HB Does Whole30: My Top 10 Favorite Whole30 Meals

One of my biggest pieces of advice when it comes to doing a Whole30 challenge is the importance of enjoying the food you eat. It seems like a no brainer, but if you’re not used to this style of eating it can definitely take time to “get in your groove” and figure out what will actually satisfy you.

For example, I’ve learned weird things about myself like a) I don’t like plain chicken and b) I get sick of eggs extremely easily. But I also learned that I love potatoes way more than I realized before and that they’re actually an incredible bread replacement.

A good general tip when it comes to planning your meals on Whole30 is to try to replicate the foods/meals you already liked to eat before. If you love eating tacos, find an amazing taco casserole. If you’re a burger fiend, you’re in luck there too.

Ummm how good do those look?! Adding ’em to the “must make” list…

Anyway. I digress. Here are some of my Whole30 go-to’s…meals I loved so much that I’ll for sure continue eating them post-Whole30.

Whole30 Power Bowls

Power Bowls are hands down one of my favorite meals. I’ve posted about my Grain Free Power “Rice” Bowls before, and I just kept making them all throughout my Whole30. I even got to the point where I was buying 5+ containers of riced cauliflower at a time and freezing it.

What I love about Power Bowls is that the variations are endless. You can also switch up the base and instead of cauliflower rice opt for spiralized sweet potatoes, zucchini noodles, roasted veggies, etc.

Hash Brown Avocado Toast

Avocado Toast may be one of the most BAEsic meals (see what I did there?), but it’s one I just cannot live without. Here’s how I made it Whole30 approved.

• Heat a pan to medium-high. Sautee 1 cup of frozen hash browns* with olive oil or ghee just until they’re cooked through and starting to turn brown.
• Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes in a bowl.
• Once cooled, combine the hash browns by mixing in 1-2 egg whites. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat pan again to medium-high, create two hash brown patties, and “fry” each side for a few minutes in ghee or oil until they’re crispy and brown.
• Top with whatever you’d like! Obviously I went with mashed avocado and soft boiled eggs.

* Make sure you get some where the only ingredient is potatoes, or grate your own. 

Plantain Nachos

I wish I could take credit for this incredible recipe, but Clean Eating Veggie Girl is the mastermind behind these Whole30 approved NACHOS. I’ve made them a few times, but my messy photos never came close to her’s!

N’Oatmeal (Oat-free Oatmeal)

The breakfast struggle can be real when it comes to Whole30, especially if you’re someone who naturally prefers a sweet breakfast. This oat-free oatmeal was such a life saver for me. Here’s the recipe for my Apple Cinnamon N’Oatmeal, which can easily be made into different variations (like this Banana Nut N’Oatmeal).

Thick Cut Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Guacamole

Have I mentioned how much I love potatoes though??? You definitely don’t want to overdo it on the spuds during your Whole30, but they’re just so versatile and great when you want a good ol’ healthy carb fix. Here’s how I made these simple baked sweet potato fries.

• reheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
• Cut 2 medium/large sweet potatoes (I used 1 white, 1 purple) into 1/2 inch slices.
• Place in a large bowl and toss with melted ghee and seasonings of your choice (I used salt, dried parsley and dried chili flakes).
• Lay fries flat on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, give them a good flip, then bake for another 10-15 minutes depending on how crispy you like them.
• Optional: serve with guacamole/mashed avocado or cashew cream sauce (YUM).

Sweet Potato Toast

…are you noticing a trend here? #NoShame. Here’s how I make Sweet Potato “Toast” – it’s super easy to make a bunch of slices ahead of time to last you a few days!

Slow Cooker Carnitas

My slow cooker proved to be my new favorite appliance while on Whole30. It’s SO helpful to have a big batch of meat cooked ahead of time that you can eat various different ways (like in Power Bowls!) throughout the week. This recipe for Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas was one of my favorites…it gives you the perfect fall-apart & super flavorful carnitas.

Tuna Salad Avocado Boats

When you need a good dose of protein + healthy fats, these Tuna Salad Avocado Boats are the way to go. They’re also super simple and take about 5 minutes to make! Combine canned tuna* with Primal Kitchen (or homemade) mayonnaise and whatever veggies you’d like. Season simply with salt and pepper, and eat out of a halved avocado. You’ll never want to eat out of a regular bowl again 😉

* I definitely recommend finding a sustainably sourced brand for canned tuna – Wild Planet Foods is my favorite.

Bacon Wrapped Avocado Bites

This is an oldie but an oh-so goodie. Here’s how to make Bacon Wrapped Avocado Bites – just make sure to use sugar-free Whole30-approved bacon!

“Alfredo” Zoodles

This is a newbie (like, 2 days ago new), but it’s for sure going to be a new staple meal for me. Why didn’t anyone tell me how easy it is to make cashew cream sauce?! Here’s how to make it:

• Soak 1 cup of raw cashews in water for 2 hours
• Drain, then pulse in a NutriBullet or food processor
• Add water a little bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency (AKA smooth, not chunky). I added about 1/3 cups of water total.
• Once you have the base, you can season or sweeten it however you like!
• You can also easily double or triple this amount

I added salt and garlic powder to mine to make it savory, then topped it over sautéed zucchini noodles, roasted grape tomatoes & some crumbled bacon. It was heaven, you guys. HEAVEN.

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If you have any favorite go-to Whole30/Paleo meals, I’d love to hear what they are! And as I approach day 30, be on the lookout for my FINAL Whole30 recap coming in a few days…

xoxo GG