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October 31, 2016

Whole 30 Meal Ideas

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

OK. We talked Whole 30 Snacks last week. Today let’s talk about some of my Whole 30 Meal Ideas.

I have ideas for you. PLENTY OF THEM!!!

I’m pretty sure that if I do the Whole30 in another season, I’ll have a completely different set of options, but this is what I ate from mid September to mid October.  One of the things that changed during this process was how I ate. Instead of having three decent sized meals, I preferred to have one really large meal and two smaller meals with a few snacks thrown in to tide me over. It was a big adjustment eating more meat (we have it like twice a week tops).  The good thing about having more protein was that I was less hungry. Hence, the two smaller meals. Adjustments!

Here’s what a typical Whole30 meal looks like for me:

Meat, potato & greens.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Sometimes I just eat a bowl of greens.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

 

Sometimes it’s a salad with some meat in it.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Either it’s a legit meal or a snack turned into a meal.

Sometimes is stuff like this:

 

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Here I roasted Italian Sausage (make sure you find ones without sugar added) and broccolini as well as potatoes! I think everything was in the oven at 400F for about 20-30 minutes.

 

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

This was burger night! Under that mound of mushrooms & caramelized onions, we have a burger drizzled with hot mustard. I made roasted brussels sprouts & crispy smashed potatoes.

Another burger night:

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

My burger is in the top left and those sweet potato fries were all mine.

I put kimchi on top of my burger because KIMCHI IS DELICIOUS.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

TACO NIGHT!!! I did really miss corn tortillas though….

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

I made carnitas (used this pulled pork recipe) and wrapped it up in lettuce with salsa, cilantro and guacamole.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Went out to eat. Ordered a kale & brussels sprouts shredded salad and had them throw some rotisserie chicken in there. There was a lemon dressing. No cheese!

If you want something like this, check out Addictive Brussels Sprouts Salad. You can substitute nutritional yeast for the cheese if you’d like.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

For a quick meal, I wrapped cold cuts in lettuce with mustard. For those of you asking, I found some Applegate salami that doesn’t have sugar in it.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

I made zucchini noodles with meat sauce with my spiralizer . I actually prefer zucchini noodles to regular noodles. Is that weird? To me, it’s ALLLLLLL about the sauce!

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Went out to breakfast. Ordered eggs, bacon, home fries and a side of garlicky spinach.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Here’s another breakfast I ordered while we were out. I had a spinach, mushroom sausage scramble with avocado, home fries and a side of salsa. No so bad, right?

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Here I made home fries at home added kale, red pepper flakes a drizzle of vinegar and then topped it with a fried egg.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Crisped up prosciutto in a skillet. Sautéed broccolini in the leftover fat. Added garlic and the topped it all with a fried egg.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Cabbage + onions with garlic sautéed and slightly crispy with a fried egg on top makes a great breakfast or dinner. Or breakfast for dinner.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

There were a few nights where I just ate roasted vegetables. Giant bowls filled with roasted vegetables.

That’s it!

This one above has delicata squash, brussels sprouts and potatoes.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Now that I see cranberries in the stores, I might make this combo of brussels sprouts, apples, butternut squash, onions and cranberries.

Recipe here

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

For a salad with some sustenance, I’d eat this Salmon Potato Arugula Salad.

See, you don’t have to eat eggs at EVERY meal 😉

Hash Brown Omelet! A new take on breakfast. Inside you'll find fried eggs, tomatoes with oregano and bacon. Recipe on Shutterbean.com

I loved this hash brown omelette.   SO GOOD.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

A few years ago I made a brussels sprout potato hash. It was vegan and it was amazing. I brought it back into the mix during this Whole30.  The thyme and the lemon make it killer.

I think I threw some leftover sausage in there.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Here’s another yummy dinner. I put sausages, potatoes and tomatoes in the oven. They all got roasted. Then I sautéed some zucchini in a pan on the stove with red pepper flakes and garlic. It was a very satisfying dinner! Especially those potatoes!

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Steak, eggs, potatoes & spinach. Oh and throw in some pan fried tomato too!

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Home fries with tons of curry, an egg, cilantro & tomatoes. The flavor profile was a nice change of pace. I really had some Chicken tikka masala and naan cravings to manage.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

I made a few batches of bone broth during this Whole30. It was nice having bone broth in the afternoon in place of a sweet treat. It was a warm and satisfying. For lunch, I would put some in a bowl with arugula. The arugula wilts and adds a nice peppery bite. I’ll show you how I make bone broth soon!

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Can’t go wrong with a roasted chicken, potatoes & my mom’s green salad.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

I totally forgot that my Lemon Chicken is Whole 30 compliant.

I think it would be good over some cauliflower rice.

 

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

A lot of the time, I just roasted broccolini. This lemon tahini sauce is Whole30 compliant!\ It’s really good on potatoes.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Speaking of potatoes….

Bookmark this one. Because it’s a game changer.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes 

I wanted to show you what meal prep kinda looked like around here during the whole 30.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

There’s bone broth, washed arugula, cut up carrots & celery, potato salad, cooked potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted broccolini, crispy prosciutto, hard boiled eggs & trail mix.

I made a combination of this dijon potato salad & this salt & vinegar potato salad and it was bonkers! I ended up adding celery to the mix.

It’s important to have things on the ready so you’ll make the best choices possible.

Like this salad I mixed up in minutes.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

From that particular meal prep session I made:

Arugula, crispy pancetta (you can see how to make it in this post), potato salad and some fresh herbs. I made it with a vinaigrette.

Other things I would add to the meal prep so I could have quick lunches & dinners:

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

You can turn Coconut Carrot Soup into a Whole30 soup by using ghee or oil instead of the butter. Find a sriracha that doesn’t have sugar in it and I think you’re cool.

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Now that the weather is colder, I’d like to add this Curried Cauliflower Soup into my rotation. It’s so creamy thanks to cashews!

Feeling bored with your Whole30 routine? Check out these Whole 30 Meal Ideas from Shutterbean.com!

Arugula Pesto is a great addition to your Whole30 game. You can put it on eggs and potatoes. It would be great on steaks or grilled portobello mushrooms!

Caramelized Onions are really good to have on hand. Great in soup, on eggs, on steaks or with sausage & peppers.  They’re great with mushrooms too.

I like a salad with a lot of texture and variety. This Broccoli Kale Slaw is great because it’s got so many different flavors going on. It will hold up well the next day too.

Kale Slaw with Red Cabbage & Carrots is another good one for this time of year. I love when you can sneak some apple into a salad.

shutterbean2whole30-5

There’s also my reset button salad which would be Whole30 if you don’t add in the feta or quinoa.

Roasted vegetables are a nice addition.

You could make this Portuguese Kale & Potato Soup with Whole30 compliant kielbasa. This Sausage soup will still be awesome without the beans.

And of course if you want to turn snack into dinner, you can refer to one of these

Whole30 snack ideas!

Thinking of doing the Whole 30? Let these snacks keep you motivated. Check out Whole 30 Snack Ideas on Shutterbean.com!

Thanks for checking out my Whole30 Meal Ideas post!

What are your favorite Whole30 meals? What am I missing?!

  • Victoria Pease

    This is the first post that’s shown me its actually possible to do Whole30, it always seemed so hardcore before and I would never know what to eat. I don’t think I could eat that much meat would be my only issue, did you find that part hard? And what about someone with a sweet tooth (ie me!), did apples and almond butter and larabars (would call those nakd bars here in the uk) help satisfy the cravings? Think it may be a challenge to undertake next year, have too much going on to do it this side of Christmas but pinning for inspo for next year!

    http://victoriaspongepeasepudding.com

    • Deb

      I think the hardest part of doing whole 30 in the UK is finding cured meats/fish that are compliant. Maybe I looked in the wrong places but I couldn’t find any compliant bacon, only one type of compliant sausage (from my local butcher), only one type of compliant smoked salmon (which was disgusting – wouldn’t buy it again!).

      I know you were asking Tracy but I really found my sweet cravings vanished after a few (hard!) days and I really genuinely looked forward to compliant meals. I got so excited about vegetables! This is coming from someone who would subsist on cake given half a chance. Apples and almond butter worked for me til I felt strong enough to not snack altogether.

      I also don’t think you need to be worried about the volume of meat consumption – it’s only 30 days in the end and I definitely think you can substitute more veg for the meat later on in the programme when you’re used to that way of eating. I’m tempted to try a vegan whole 30 next year (but adding in legumes because they’re fine for me).

      Good luck!

  • Reannon

    This post is amazing!! I’m not doing Whole 30 but I am trying to make changes to the way I eat & these recipes will be so helpful! Thank you so much for sharing & all the inspiration 🙂

  • Katelyn

    It’s really sort of game-changing to be allowed white potatoes. When I did w30 back in 2014, they were not allowed and I REALLY missed them. There’s something that feels familiar about potatoes, especially when you’re acclimating to giving up bread.

    I’m so happy you jumped in and had a good experience, Tracy. Keep sharing the good ideas and wisdom with us. Happy Halloween!

  • Amanda

    Love some of these meal ideas! Question…for the burger above…did you cook it on a sheet pan as well? Or do it on the grill/in a skillet instead?

  • Emily

    We make your Lemon Chicken ALL THE TIME! Last time I made it, my husband said, “I just love this chicken!” So easy and delicious. We made it for our Whole30 and put it over cauliflower puree instead of rice. Yum!

  • Scarlett

    I’m loving these ideas! My fiance and I have been eating mostly paleo for a while now due to his autoimmune disease and we both feel great doing it. He is definitely a huge carnivore though, while I have less of an appetite for meat. I could go a couple of days without it while he could eat steaks on steaks on steaks. Thanks for some more paleo-compliant veggie dishes!

  • Julie

    I just want to thank you! I have tried (and moderately done kind of ok/meh/failed) to eat more whole-30 style in general, but it’s been hard to stay full. I don’t love nuts or chicken or veggies. But your snack post and this one have given me so many great but DELICIOUS ideas for snacks and meals. Been doing the turkey in lettuce with mustard and a couple others from your snack post for a weekish. So yum, so filling, without sacrificing flavor! Thanks again.

  • Ida

    Thank you for this through post! I will definitely be referencing this in the future. Your recent Whole30 posts have had me wanting another round of Whole30 soon, probably in January after the holidays (because reasons) and having easy, go-to meal ideas helps a lot.

    Last time I did it was in the middle of summer so it was lots of salads and protein but for winter, curry over cauliflower rice is oh so tasty and comforting plus so many soup options that can be adjusted for Whole30. Oh and your Thai Beef Basil is great too, just take out the sugar and use Coconut Aminos instead of Soy (over coconut cauli rice).

  • Megan

    This a little bit makes me want to cry — I needed someone to think for me! It’s like I’ve forgotten how to make anything but a sandwich…and I do love bread, but am not even all that wild about sandwiches if they WERE good for me. So again: Thank you for taking the time to put all of this together. There are so many delicious roasted potatoes in my family’s future!

  • Vera

    Yes! I’ve been following your blog for years and when I did the W30 I actually adapted most of your recipes to be compliant. The Thai Basil Beef and Lemon Chicken were staples as well as some of the soup recipes. My two favorite things have met in the middle and my mind is blown!

  • India

    Love all these ideas. I was scrolling through and kept thinking “I want to eat at her house”. YUM! I would love to incorporate more potatoes into our diet. My husband loves them and I enjoy them roasted. Any tips? Do you buy the baby ones or big ones?

    I love how you roasted a ton of things too. I seem to forget that as an option.

  • Sarah

    Thanks for these ideas, Tracy! Your Whole 30 looks awfully similar to mine so far. I’m having a hard time with incorporating so much meat, too, and love your idea of just eating some roasted veg on some nights. Have you tried homemade cup o’ noodles yet? I adjusted the ingredients in these for a quick grab and go lunch and I have to say, they’re pretty awesome – https://food52.com/blog/13211-how-to-make-your-own-cup-o-noodles-for-lunch

  • libby

    My husband and I have been eating low carb(ish) and this post could not have come at a better time. We are in a RUT! Whole 30 isn’t specifically low carb but there’s a lot of overlap.
    Ever since I saw the burgers with grilled onions and mushrooms in your IG story, I’ve been c-r-a-v-i-n-g them! So today I got everything to make them (with roasted green beans because they were on sale!). I can’t WAIT to have dinner tonight. I’ve been thinking about it for so many days, now.

  • Anna

    I’ve been toying with the Whole30 but I’m a vegetarian. There is a A LOT here I can eat & be excited about. I may just have to give it a go. Thank you Tracy!

  • Shawna

    I’m really looking forward to your bone broth recipe. I have an Instant Pot and generally make bone broth using the Nom Nom Paleo recipe but it’s become sort of blah to me. I have a feeling your recipe will be a bit jazzier!

  • Valerie

    This post is really wonderful and very helpful! Not good to read while you’re hungry though, ha ha!

  • Emily

    This post is awesome! I did a whole30 last January and while I did complete it, I think I made it too hard for myself- overthinking it a lot! This list, and your snack post makes it seem so much more approachable and do-able! I love all the simple meal suggestions! No need to make it harder on yourself than it already is just by giving up so many things! My most missed food was definitely bread and pasta!

  • Daisy

    Hi! Will your recipes be only paleo now? Paleo really messed up my health and metabolism (I’m sure you’re doing your research and listening to your body though!) but I love your blog SO MUCH! I’d hang around just for the every day life and i love lists posts, but I’m just curious!! Lots of love and luck on your journey xo!

    • Tracy

      I don’t think so! I am making stuffing for next week so 😉
      how did it mess up your health? I’m curious!

      • Daisy

        Well, I went through that classic carb flu that everyone speaks of and then got through it. But afterwards I noticed that I was really cold all the time and my hormones felt whacked. After a few months I started taking my temperature and it was in the 96’s! I went to a naturopath and holistic health practitioner and both said most women (like me!) need to eat more carbohydrates. I started getting into Matt Stone from 180degreehealth.com and Maddy Moon and others and learned that I’d really messed up my metabolism. After going back to carbs (and not just potatoes, I’m talking breads, sugars, etc) my temps returned, my hormones were back to normal, and my body found its healthy weight set point. A long journey back!

  • Jenn

    Lucky you to find a place that serves compliant bacon! It’s nice to be able to go out to eat while doing a whole30. My first round I didn’t mind so much. This round, I have a bigger desire to go out to eat. I must know what is hot mustard? And do you have recipe for your caramelized onions?

  • Elisa

    Wouldn’t the plantain chips have sulfites to keep them from browning?

  • Sandra

    Tracy! I’m wondering if you worried about compliant bacon and cooking oil while you were out to eat. I’m doing a Whole right now and I’m afraid to eat out for fear that it will screw everything up if they use a canola oil or give me bacon with sugar in it. Did you find that it screwed you up? Or were you just fine? Also – I’m so curious to hear if you ate Whole 30 compliant for more than 30 days? Have you had a cocktail yet?!

    • Tracy

      There were a few things that were beyond my control, but I feel like I did a good job staying on course. Nothing triggered me into eating things I shouldn’t have and I felt great!

      I’ve had wine so far and it made me really thirsty. I haven’t had a cocktail yet but plan on doing so soon!
      I ate pizza yesterday. It was sooooo good and I stopped at 2 pieces even though I really wanted 5.

      It’s definitely been a good reset.

  • Lauren Kamenitz

    These are some seriously awesome recipes! I am so excited to get some of these on our weekly menu rotation!!!!

  • Brooklyn

    I’ve never done Whole30 because I’m a vegetarian, but there are still tons of fresh veggie options here, and really, who doesn’t love potatoes? 🙂

  • Heather

    You are awesome!!

  • Liz

    Great ideas! My husband and I did this and now still try to follow it most of the time, but we get into the boring same old menus. This was perfect for new ideas and I forgot all about your lemon chicken which I love!

  • Jenn

    Tracy, you have been my Whole30 guru! Thank you for these great suggestions. I pinned them into my Whole30 page for reference. Unfortunately, I have fallen off the wagon each week, but have gone more days, so I feel that I am making progress. I do love this way of eating and feel 1000% better. This week is my big push to not falter. Thanksgiving, after all, is coming up soon!!

  • Hilary

    Love all these meal ideas. I’m a serious meal planner, but when I get in a slump I can always find great inspiration here! Even just looking at the amazing pictures of your meals in your weekly posts provide so much inspiration. Thanks!

  • Sara

    I realize this may be annoying of me to ask, but where did you find your compliant sausage? I’m on a Whole30 now too and would love different, more affordabl, meat options. (Oh! Thanks for mentioning the Trader Joe’s banana chips in your snack post. I immediately went out and bought some. They’ve saved my sanity. Thank you!!!)

  • Shannan

    This is so great! I have planned for a Whole30 but ended up overthinking it and stressing myself out. It’s just food right!? Love your ideas.

    • Tracy

      It’s just food! You’ll find your own way through it. I actually really enjoyed the rules!

  • Jessica

    You eat well, girl. I would go out to eat with you, Whole 30 or not. Roasted veg for life!

  • The Relaxer

    Great ideas 🙂 Might I suggest you try garlic cabbage and mashed potatoes? 🙂 Romanians love that combination 🙂

    Mind if I reblog it on http://therelaxerblog.wordpress.com ? I’ll post the source, ofc.

  • Kiersten Owings

    Question. I am trying to have food prepped for the week. How do you keep your salad greens fresh for the whole week?

    • Tracy

      I put them in a container with a piece of moist paper towel. It stays crisp all week.

  • Irene

    Just curious I’m trying to figure what to ask for when eating out! When you ordered the bacon and potatoes for breakfast how did you know that the bacon was whole 30 compliant ? And for the potatoes and eggs did you ask them to fry in ghee and not to use PAM spray ?? Or were they restaurants that use coconut oils or ghee? Also with rotisserie chicken I have not found a compliant one because most have sugar? How did you order and what places were you able to eat out at?

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  • Tammy Ellis

    Is corn or corn tortillas Whole30 Compliant? I’ve never heard of that. Corn is my weakness, although I don’t eat grains regardless.

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