What Is Whole30? A Beginner’s Guide To The 30-Day Eating Plan, According To Dietitians

Ahead, dietitians share a list of foods you can (and can’t) eat on the Whole30 diet, along with the potential benefits and risks of the 30-day meal plan, and a sample menu.

Meet the experts: Jordan Hill, RD, CSSD, is a nutritionist and certified specialist in sports dietetics at Top Nutrition Coaching in Denver, Colorado. Bianca Tamburello, RDN, is a nutritionist at Fresh Communications. Alix Turoff, RDN, is a dietitian and certified personal trainer at Alix Turoff Nutrition.

Benefits Of Whole30

Whole30 may not be sustainable as a long-term diet plan, but it’s a no-brainer that 30 days of eating unprocessed, fresh, high-quality foods has major benefits.

“We know that a diet full of heavily processed foods is linked to chronic diseases and poor health outcomes, so limiting these foods, as Whole30 encourages, is good for overall health,” says Bianca Tamburello, RDN, a nutritionist at Fresh Communications.

If weight loss is your goal, Whole30 might also help you drop pounds, says Alix Turoff, RDN, a dietitian and certified personal trainer at Alix Turoff Nutrition. “If you’re consuming fewer calories than you usually do while following Whole30—as well as cutting out a lot of processed foods, alcohol, and added sugars and instead eating lean protein, fruits, and veggies—it’s very likely that you will lose weight,” she says. However, there’s always a chance the weight returns after the diet is over.

To reap the full benefits of Whole30, focus on building healthy habits around sleep, stress management, movement, and hydration in addition to lowering consumption of processed foods, sugars, and alcohol, says Hill. This can lead to positive health changes and sustainable weight loss over time, she says.

Whole30 Diet Food List

Here’s what you can eat on Whole30, according to Tamburello:

Meat: All unprocessed meat is Whole30-approved (you can also eat eggs).

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Beef
• Pork
• Lamb
• Duck

Seafood: All unprocessed fish and shellfish work with Whole30.

• Salmon
• Cod
• Scallops
• Shrimp
• Canned tuna

Vegetables: All veggies are Whole30-approved (except for corn and lima beans).

• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Lettuce
• Sweet potatoes and squash
• Bell peppers
• Asparagus
• Squash

Fruits: All fruits are okay to consume on this diet.

• Apples
• Bananas
• Grapes
• Pineapple

Natural fats:

For cooking:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Ghee
• Clarified butter
• Lard or tallow
• Coconut milk or coconut oil

In foods and as a dressing:

• Coconut milk
• Avocado or avocado oil
• Sesame oil
• Light olive oil

Nuts and seeds:

• Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios
• Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
• Almond, cashew, and sunflower seed butters

Herbs, spices, and seasonings:

• Salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder and onion powder
• Cinnamon
• Paprika, sage, rosemary

Pantry items and condiments:

• Almond flour
• Cocoa
• Mustard
• Pickles
• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut
• Hot sauce

Beverages:

• Coffee and tea
• Club soda and seltzer water
• Vegetable and fruit juices
• Kombucha

For more details, download the Whole30 program PDF.

Foods To Avoid (Or Limit) On Whole30

To reap the benefits of Whole30, try to steer clear of the following items:

• Added sugars (maple syrup, honey, stevia)
• Grains (wheat, oats, quinoa)
• Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
• Dairy (cow, goat, and sheep’s milk)
• Meat alternatives (tofu, tempeh)
• Alcohol
• Other processed food additives (MSG, sulfies)

For the full Whole30 experience, you’ll also have to stay away from desserts and sweet treats—even if they’re made with “approved” ingredients. However, you can try these Whole30 dessert swaps instead.

Risks And Side Effects Of Whole30

The most common side effects of Whole30 include low energy, irritability, and headaches, but most of these issues clear up in the second week of the diet, per the website.

Of course, it’s always best to check in with a doctor before trying any diet plan, especially if you’re taking certain prescriptions or have a health condition. You may want to steer clear of Whole30 if you’ve been diagnosed with an eating disorder and/or have a history of disordered eating—making entire food groups off-limits could trigger it again, says Turoff.

The plan may also be tough for vegans and vegetarians because dietary staples like legumes and grains aren’t permitted—however, Whole30 does offer plant-based plans.

“When we eliminate grains and legumes from our diet, we are also eliminating nutrients like fiber, B vitamins, iron, folate, potassium, and magnesium,” says Hill. “These nutrients are important for a variety of reasons, like digestive health, heart health, metabolism, muscle and nerve function.” Eliminating dairy may also prevent you from getting nutrients like protein, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, Hill adds.

Depending on your goals, the Whole30 diet could work out great for your body—but you may want to take a modified approach. “I would recommend folks adopt a Whole30-esque approach that promotes the consumption of whole foods such as lean protein sources, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats but one that also incorporates whole grains, legumes, and dairy (assuming the individual has no allergy or medical contraindications),” Hill recommends.

Whole30 Diet Sample Menu

Here’s what a week’s worth of meals on the Whole30 diet can look like, according to Hill:

Day 1:

• Breakfast: sweet potato hash with eggs (Sauté sweet potatoes, onions, and bell peppers in olive oil, then top with fried or poached eggs.)
• Lunch: chicken salad lettuce wraps (Mix shredded chicken with Whole30-compliant mayo, celery, and apples, and serve in lettuce leaves.)

• Dinner: grilled steak with roasted vegetables (Serve steak with roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts, and a drizzle of Whole30-compliant chimichurri.)

Day 2:

• Breakfast: veggie egg muffins (Whisk eggs with spinach, mushrooms, and diced tomatoes, then pour mixture into a muffin tin and bake.)
• Lunch: tuna salad with cucumber slices (Combine canned tuna, Whole30-compliant mayo, and chopped pickles. Use cucumber slices to scoop and enjoy mixture.)
• Dinner: sheet pan chicken and veggies (Roast chicken thighs with zucchini, bell peppers, and onions seasoned with garlic and rosemary.)

Day 3:

• Breakfast: avocado breakfast bowl (Mash avocado with lime juice and seasonings, then serve with diced tomatoes, cucumber, and a boiled egg.)
• Lunch: grilled chicken and veggie bowl (Layer grilled chicken, roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes, and avocado in a bowl with olive oil and lemon.)

• Dinner: spaghetti squash with meat sauce (Top roasted spaghetti squash with ground beef or turkey tomato sauce.)

Day 4:

• Breakfast: banana-almond butter bowl (Slice a banana, drizzle with almond butter, and sprinkle with unsweetened coconut flakes.)
• Lunch: zucchini noodle stir-fry (Sauté zucchini noodles with shrimp, garlic, coconut aminos, and sesame oil.)

• Dinner: coconut curry shrimp (Cook shrimp in a coconut milk-based curry with cauliflower rice and steamed greens.)

Day 5:

• Breakfast: zucchini noodle frittata (Bake spiralized zucchini into an egg frittata with onions and fresh herbs.)
• Lunch: turkey burger with slaw (Serve a turkey burger—without a bun—over a cabbage slaw with a Whole30-compliant dressing.)

• Dinner: baked salmon with lemon and asparagus (Bake salmon fillets with lemon slices and serve with roasted asparagus.)

Day 6:

• Breakfast: chicken sausage patties with sautéed greens (Make homemade patties using ground chicken, sage, and spices, then serve with spinach or kale.)
• Lunch: avocado-stuffed bell peppers (Hollow out bell peppers and stuff them with mashed avocado, lime juice, and diced vegetables.)

• Dinner: zoodle pad thai (Sauté zucchini noodles with chicken, scrambled eggs, coconut aminos, almond butter, and lime juice.)

Day 7:

• Breakfast: shakshuka (Poach eggs, then serve in a spiced tomato and bell pepper sauce with roasted sweet potato slices.)
• Lunch: spinach salad with grilled salmon (Toss spinach, hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers, and grilled salmon with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.)

• Dinner: stuffed bell peppers (Fill bell peppers with ground beef, diced vegetables, and Whole30-compliant tomato sauce, then bake until tender.)

Who Should Try The Whole30 Diet

While Hill doesn’t typically recommend diets because they can potentially eliminate essential nutrients and trigger disordered eating, she does support Whole30 in a few cases. If you’re looking to increase your intake of Whole Foods and cut back on processed foods, alcohol intake, and foods with added sugar, the Whole30 diet might be a beneficial way to do that. It could “help a person kickstart healthier habits,” Hill says. Then, after the 30 days, they can reintroduce some foods.

Also, because the Whole30 diet is an elimination diet, it’s also helpful to do if you think you might be intolerant to dairy or gluten and see if your symptoms ease up, Hill adds. However, the better way of figuring out an intolerance is just by eliminating that one food group—like dairy or grains—by itself. Otherwise, it might be tough to know which one is the issue, she says.

While Hill doesn’t necessarily recommend someone try Whole30 for weight loss, she says that many people who do follow the diet end up losing weight. “They’re feeling so satiated from the foods that they’re eating,” she says, like protein from meat and nuts and fiber from fruits and veggies. And, of course, by eliminating alcohol and processed food, you’re staying away from those foods that don’t fill you up, but add lots of calories to your plate (literally).

How To Reintroduce Foods After The Whole30 Diet

Anytime someone goes on a diet or follows a different eating pattern, “the number one thing that is so important is to make sure that you have a plan for day 31,” Hill says. “If we end day 30 and we don’t have a plan, then we’re going to go back to our old habits.”

So before the 30 days are up, reflect on what role you want the foods you eliminated—dairy, grains, sugar, and alcohol—to play in your life. Then, set boundaries on how you’re planning to consume them, if at all.

When that’s decided, start re-implementing those foods on an occasional basis, as long as you’re not lactose- or gluten-intolerant, Hill says. Add a serving of grains and a serving of dairy to a few meals in the first week, and your body will get used to those foods again. (Same with alcohol and sugar!) That way, you’re not putting too much lactose or gluten in your body that it can’t break down.

So, if you’re in need of a reset, the Whole30 diet might be a great option. Just make sure to take care of yourself outside of your diet, including sleeping well and exercising. Lastly, listen to your body throughout the journey, and it’ll help you decide what your diet after the 30 days might look like.

Emily Shiffer is a freelance health and wellness writer living in Pennsylvania.

Maria Serra (she/her) is a freelance sex and relationships writer who covers topics ranging from butts, boobs, and everything in between. After secretly getting a degree in human suffering (sorry, parents), she explains general and sexual health topics for her campus, Spoons University, and Women’s Health magazine. In her spare time, she’s listening to trashy emo music with her chihuahua-pug, Bobbie. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.