Photo by Jakub Kapusnak
As I mentioned in my 7 Ways to Make Your Whole30 Easier post, a little planning and prep is going to make your next 30 days feel more doable. Asking yourself, what is Whole30? Check out the first post in this Whole30 series where I cover the best way to get started.
Today, I'm sharing some of the staples I buy on a weekly basis to ensure I always have Whole30 friendly food on hand. I'll also recommend some simple ways to prepare them. A common misconception is that Whole30 food means bland and boring. Not true! Check out my recommendations below.
Produce
Cauliflower: Whether you're making cauliflower rice (hint: just buy it), roasting cauliflower, or making a cauliflower mash, this cruciferous veggie is a great staple to have in your fridge at all times. If you grew up with the frozen cauliflower and cheese sauce, and can't think of it without cringing, I encourage you to try it roasted or mashed with ghee (clarified butter). It takes on an entirely different (read: delicious) flavor. Roasted it becomes a bit nutty. I often toss it in some olive oil, salt, pepper, curry powder, and turmeric before roasting. Then I squeeze a bit of lime juice and sprinkle with chopped cilantro after it comes out of the oven. I can literally eat the whole batch! Mashed with ghee and my husband said it was the creamiest mashed potatoes he'd ever had. His jaw dropped when I told him it was cauliflower.
Broccoli or Broccolini: This goes back to my love for roasted veggies. They are so easy and super flavorful! I default to broccolini because the only prep I need to do is rinse and chop off the ends of the stalks. Then I take a kitchen towel and sop up some of the water; line a sheet pan with foil; throw down the broccolini; drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder; massage the broccolini so it all gets a little spice; and then roast at 425 for 15-20 minutes until they are a bit charred. If they look burnt, don't worry. They're still delicious! Make two pans so you have leftovers. My 2 year old gobbles this recipe up.
Zucchini: My husband Jeff would literally gag on zucchini as a child, but when I spiralized some zoodles (zucchini noodles) and sautéed them with bacon, salt, and pepper, he loved it! He even made them when I wasn't home. I buy 5 or 6, make a bunch of zoodles at once and store them in a freezer bag with paper towels so that I can always just grab a handful and sauté them in a pan when I need to. Great sub for pasta sauces or just as a simple side next to some protein. A spiralizer is a great tool to have and is fairly inexpensive. But if you don't have one, just dice up the zucchini and prepare similarly. Same flavor, just different shape.
Potatoes or sweet potatoes: Grab a bag of your favorite and roast a bunch at once so you can easily just reheat them. If you're short on time and don't have 45-60 minutes to roast them, dice them up into 1/2-1 inch pieces and they'll roast in 15 minutes. If you're going diced, use olive oil or ghee and sprinkle some garam masala, salt and pepper. So good and flavorful! Experiment with different types of potatoes. It's fun to learn the different flavors and textures of these tubers.
Fruit: Here's the great thing about doing a Whole30 in March. It's a great citrus season, and we're getting close to Spring when fruit and veggies are at their best! Here's a cheat sheet for what's in season in your area. Just click the drop down and choose your state. You want to buy what's in season because it'll be better in flavor and cost you much less. Fruit is also an easy snack when you are finding yourself hungry in between meals. Grab some apples or bananas and nut butter. The fat in the nut butter will help you stay satiated longer. Remember, Whole30 is not a time to cut calories. One of the benefits is you can eat more (as long as it's compliant) without needing to count calories.
Spinach: I just get the huge 16oz box of spinach from my local market. You may look at the box and think you'll never eat that much spinach. But it wilts down to practically nothing, so I cook two big handfuls every morning to eat with my eggs. You'd be surprised how fast I can get through the box. Spinach cooks in no time and is also packed with so many nutrients. It's a no brainer for me. I am weird in the sense that I don't like raw spinach, but if you do then you'll also use it for salads.
Lettuce: Whether it's butter, red leaf, or iceberg lettuce, have some on hand for lettuce wraps or as an alternative bun for your burger.
Avocados: I don't trust people who don't like avocado. I will try to get the bag of organic avocados from Costco to save a little money. Even if they are not ripe, I try to get them before I need them perfectly ripe and just let them do their thing on the counter for a few days. Once they're ripe, put them in the fridge to slow down any additional ripening. They'll be good to go for a few more days. I eat them with eggs, or if I'm really short on time, I literally just have an avocado as a snack or breakfast with some Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning.
Spaghetti squash: If you've never had this interesting gourd, it literally produces thread like strands of squash that make an awesome base for a meaty marinara or a casserole. There are tons of Pinterest recipes if you want to play with this option.
Dairy-alternatives and Eggs
Pasture-raised, Organic Eggs: I eat a ton of eggs whether a fast scramble for breakfast, an over-easy egg on top of a burger or cauliflower rice, hardboiled eggs for a Whole30 snack on the go, or a lazy dinner when I don't want to cook. I stock my fridge with 2 dozen and can often go through them before the week is over.
Califia Farms Better Half creamer: This is the best dairy-free, sugar-free creamer I have tried without question! Use it in your morning coffee or to fluff up your eggs. It does have almond milk in it, so if you're allergic to nuts, you don't want to go this route.
Coconut milk: You can use this as a substitute creamer, especially if you have a nut allergy. Coconut milk also acts as a great addition in soups, curries, dips, poured over berries for a light dessert, or to make chia seed pudding which could be a good alternative if yogurt was what you reached for in the morning.
Ghee: Butter has the milk solids that are not Whole30 compliant. Ghee removes these solids and is essentially clarified butter. It has a super delicious nutty flavor that is distinct and addictive.
Nutritional yeast: I don't use this that much, but it's often used to add a cheesy flavor to recipes. Maybe you can try sprinkling on roasted broccoli?
Meat, Poultry, and Seafood
Stew meat: I will buy 2-3 lbs of stew meat a week to throw in my Instant Pot for a simple curry, or an easy braised beef recipe that I will share in a few. I will always make a larger portion of stews that can serve as leftovers.
Chicken thighs: I often purchase 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I can use in the Instant Pot, or 2-3 lbs of chicken thighs with bone and skin on for Nom Nom Paleo's cracklin' chicken. I never buy chicken breast. I think it's easily dried out and doesn't have as much flavor.
Pork shoulder or butt: According to my butcher, shoulder and butt are the same thing. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how that's possible. Get a 4-5 lb pork butt that you can throw in your Instant Pot, slow cooker, or oven to make shredded pork. It's great to have on hand for an emergency protein, and it can be served many different ways whether with a Whole30 compliant BBQ sauce and lettuce cups or fried like carnitas. It also freezes well if you want to cook a batch, and freeze half for another day.
Frozen wild caught shrimp: This is another great staple to store in your freezer. You don't have to worry about cooking it right away, but it makes for a great last minute, fast dinner. Blanch some asparagus, and toss with shrimp, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Grate some lemon zest over the top, add a light squeeze of lemon juice, and sprinkle some chopped italian parsley.
Fish: Get any fish filleted and deboned for a fast weeknight meal. Throw in some cherry tomatoes and garlic on the pan and bake alongside the fish. Serve it over zucchini noodles. The roasted tomatoes add a ton of umami (savory) flavor to the dish.
Pantry
Fire roasted diced tomatoes: The fire roasted have more flavor than regular diced tomatoes. Most recipes will still turn out great with the added smokiness, so I default to fire roasted.
Diced mild green hatch chiles: These add great flavor to eggs and sauces. Personally, I buy these for one recipe in particular that I'll post shorty. I make it weekly, so have cans of these chiles at all times.
Tomato paste: I always buy this in the tube because it's not often that I need more than just a couple tablespoons, so the cans are just wasteful. I also buy the double concentrated because I'm pretty heavy handed when it comes to adding flavor.
Coconut milk: I buy coconut milk canned so I can just store a pack in my pantry.
Thai curry paste: Green or red, I buy this prepared so I can easily throw it in a pot with some coconut milk, veggies, and protein for a quick weeknight curry. If you have the Instant Pot, you'll be much happier with the outcome.
Red boat fish sauce: An easy way to add a lot of umami flavor to any dish. Regular fish sauce is not compliant, so Red Boat is my go to.
Coconut aminos: This is an alternative to soy sauce. Because you can't have soy on Whole30, coconut aminos are a great substitute.
Primal Kitchen avocado oil mayo: Primal Kitchen makes several varieties of mayo and avocado oil.
Almond and tapioca flour: If you attempt to make paleo pancakes or tortillas (not really recommended by Whole30), almond meal and tapioca flour are probably going to be the base.
Pre-prepared
Mission Meats Graze Sticks: These are great jerky sticks that are tasty snacks and easy to take on the go. I prefer these over Epic bars.
Aidell's chicken apple sausage: The good news about Aidell's is you can buy them at bulk at Costco and they are made with all natural ingredients. They are also precooked, so it's just a matter of heating them up.
Applegate deli meats and sausages: Another great Whole30 option that are quick to heat up and good for any time of day.
Spices
The basics: I have an entire drawer and cabinet dedicated to spices. Use Whole30 as an opportunity to try some spices you never would have previously. Some great staples are cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and paprika.
Specialty blends: If you enjoy ethnic cuisine, or even if you don't, try some specialty blend spices like garam masala, curry, Chinese 5 spice, and ras el hanout. They pack a big punch for any dish. Another great specialty item is Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning. I throw it on eggs, avocado, spinach... everything.
Dessert emergencies
Dried dates: On Whole30, you shouldn't have too much dried fruit since the sugars are very concentrated. But if you are really hankering and are tempted to reach for a cookie (why do you even have cookies around during Whole30?!?!), grab a few dried dates. They are super sweet, so better to enjoy them nice and slow.
Nut butters: I typically just have almond butter on hand. Grab a banana or even dried dates and eat them with the almond butter. When you're craving ice cream, it's a great alternative because the dried date and nut butter are creamy like ice cream would be.
Fresh berries and coconut milk: I mentioned this earlier, but in case you missed it, just throw some sweet berries in coconut milk as a light dessert. Might want to keep some coconut milk in the fridge if you prefer this cold.
Frozen grapes: Just what it says. Throw some grapes in the freezer. Enjoy.
I hope this helps you stock up on Whole30 compliant items that will make the next 30 days as easy and delicious as possible! You can also check out my Top 5 grain-free and dairy-free alternatives for more ideas. Although, check the labels because not all of them are Whole30 compliant (e.g. Bitchin' sauces have soy), and some are SWYPO options.
