of less than healthy behavior often can't compete with 30 days of Whole30. Fat adaption (teaching your body to use fat as fuel) takes time.

“As well, you're not supposed to weigh yourself or take any measurements during the 30 days.” The idea behind this approach is to reset your metabolism and digestive tract. According to some research studies, elimination diets like Whole30 can be an effective tool to help some people with gastrointestinal issues.

The 30-30-30 rule involves eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, followed by 30 minutes of low-intensity, steady state cardiovascular exercise. Beyond these steps, the 30-30-30 method doesn't require any changes to other meals or behaviors, restrictions or counting calories.

Many people will lose weight on a diet like Whole30, but weight loss isn't the only goal. The diet can also help if you are at risk for diabetes, and help with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. But after a 30-day wonder diet like Whole30, it's likely weight will return if you don't follow a few rules.