We recently completed our first-ever successful Whole 30* (we’ve tried, and failed, a few times before), and I think the key to us actually finishing was having lots of delicious Whole 30 recipes to make and eat throughout the days, instead of trying to stick to just plain meat + vegetables all the time. I found most of these recipes via Pinterest, and adapted/combined some of them, but a few friends have asked for recipe ideas for their own Whole 30s, so I wanted to share all of our favorites with you. I also created a few Whole 30 recipes of my own, which I will be sharing soon!
Not on Whole 30? No problem. All of these recipes are delicious regardless, and if you’re not following Whole and/or don’t have any food sensitivities, you can choose to add cheese or other ingredients!
*In case you’re not familiar, Whole 30 is an elimination diet that focuses on whole foods and can help kick-start a lifestyle change, as well as help you identify any food sensitivities or intolerances you may have. It’s sort of like really strict Paleo. However, if restrictive diets have been problematic for you in the past, please skip this plan.
**One more note: I am allergic to seafood, so there aren’t any fish or shellfish recipes on this list. Sorry!
Breakfast
Breakfast sandwiches (I used bacon instead of sausage and store-bought Whole 30-approved chipotle mayo instead of avocado.)
Brussels sprouts hash with fried eggs
Hash brown casserole (This is good, but I couldn’t find any frozen hash browns without dextrose, so I had to grate my own potatoes, which is very annoying. I later found some Cascadian Farm-brand bags that are potatoes only at Wegman’s.)
Sauteed apples (I didn’t add the raisins, just used apples!)
Spinach artichoke breakfast casserole
Sweet potato apple breakfast bake
Sweet potato kale bacon hash (A one-serving version of this recipe is also available on her site.)
Entrees
Carnitas (I doubled it and it made a ton. I used it in bowls with air-fried plantain slices, roasted peppers, and guacamole; stuffed it into baked sweet potato with salsa and guacamole, and used it in the chilaquiles above.)
Chicken Shawarma (This tastes just like shawarma in Bahrain! Make sure you make the tahini sauce or it will be too dry. I put this in bowls with sweet potato fries and roasted red peppers, with the tahini sauce drizzled over all of it.)
Chicken Ro-tel spaghetti squash casserole (I wasn’t sure about this one, but we both really liked it.)
Chicken tikka masala (I actually made this after our Whole 30 was over, using the Whole 30 adaptations, but I made some Paleo naan, too.)
Cincinnati Chili (I omitted the sugar and used 1/2 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder instead of baking chocolate. To eat this, I baked some sweet potatoes, scooped out most of the flesh to make sort of a bun, then put cooked Whole 30-compliant hot dogs and mustard in there and topped the whole thing with chili. I was shocked at how good it was.)
In-N-Out burgers (I couldn’t find any relish without sugar, so instead of the sauce on this recipe, I made the boom boom sauce from the fried pickles below, but added a lot more ketchup.)
Korean ground beef (I served with butternut squash noodles because I don’t like cauliflower rice.)
Orange sesame chicken and broccoli
Pineapple grilled chicken (This is actually just barbecue chicken with grilled pineapple, but it’s very tasty. I would keep a little of the sauce/marinade separate initially so you can use it on the chicken as sauce later.)
Pollo asado (I used this in several different ways, and particularly liked it in a cheese-free Cobb salad.)
Steak bites and sweet potatoes
Turkey meatballs (I used 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan. I also forgot to set them aside for 15 minutes and they were fine. Simmered them in some sugar-free marinara I bought at the store and served over zoodles)
Side items, salads and appetizers
Deviled eggs (Just make sure to use Whole 30-approved mayo.)
Fried pickles (We loved these when I made them without the salt in the breading mix, and found them WAY too salty when I added some, so add salt at your own risk.)
Lettuce wraps (I used chicken.)
Spinach-artichoke twice baked potatoes
Have any of y’all completed a Whole 30? What were your favorite Whole 30 recipes?