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

FAQs

What are the side effects of the Whole30 diet? ›

Cravings for the foods or drinks you've eliminated can also make you cranky, fidgety, and easily irritated. (Food dreams are common here, too.) You may also experience bloating, constipation, or loose stools as your gut adjusts and learns to process these new foods more effectively.

During the month-long elimination period, no cheating is allowed. It's recommended that you start the challenge over if you get off track. The founders claim that strict adherence to the diet allows your body to reset in isolation from certain foods that may cause inflammation, gut disruptions, or hormone imbalances.

Though diet sodas and sugary beverages are off-limits on the Whole30 diet, you can drink water, herbal teas, coffee, and any other liquids that don't contain any sugar or artificial sweeteners. Fruit juice, when 100% pure, is also acceptable on occasion.

No grains.

This includes wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, sprouted grains, and all gluten-free pseudo-cereals like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn, and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch, and so on.

Whole30 is a great way to reset your eating habits and jump start your weight loss journey. While results will vary from person to person, many people report losing 10-15 pounds in the first month.

According to The Whole30 Timeline, Days 10 and 11 are the hardest, because you've gotten past the headaches and tiredness, but you haven't started seeing the big benefits. And you're really, really aware of the things you can't have.

“One bite of pizza, one spoonful of ice cream, one sip of beer within the 30-day period and you've broken the 'reset'—and have to start over again on Day 1,” Whole30 instructs.

No. The Whole30 diet doesn't have a carb limit, so it's not meant to put you in ketosis. However, it tends to be lower in carbohydrates than a standard American diet (SAD) since it cuts out grains, traditional baked foods, and processed items, which are major sources of carbs.

The 30-30-30 diet involves eating 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, and then completing 30 minutes of low intensity exercise. This method first appeared in Tim Ferriss' book The 4-Hour Body in 2010 but was recently popularized by nutritionist and wellness podcaster Gary Brecka.

Okay, we'll just say it: bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or all three may appear as your gut starts to heal, rebalance, and process your Whole30 food effectively.

Can I eat pickles on Whole30? ›

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.

Fruit Juice: Yes

You can both drink a glass of O.J. (or any other juice that is 100% fruit, with no added sweeteners), and use fruit juice in your recipes to flavor dressings, sauces, or other dishes. All fruit is Whole30 compatible, which means their juices are too.

You've seen this in literally every grocery store, and now you know: Yes, you can drink it while doing Whole30.

You can also eat processed meats as long as they don't include any artificial preservatives or added sugars. So when your bacon craving strikes, stick to sugar-free uncured bacon. A hearty meat-based stew with some nutrient-rich avocado makes a great Whole30® meal.

Extra virgin olive oil is approved and Whole30 compliant. Regular olive oil (aka pure olive oil) and light tasting oil are also approved by the authors. While on the Whole30 plan, you should avoid most packaged salad dressings and mayonnaise. Most of these products are made with seed oils and are not compliant.

Yet you're still experiencing troublesome gastrointestinal symptoms late into your program, or even after your Whole30 is finished. You might be experiencing bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and/or constipation, and possibly even headaches, fatigue, and mood instability.

Finally, don't just take our word for it—believe in the hundreds of medical professionals (including Dr. Matt Mechtenberg) who say the Whole30 is both safe and healthy, even beyond the initial 30-day period. So in summary, yes, you could do the Whole30 every day for the rest of your life. But we don't think you should.

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.

That said, plenty of people who try the Whole30 diet do end up losing some weight. “The benefit of Whole30 is that it encourages eating whole foods, which are foods in their most natural state,” says Sara Haas, RDN, a nutrition expert with formal training in the culinary arts.