21 Delicious Whole30-Friendly Recipes

updated May 1, 2019

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So you decided to jump on the bandwagon and try Whole30. Congratulations! Once you’ve read the guidelines to the program and prepped your kitchen, it’s time to get meal planning. You’ll find it very difficult to eat anything at all if you don’t have a plan and some ingredients prepped in the fridge.

The first rule of doing Whole30 is to always check the ingredient list on whatever you’re buying. You might know that Whole30 says you must abstain from eating grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, and alcohol for 30 days, but it gets more complicated when you break it down to the ingredient level. For example, things like bacon and marinara sauce seem innocent enough, but they might not be Whole30-compliant because they have added sugar or other additives.

I’ve gathered a list of Kitchn’s very best Whole30-friendly recipes so you don’t go hungry on your month-long journey. Almost all of these recipes require no substitutions (I’ll let you know when you need to use ghee for example, instead of butter), but you still need to check your ingredients at the grocery store to make sure everything works for Whole30.

(Image credit: Nick Evans)

1. Lemon Thyme Chicken Thighs

If you’re doing Whole30 for the first time, you’re going to need a bunch of easy chicken dinners that you can rely on. The key to this recipe is the lemon and a hot cast iron skillet.

(Image credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink)

2. Scrambled Eggs with Lazy Salsa

You can’t have bread or dairy for breakfast when you’re doing Whole30, so eggs will quickly become your go-to. This scrambled edition gets a kick from an easy salsa you can make the night before.

(Image credit: Christine Han)

3. Vegan Sweet Potato Chowder

Make a big batch of this vegan soup and eat it all week. This is one of those recipes that only gets better after it sits in the fridge for a day.

(Image credit: Chungah Rhee)

4. Sheet Pan Chicken with Red Potatoes and Sage

For a simple dinner after a long day, put some chicken, sage, and potatoes on a sheet pan and pop it into the oven.

(Image credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink)

5. Pressure-Cooker Hawaiian Kalua Pig

Make a big batch of this pressure-cooker recipe once and put half of it in the freezer for later.

(Image credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink)

6. Fiona’s Green Chicken

This chicken recipe is all about the marinade. Remember to look for a Whole30-compliant fish sauce if you want to make this recipe.

(Image credit: Melissa Ryan)

7. Pummelo, Fennel & Radish Salad

This crunchy, fresh salad is a little bitter from the grapefruit and a bit salty from the olives. It’s a great thing to pair with a meaty main.

(Image credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink)

8. Slow-Cooker Korean Short Ribs

Don’t feel like you have time to cook a big dinner tonight? Worried that you’re going to be eating chicken and vegetables yet again? Your slow cooker can help you solve that problem. With a little planning, these delicious ribs can be all yours.

(Image credit: Karla Conrad)

9. 30-Minute Cacciatore Chicken

The pressure cooker ensures that you can have a delicious chicken dish in less than 30 minutes. When buying the ingredients for this recipe, make sure to find stewed tomatoes that don’t include added sugar.

(Image credit: Katie Webster)

10. Kohlrabi Bistro Salad

This French bistro-style recipe is an inspired way to eat a salad. The bacon and egg don’t hurt, either. When making this recipe, be sure to check for bacon and Dijon mustard that is compliant with the Whole30 program.