Whole30 Diet Plan: 50+ Whole30 Approved Recipes You'll Love (2024)

FAQs

Do doctors recommend Whole30? ›

The Whole30 diet isn't the best option for everyone. Before you try it, ask your doctor if it's right for you. Eating meat is a big part of this diet, so if you're a vegetarian or on a vegan diet, you might also want to avoid the Whole30 diet. It also restricts important nutrients you'd get from grains and legumes.

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 Whole30, you can eat meat, vegetables, fruit, tree nuts and seeds, and healthy fats. However, you must avoid sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, alcohol, and processed food additives. Although it would be difficult and very restrictive to maintain long term, the Whole30 is designed to be done only for 30 days.

The Whole30 and paleo diets likely offer the same health benefits, such as weight loss and a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. Yet, Whole30 becomes gradually less strict after its initial stage, whereas paleo maintains the same regimen throughout.

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.

Whole30 has gained a reputation as an effective program for weight loss and overall health improvement. Many individuals have reported successful weight loss outcomes while following the Whole30 guidelines. One key aspect of the Whole30 program is the elimination of processed foods and added sugars.

The abrupt decrease in added sugar and processed carbs can leave you feeling lethargic, headachy, and brain-foggy until your metabolism adjusts. Cravings for the foods or drinks you've eliminated can also make you cranky, fidgety, and easily irritated.

Whole30. If you're used to eating a traditional low-fiber American diet—meaning not many fruits, veggies, and whole grains and lots of sugar and processed carbs—switching to this veggie-heavy diet may trigger diarrhea, Upton said.

If you follow the Whole30 mood calendars, like the above from Whole30.com, you know that days 10-11 are considered the hardest to get through. In fact, a high percentage of people quit during these next couple of days. But not us and not you!

Here's the rule in a nutshell: If you think your less healthy treat is going to be so delicious, so incredible, so worth it, and then you take your first bite and discover it's not… STOP EATING.

Is peanut butter okay on Whole30? ›

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. Its smooth, sweet taste pairs well with apples ( 1 ).

While there are no refined sugars in the Whole30 diet, there are plenty of carbs: vegetables, fruit, even nuts have them. For an entire month I happily consumed plants, protein and fat. Breakfast became coconut yogurt layered with blueberries, chia seeds and hemp hearts.

Keatley agrees: “Whole30 is closer to a generally healthful diet then keto,” he says. “The goal of cutting out some sugar from our diet is welcome for most people, but the proper adding back of foods following the 30 days is key.”

A: Both diets keep your carb intake low and as indicated by research, low-carb diets can be helpful for weight loss. However, when it comes to keeping the weight off for good, the paleo diet may be the better choice because it can be followed long-term, unlike the Whole30 diet.

Whole30 is a spin off of the Paleo Diet, and is a restrictive eating plan that lasts for 30 days. The idea behind the program is that humans haven't evolved to eat certain foods, such as refined sugar, dairy, legumes and grains, and these could cause health problems.

You started your Whole30 expecting that it would improve your gut health and digestion, which makes sense. Many Whole30'ers report improved digestion, regular bowel movements, and less bloating as their favorite non-scale victories.

It's not sustainable

You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight and the restrictive nature of Whole30 means this is likely to happen, however it is not sustainable in the long term, and unless the healthy changes you make on this diet become a habit, you may put the weight back on.

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.

“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.