Interested in taking the Whole 30 Challenge? Here are 30 family-friendly, budget-minded recipes that will help you pull it off.
About a year ago when my chronic hip pain was giving me fits, I decided to bite the bullet. I did a Whole 30, a 30-day elimination diet and nutritional reset to see if there was something that I was eating that was causing the pain. First I read the book, It Starts with Food, and then I jumped right in.
For 30 days, I omitted dairy, grain, gluten, soy, sugar, and alcohol from my diet, and I lived to tell the tale. If you’re wondering what I ate, I blogged my entire Whole 30 meal plan.
At the end of the 30 days, I still had horrible hip pain, but I had experienced amazing energy and alertness. I literally could hop out of bed at 4 am with energy to run a marathon. I’m looking forward to doing that again sometime, and maybe changing up my eating habits in general based on what I learned during the Whole 30 challenge.
In case you’re thinking of doing a Whole 30 yourself, know that it takes a little planning and forethought. Check out this post for how to prepare for a Whole 30.
There are so many things that you have to cross off your list, that it can be tricky when you’re hangry (hungry + angry) and can’t find something convenient to eat. Here are a myriad of family-friendly, budget recipes that will help you pull it off with ease.
If you have the time, I highly recommend doing some freezer cooking in advance so that you’re not scrambling in the kitchen. These two freezer cooking plans should help you out:
- Protein-Style Dinners – a menu plan filled with paleo and Whole30-friendly recipes
- Protein-Power in an Hour – a one-hour cooking plan focusing on proteins
Note the adaptations here to make sure the recipe is compliant with the diet. Some of these recipes may include butter for sauteing or optional toppings like cheese or sour cream. To make them Whole 30 approved, substitute the butter for ghee, olive oil, coconut oil, or other vegetable oil and omit the dairy toppings. The same goes for the freezer plans above.
Beef
Pot Roast in the CrockPot
Portabella Burgers (omit cheese)
Seasoned Beef with Vegetables
Vegetable Bolognese with Eggplant (serve over spaghetti squash)
Easy Taco Salad (omit tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream) add Easy Homemade Guacamole
Crockpot Shredded Beef
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Mushrooms (serve over spaghetti squash as noodles)
Chicken
Asian Chicken (sub out soy sauce – try tamari or coconut aminos)
Salsa Verde Chicken (check salsa can/jar for ingredients)
Dijon Mustard Chicken
Spicy Southwest Chicken (sub out soy sauce – try tamari or coconut aminos)
Chicken seasoned with Spicy Chicken Rub — make a bunch for the freezer
Chicken seasoned with Jamie’s Spice Mix
Chicken Salad Wraps
Pork
Bratwurst with Sauteed Peppers and Onions (omit hot dog buns, check bratwurst label)
Sauerkraut and Spareribs (omit boiled potatoes)
Skillet Pork Chops
Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
Fish & Seafood
Cilantro Shrimp (omit pasta)
Warm & Spicy Fish Rub
Eggs
Denver Scramble (sub out butter)
Skillet Poached Eggs with Spinach, Pea Tendrils, and Leeks (sub out butter)
Fajita Omelet (omit optional cheese and sour cream)
Veggies
Jessika’s Roasted Vegetables
Grilled Vegetable Kebabs
Sauteed Yu Choy with Mushrooms, Onions, and Squash (top with chicken to make main dish)
Cumin-Scented Cabbage Salad – add chicken and cashews to make this a main dish
Soups:
Roasted Vegetable Soup with Fresh Oregano
Spring Vegetable Soup (use olive or coconut oil for butter)
Thursday Night Soup (don’t use leftover rice or potatoes)
Vegetable Beef Soup
Jen says
You can sub out soy sauce with coconut aminos we get ours from amazon. Very good! We did a whole 30 last year as well. It was a great experience for the whole family.
Jessica Fisher says
Yes! I read that, but I didn’t ever buy the coconut aminos. Do they taste the same?
Jen says
We like them better than soy sauce. It is a great substitute. Awesome on everything we have tried them on. We especially like it on cabbage. You really learn to appreciate all of the coconut products on a whole 30.
Jessica Fisher says
Thanks for the suggestion!
Stefani says
Instead of soy sauce, you can use Tamari (wheat free) or Coconut Aminos (wheat and soy free, and low glycemic). I actually have never done a Whole 30, but I probably eat like one most of the time. I actually have the books for a 21 Day-Sugar-Detox, but I haven’t done one of those either. Doh! But I do feel so much better eating Paleo/Primal–no more brain fog or exhaustion that no amount of caffeine fixes.
Jessica Fisher says
The whole 30 is soy-free, so you actually couldn’t use the tamari, but the coconut aminos are a common substitute. I just lived without soy sauce for a month and didn’t really miss it.
Stefani says
Ah, no soy on Whole30. Makes sense. I knew there were a lot of similarities between Whole 30 and Paleo/Primal, but I’ve been too lazy to look them up. 😉
Tara says
Oh Bless You! This is wonderful!
I have been needing to do a restart but have honestly been too lazy to get it all organized. You did a HUGE portion of that for me!
My family thanks you!
Jessica Fisher says
Great! Let me know how it works for you!
Amy Drorbaugh says
I did a Whole 30 which turned into a Whole120 last year and couldn’t believe what it did for me. My depression disappeared, my acne was gone, my insomnia was gone, the constant tired and sickly feeling was gone. Food is truly one of the most powerful medicines. This post is perfectly timed as I’m starting another Whole 30 this week and taking my family with me. Thanks!
Jessica Fisher says
Did you figure out what it was that was causing your previous symptoms?
Amy Drorbaugh says
I started the Whole30 on the advice of my doctor after testing revealed that I was allergic or intolerant to 18 different foods! I knew that getting off those foods would help with the bowel and gut issues I was having but I had no idea it would help cure my depression/anxiety that I’d had since I was a little girl. Reintroducing foods and eating off-plan for a couple months has shown that my body can not tolerate processed sugars, all dairy except some hard cheeses, tomatoes (boo), and gluten. I also lost 60 lbs in 4 months on this plan, so I can’t complain about that either. 🙂
Jessica Fisher says
I am so excited for you! I know the dairy and tomatoes are hard, but to feel good?! That’s priceless.
Becky says
This might be the push I needed! I’m going to read the book and then see if I can get up the gumption to give it a go. I need a serious reset in my eating habits.
AllieZirkle says
I book marked this post to return to when I had a few minutes. This is FANTASTIC!
Last year I embarked on a a Whole30 because I was addicted to coffee and International Creamer lol I needed something to kick start my diet changes and get on track. My plan was to make changes slowly in my family’s life. Through the process, we figured out that my boys are gluten sensitive – it creates an ADD / ADHD response. Remove the gluten = amazing behavior. It was a Godsend. Also, for me, my weight loss got a jump start, my life long cystic acne cleared, my regular head aches disappeared, and my monthly cycle regulated itself to an even 28 days. Holy moly! There are so many benefits to the Whole30 but it sure is a commitment!!
I agree with so many others. This is such a great stepping stone to moving towards a primal / paleo lifestyle. I’m over 1/2 way to my 100 pound weight loss goal. This will help push me through to the end.
Thanks for doing the hard work for me. This will be so helpful as I incorporate another just next week in June!
Allie
Jessica Fisher says
Congratulations, Allie! That is a HUGE accomplishment! Yay!