THE WHOLE30 DIET

2018 is a week and a half old, and with the New Year comes resolutions for new habits. And to help you kick off the “New Year, New You” theme, we’ve been Getting the Skinny with Registered Dietitian Molly Kimball on three popular approaches, including working with a registered dietitian and the Keto Diet, and today we’re digging in to the Whole30 program.

Molly’s Note: If you do try one of these popular diets, use it as an opportunity to help break and replace not-so-good habits, and to educate yourself and learn more about how you may respond to certain foods and ingredients so that you can make lasting behavioral changes that can stick around long after you’re “off” the diet.

Just as the Keto Diet (which we covered last week) takes low-carb eating to the extreme, the Whole30 program takes eating real food to the next level, as a temporary elimination diet, designed to serve as a reset button to re-train habits and taste buds.

WHAT’S ALLOWED ON WHOLE30

• Proteins including meat, fish, poultry, and seafood
• Eggs
• Vegetables
• Fruit – fresh or frozen, with no sugar added
• Nuts and seeds, including almond butter, sunflower seed butter
• “Natural” fats including coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil; avocado-based mayonnaise like Primal Kitchen Mayo
• Salt, herbs, spices, and seasonings
• Ghee or clarified butter.These are the only source of dairy allowed during Whole30. Plain butter is not allowed.
• Nearly all forms of vinegar, including white, red wine, balsamic, apple cider, and rice, are allowed during Whole30 program.
• Coconut aminos as a naturally fermented soy sauce substitute
• Beverages including water, tea, bone broth, sparkling water

WHAT’S NOT ALLOWED ON WHOLE30

• Added sugar, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave, coconut sugar, stevia, Splenda, Equal, xylitol, etc.
• Alcohol in any form, not even for cooking
• Includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, sprouted grains, as well as quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.
• LeThis includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts and peanut butter.
• Including soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and additives like soy lecithin
• Includes cow, goat, or sheep’s milk products like milk, cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, ice cream, etc.
• Carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites.
• No baked goods, junk foods, or treats – even with “approved” ingredients: Doesn’t allow treats or other guilty indulgences, even when made with “approved” ingredients. So no pancakes, pizza crust, French fries, ice cream, fudge or any other “indulgences” – even if they’re made with  almond flour, coconut oil, or stevia.

##

A SAMPLE DAY ON THE WHOLE30 PROGRAM

Tea or Coffee – black, or with coconut oil or carrageenan-free almond milk

Breakfast options:

• Omelet with egg and vegetables, with fresh fruit
• Chicken sausage (e.g. Aidell’s or Hans Brat) with egg and fresh fruit

Lunch options:

• Lettuce wrap with grilled chicken, lean beef, or tuna salad or chicken salad made with avocado mayo
• Salad with protein, avocado, nuts, oil and vinegar.

Snack options:

• Smoothie with carrageenan-free almond milk, ¼ avocado and fresh or frozen berries
• Guacamole (avocado, tomato, lime, onion, garlic and salt) with vegetables for dipping
• EPIC protein bars or grass-fed beef jerky

Dinner options:

• Grilled fish or lean steak with sautéed spinach and sweet potato
• Zucchini “noodles” topped with lean beef, shrimp or chicken with tomato sauce or olive oil-garlic sauce

###

Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!   And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD