She Strengthens

Whole30 Essentials: A Guide to Navigating the Program

Are you ready to transform your relationship with food and uncover the secrets to optimal health? The Whole30 program is a 30-day dietary reset that eliminates grains, dairy, legumes, added sugars, and processed foods to help you identify food sensitivities and intolerances. To set yourself up for success, it’s essential to stock your pantry with Whole30-compliant staples and understand the program’s core principles.

Pantry Essentials

• Fats and Oils: Clarified butter or ghee, coconut butter, olive oil, sesame oil, and animal fats from brands like Fatworks and Epic Animal Oils
• Non-Grain Flours: Almond flour, tapioca starch, and arrowroot powder
• Flavor Enhancers: Coconut aminos, curry paste, hot sauce, and mustard
• Broths: Imagine Organic, Bonafide Provisions, Kettle & Fire, and Osso Good
• Canned Goods: Canned salmon, Safe Catch Tuna, and Wild Planet’s organic roasted chicken breast
• Healthy Additions: Canned vegetables, unsweetened cocoa, olives, chia seeds, and vinegar

Recipe Inspiration

Breakfast ideas: sweet potato quiche with sausage and spinach, cauliflower rice breakfast stir-fry with poached eggs, and pumpkin coconut smoothie
Lunch ideas: Italian wedding soup, sausage and kale sauté, and no-bread turkey wrap with Tessemae’s Ranch
Dinner ideas: roasted lemon chicken with potatoes and rosemary, Irish beef stew with mashed cauliflower, and sheet pan blueberry-glazed salmon
Snack ideas: plantain chips with guacamole or salsa, sliced apples with almond or coconut butter, and mixed nuts without peanuts

Foods to Avoid

• Added sugars (real or artificial)
• Alcohol
• Grains (buckwheat, bulgur, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, sprouted grains, and wheat)
• Pulses or legumes (chickpeas, peas, lentils, beans, peanuts, and soy)
• Dairy
• Processed additives like carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites
• Baked goods or “junk” foods made from “approved” ingredients

Frequently Asked Questions

• Be prepared and do your research before starting the program
• Whole30 is different from other elimination diets because it focuses on building a better relationship with food overall
• While there are no specific studies on Whole30, certain elements of the program are rooted in science
• The program can help you identify which foods make you feel tired, bloated, or gassy
• If you “slip up,” you’ll need to start again to ensure the accuracy of the elimination diet process
• Exercise is encouraged during the program, but listen to your body and rest when needed

By understanding the Whole30 program’s core principles and stocking your pantry with compliant staples, you’ll be well on your way to achieving optimal health and transforming your relationship with food.