Lots of people are obsessed with the Whole30 diet, but just as many are turned off by the work it takes.
Billed as a short-term nutrition reset, committing to the program means eating only whole foods for 30 days. The diet emphasizes veggies, natural fats (like avocados and nuts), and fruits, but you can also have moderate amounts of meat, seafood, and eggs.
On the “no” list: alcohol, sugar, grains (wheat, oats, corn, rice), legumes (beans, nuts, soy), dairy (milk, yogurt), additives (carrageenan, MSG, sulfites), and baked goods.
Whole30’s rules also take most prepackaged foods off the menu in place of, well, whole ones. That means you’ll need to prepare most meals on your own. Add in a few more obscure rules (butter is okay, but only if it’s clarified), and Whole30 recipes have a reputation for requiring a whole lot of cooking.
But, it’s still a popular diet. Plenty of successful Whole30 graduates have attested to impressive benefits of a diet that doesn’t involve counting or restricting calories, including weight loss, higher energy levels, improved athletic performance, better sleep, and enhanced mental clarity.
So what if you hate cooking, but want to try the Whole30 diet? Fortunately, you don’t need to subsist on raw celery dipped in ghee for four weeks to make it through. Here, 15 Whole30 recipes that are easy to whip together in the kitchen that’ll make the diet a breeze (or at least a little easier).
1. Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde
The Real Food RDs
Pile this on top of some cauliflower rice, add a side of avocado, and call it a day.
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Per serving: 195 calories, 7 g fat, 495 mg sodium, 5 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 27 g protein
2. Cashew Tuna Salad Cucumber Bites
The Real Food RDs
Sometimes, the best dinners come in snack form, and this meal can be eaten as a treat or a full-on meal.
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Per serving: 287 calories, 21 g fat, 217 mg sodium, 10 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 20 g protein
3. Chicken Bacon Ranch Sweet Potato Bake
The Real Food RDs
This recipe has the three main food groups (chicken, bacon, and ranch), so what’s not to like?
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Per serving: 438 calories, 24 g fat, 500 mg sodium, 25 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 33 g protein
4. Sheet Pan Shrimp With Broccolini And Tomatoes
SkinnyTaste
This dinner only looks fancy. Throw all the ingredients onto a sheet pan, bake it, and enjoy.
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Per serving: 238 calories, 11.5 g fat (1.5 g sat), 474 mg sodium, 9 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 0.2 g sugar, 26 g protein
5. Kale And Potato Soup With Turkey Sausage
SkinnyTaste
This hearty soup sounds perfect for a cold winter night. Sign me up.
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Per serving: 232 calories, 4 g fat (0.2 g sat), 647 mg sodium, 31 g carbs, 5.5 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 19 g protein
6. Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryani
Skinny Taste
Consider this meal proof that cauliflower rice doesn’t need to be boring.
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Per serving: 221 calories, 6.5 g fat (3 g sat), 646 mg sodium, 11.5 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 5.5 g sugar, 30 g protein
7. Breakfast BLT Salad
SkinnyTaste
Thought you couldn’t have a BLT on Whole30? Think again.
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Per serving: 292 calories, 18 g fat (4.5 g sat), 335 mg sodium, 18 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 17.5 g protein
8. No-Bean Chili
Food Faith Fitness
Honestly, real Texans eat chili without beans anyway, so you’re practically a Texas resident if you eat this.
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Per serving: 222 calories, 12.7 g fat (4.9 g sat), 724 mg sodium, 11.5 g carbs, 3.3 g fiber, 6.5 g sugar, 16.8 g protein.
9. Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potato Hash
Food Faith Fitness
For those of you who’ve wished you could eat chicken wings and sweet potato hash at the same time.
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Per serving: 318 calories, 18 g fat (4.6 g sat), 480 mg sodium, 21 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 19 g protein
10. Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Food Faith Fitness
Face it: Eating with your hands makes everything taste better (not that these wraps needed any help).
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Per serving: 325 calories, 18 g fat (5.4 g sat), 554 mg sodium, 18 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 25 g protein
11. Spicy Salmon Sweet Potato Skillet
Primavera Kitchen
Is it just me, or does eating salmon in any form make you feel invincible?
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Per serving: 473 calories, 21 g fat (3 g sat), 1337 mg sodium, 41 g carbs, 9 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 34 g protein
12. Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Primavera Kitchen
Forget stuffed peppers. These stuffed sweet potatoes will fill you up even more.
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Per serving: 398 calories, 18 g fat (6 g sat), 1111 mg sodium, 30 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 28 g protein
13. Low-Carb Lettuce Wrap Sandwich
Primavera Kitchen
Whip this sandwich up the night before and take it to work the next day, so you don’t need to lament over the salad bar again.
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Per serving: 279 calories, 19 g fat (3 g sat), 1410 mg sodium, 10 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 26 g protein
14. 5-Ingredient Egg White Frittata
The Girl On Bloor
Cook this up once and eat it for breakfast all week. Meal-prepping, FTW!
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Per serving: 181 calories, 7 g fat (1 g sat), 365 mg sodium, 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 23 g protein
15. Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken
The Girl On Bloor
Sheet pan meals are great for when you want to impress someone special, but don’t want to do a ton of work (it also doesn’t hurt if they’re delish).
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Per serving: 274 calories, 13 g fat (3 g sat), 425 mg sodium, 6 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 31 g protein
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