We already discussed the Whole30® program in our article comparing today's most popular diets. To summarize, it's a pretty strict clean eating protocol designed to help people lose weight and improve their health. While certain rules are unquestionably beneficial, such as cutting out sugar and processed foods, other requirements are more controversial. For example, the program does not allow legumes (bye lentils, bye beans!) nor any grains or dairy products. Forgoing white flour and ice cream makes sense, but some would argue cutting out entire nutritious food groups (I'm looking at you, legumes) is too extreme.
It is important to remember, however, that the program is only meant to be followed for 30 days in its strictest form. After 30 days, you can add these off-limit food groups back in one at a time during a reintroduction period and see how your body reacts. If you find yourself slipping back into old eating habits or if weight loss stagnates, you can return to the rules of the original program, for another 30 days or even just for a week.
Whether you're committing to your first 30 days of Whole30 or just looking for a Whole30 meal plan to get back on track, we've got you covered with recipes for 7 Whole30-compliant days.
Our Whole30 Meal Plan
Our meal plan following the Whole30 program ranges from about 1,300-1,800 calories per day, but you can easily increase your serving sizes if you need more calories, protein, carbohydrates, etc. The meal plan includes a variety of meat and seafood, leafy greens, vegetables, nuts, olives, and some fresh fruit. A few recipes use sausage and bacon - be sure to look for Whole30-compliant varieties without added sugar and other problematic ingredients.
You can of course make Whole30-friendly substitutions to any recipe as well. For example, the sweet potato breakfast scramble doesn't have to have sausage (perhaps some sauteed mushrooms instead?) If both chard and kale in one day is too much greens for you, swap either for another Whole30-approved veggie. Too much cooking for lunch? Try browsing these Whole30 salad recipes instead and bolster the nutrition with extra protein, healthy fats, etc. when needed.
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To give you a taste of the full Whole30 meal plan, here are the dinners included:
| Monday | Garlicky-Herbed Shrimp with Kale |
| Tuesday | Roast Chicken with Apples and Rosemary and Bacony Brussels Sprouts |
| Wednesday | Seared Pork Chops with Mango Salsa and Avocado |
| Thursday | Herb Chicken with Sweet Potato Mash and Sauteed Broccoli |
| Friday | Chimichurri Skirt Steak with Grilled Asparagus |
| Saturday | Lemon Chicken Shish Kebabs with Chopped Salad |
| Sunday | Salmon with Roast Vegetables |
Once you've completed your first Whole30 program, you might consider trying a Paleo or ketogenic meal plan as well.
Author
Written by Crystal Schlegelmilch on May 3rd 2016
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