Make your experience on the Whole30 diet so much easier by getting my free printable Whole30 food list or Whole30 list of approved foods. It's a shopping list that you can print to help you remember what foods you can eat and what foods aren't allowed on the Whole30 program or Whole30 diet.
Disclaimer: some of the links in this post are affiliate links where I make a small percentage if you purchase the product through that link. This does not cost you anything extra and helps me keep this website running.
Table of Contents
What is the Whole30 diet?
The Whole30 program is a type of elimination diet that eliminates grains, dairy, sugar, soy, legumes, junk food, alcohol and processed ingredients to help your body heal and improve your health. The diet was created by Melissa Hartwig and is meant to be a 30 day re-set where you focus on eating real food for 30 days, and then you are meant to re-introduce foods slowly after the 30 days to help determine which foods you might be reacting to or are sensitive to. The Whole30 diet is also meant to help you establish a healthy relationship with food and learn healthy eating habits.
The Whole30 program is proposed to help with weight loss, gut issues, diabetes, sleep, blood pressure, acne and other health issues. There are many anecdotal reports of people seeing improvements in their health on the program, but just note that to date, there have been no studies examining the effects of the diet directly.
The Whole30 diet may sound restrictive, but it doesn’t have to be at all! You can still enjoy so much amazing, delicious foods while doing a Whole30 diet. However, when first starting a Whole30 diet it can be confusing to know which foods are Whole30 compliant or not. That's why I decided to make it easier for you and dedicated a whole post to a Whole30 list of approved food items. I've also included a free Whole30 shopping list that you can download and take with you to the grocery store to make your life so much easier and your Whole30 experience fun and hassle free.
Foods allowed on the Whole30 diet:
Vegetables:
All vegetables, including starchy vegetables such as potatoes are allowed on the Whole30 diet. I've included a more complete list of vegetables in my shopping guide below so be sure to check that out.
Vegetables are a great source of many vitamins, minerals and fiber and are also part of a healthy diet. But just be sure to stick with fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables which will have the highest nutrient density. Certain brands of canned vegetables would also be Whole30 compliant, just be sure to read the labels carefully and avoid any canned vegetables with added sugars, natural and artificial flavours or other refined or processed ingredient.
Fruits:
All types of fruit are allowed on the Whole30 program. Unlike a keto diet, the Whole30 program doesn't ask you to count carbs or macros so all types of fruit are encouraged to be eaten.
Fruits are a great source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber and can be a great way to satisfy any sweet or sugar cravings when you are avoiding desserts or added sugars. Like vegetables, sticking with fresh fruit or frozen fruit is your best bet. Some canned fruits have added sugars and syrups which aren't allowed on the Whole30 program.
Meat, fish and eggs:
All unprocessed types of meat and fish are allowed on the Whole30 diet. Eggs are also allowed. In fact, meat, fish and eggs are all great sources of protein and healthy fats and will help keep you full and feeling satisfied. You can even eat bacon while on the Whole30 program, as long as you find a brand that's sugar free.
Nuts and seeds:
All nuts and seeds, except for peanuts (which are actually a legume, not a nut) are allowed on the Whole30 program. Just be sure you are getting nuts and seeds that don't have any added sugars and are not roasted in crop oils such as canola oil.
Oils and fats:
Healthy fats and oils are also allowed and encouraged on the Whole30 program. The fats and oils allowed include olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, lard, ghee, duck fat, and sesame oil. Note that crop oils like canola oil are not allowed.
Condiments and spices:
Condiments made with Whole30 compliant ingredients are allowed and some brands including Primal Kitchen have entire collections of condiments and sauces which are Whole30 approved.
All spices (as long as they don't have any sugar or artificial ingredients) are allowed as are things like vinegars, coconut milk, coconut aminos, capers, fish sauce, nut milks, hot sauce and mustard.
Beverages:
You can have many different drinks or beverages on the Whole30 diet including water, tea, black coffee, soda water, coconut water, unsweetened vegetable juice and unsweetened fruit juice.
You aren't allowed to drink alcohol while on the Whole30 program and you will need to avoid drinks with any added sugars, artificial flavours or natural flavours.
Whole30 Shopping List:
I've created a handy printable Whole30 Shopping List for you that you can download and take with you to the grocery store.
Simply leave your email address below and the printable list will be emailed to you.
Otherwise you can see a list of Whole30 approved foods and food groups below:
Whole30 Protein List:
- Beef
- Bison
- Chicken
- Duck
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lamb
- Pork
- Shellfish
- Turkey
Whole30 Vegetable List:
- ArtichokesArugula
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Bell Peppers
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Bok Choy
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Collard Greens
- Cucumber
- Egg Plant
- Fennel
- Green Beans
- Kale
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Parsnips
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Squash
- Swiss Chard
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Whole30 Fruit List:
- Apples
- Apricots
- Avocado
- Bananas
- Berries
- Cherries
- Dates
- Figs
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Lemons
- Limes
- Mango
- Melons
- Nectarines
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Pineapple
- Plums
- Plantains
- Pomegranate
- Watermelon
Whole30 Fats and Oils List:
- Avocado Oil
- Clarified Butter/Ghee
- Coconut Oil
- Duck fat
- Lard
- Olive Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Tallow
Whole30 Nuts and Seeds List:
- Almonds
- Brazil Nuts
- Cashews
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Seeds
- Hazelnuts
- Macadamia Nuts
- Pecans
- Pistachios
- Pine Nuts
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sesame Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Walnuts
Whole30 Drinks List:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Coconut water
- Soda water
- Fruit juices (as long as they are pure fruit)
- Vegetable juices (with no sugar)
Whole30 Pantry Staples List:
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Almond Butter
- Almond Flour
- Arrowroot Powder
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Broth
- Cacao Powder
- Canned Fish
- Cashew Butter
- Canned Vegetables
- Capers
- Coconut Milk
- Coconut Aminos
- Coconut Flour
- Dried Fruit
- Fish Sauce
- Herbs and Spices
- Hot Sauce
- Mustard
- Nutritional Yeast
- Olives
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Salsa
- Sardines
- Sauerkraut
- Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Tahini
- Tapioca Flour
- Tomato Paste
Whole30 Condiments List:
There are a few brands that make Whole30 approved condiments including:
You can also easily make your own condiments and sauces that are Whole30 compliant like Whole30 bbq sauce.
Whole30 Snacks:
Foods to avoid on Whole30:
- Dairy
- All grains including corn, oats, quinoa, rice etc.
- All added sugars including natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup
- Legumes and beans (including peanuts)
- Alcohol
- Processed additives
- Junk food
- Processed food
- Food additives
- Processed sweeteners such as stevia, sugar alcohols etc.
Whole30 resources:
If you would like more information on the Whole30 diet these books and websites are all very helpful:
- The Whole30 Website
- It Starts with Food Book
- The Whole30: The 30 Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom
- Best Whole30 recipes cookbook
Frequently asked questions:
No they are not. Neither peanuts nor peanut butter are permitted on the Whole30 diet. Peanuts are actually a legume, not a nut, and the Whole30 diet eliminates all legumes from its program.
Yep! All fruits are allowed on the Whole30 program. Remember, it's not a low carb diet or a diet that asks you to limit your fruit intake so you can enjoy as many fresh fruits as you like!
The Whole30 program does not allow any beans or legumes. This is because these foods can be hard on the GI tract, and one of the goals of the Whole30 program is to help your GI tract heal. This means that you are not allowed to eat beans (black, red, pinto, navy, garbanzo, white, kidney, lima, fava, cannellini, lentils, adzuki, mung, cranberry, and black-eyes peas); peanuts (including peanut butter or peanut oil); and all forms of soy.
No you can't. The Whole30 program doesn't allow any grains, and corn is a grain. Hence why popcorn is not allowed.
Other Whole30 posts and recipes you will like:
- Whole30 Comfort Food
- Whole30 Sloppy Joes
- Whole30 teriyaki chicken and broccoli
- Whole30 shepherd's pie
- Whole30 recipes
Our expertise:
Dr. Erin Carter, MD, FRCPC, is a physician with board certifications in internal medicine and rheumatology. She is passionate about nutrition, environmental health and low toxicity living and has been doing research and publishing information in this area for years. She is also a self-trained chef and has been creating and publishing recipes since 2015. Her recipes have been featured on many different websites and online publications.
Leave a Reply