Quick and easy Whole30 dinner recipes | Well+Good (2024)

Even if youconsider yourself a pretty healthy eater, committing to a month of the Whole30 diet can be daunting. (Seriously, no quinoa?!)The programsays hasta luego to sugar, legumes, dairy, and grains of all kinds. Cue the freak-out when you realize peanut butter is also not allowed.

No matter how beneficial Whole30 may be for yourgut and your skin, like any diet or eating plan, if it requires too much effort, you're probably not going to stick withit. After all, a girl's got workouts to attend and people to see.

An ultra-nourishing, Whole30-compliant meal in under 30 minutes though?Thatsounds feasible. Justtake some deep breaths as you prepare to saygoodbye to hummus for awhile....

Originally posted January 5, 2017. Updated May 26, 2017.

Keep reading for 10 super-speedy, Whole30-friendly meals.

Quick and easy Whole30 dinner recipes | Well+Good (1)

1. Paleo Tuna Green Chile Zoodle Casserole

This isn't your mama's tuna noodle casserole.Cotter Crunch blogger Lindsay Cotter gives the comfort food a major upgrade with canned, safe-catch tuna and zoodles in lieu of pasta, which—bonus— keeps cooking time minimal.

Quick and easy Whole30 dinner recipes | Well+Good (2)

2. Chorizo Butternut Pizza Hash with Baked Eggs

Ordering a pie from the Italian joint down the street doesn't really fly when you're doing Whole30. Instead,Paleo Running Momma'sMichele Rosen fills her skillet dish with potassium-rich butternut squash andadds both crumbled chorizo and eggs for a protein boost. No crust speeds up cooking in a big way—just be sure to double check your sausage and tomato sauce to make sure there are no added sugars (the number one Whole30 no-go).

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3. One-Sheet Roasted Garlic Salmon & Broccoli

This meal is as easy as it sounds—especially consideringthat, besides the salmon, you likely have all the other ingredients in your kitchen already. Taesha Butler, the blogger behind The Natural Nurturer, coats her fish and veg with EVOO, garlic, and salt and pepper before popping it in the oven. And just like that, dinner's ready 15 minutes later.

Quick and easy Whole30 dinner recipes | Well+Good (4)

4. Mango Chicken with Coconut Cauliflower Rice

No rice, no problem. Taylor Kiserof Food Faith Fitness swaps in miracle veg cauliflower for the grain so that you can enjoy the flavorful Asian-inspired dinner. Whole30 means stashing away the soy sauce away, but Kiser usescoconut aminos, which provides similar flavor with a much simpler ingredient list.

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5. Ginger Garlic Shrimp Zoodle Bowl

Samantha Rowland—AKAPancake Warrior—tosses spiralized zucch' with asparagus and red pepper, and finishes the dish with shrimp that are sautéed in garlic and ginger. This veggie-packed dinner can be made in 10 minutes—one of the fastest on this list!

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6. Creamy Spiced Apple Pecan Chicken

Wholesomelicious blogger Amy Rains proves that you don't have to give up sweet-and-savory flavors when you give up sugar and dairy. (Her secret weapons? Apples and coconut milk.) Plus, it only takes one pan to whip up this whole meal.

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7. Tuna Poke Avocado Boats

Anya Kaats of Anya's Eats created this dishto satisfy her sushi bowl cravings, filling her avocados with tuna, macadamia nuts, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and sesame oil.Your Instagramandyour taste buds will thank you for this one.

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8. Pesto Frittata

Eggs are a staple in many healthy diets, and Whole30 is no different. The easy protein fix makes for a 5-ingredient, 15-minute meal. One caveat: Make sure you reach for a dairy-free pesto. Becky Winkler, the blogger behind A Calculated Whisk, likes to make her own, but any dairy-free version will do in a pinch.

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9. Cod en Papillote with Potatoes, Asparagus, and Scallion Pistou

Cooking everything in parchment paper is a genius—not to mention speedy—way to cook all the components of your meal at once. No wonder it's a weeknight staple forA Better Happier St. Sebastian blogger Jillian Guyette.

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10. Vietnamese Meatball Bowls

If you were a grain bowl devotee prior to starting the Whole30, cauliflower ricehas your back. The grain-free rice replacement, flavored here with turmeric, scallions, and broth, serves as a heartybase to any dinner. Pro tip: Stacey Isaacs of There's a Cook in my Kitchenspices these Vietnamese meatballs with lemongrass paste, and though you may not have any in your kitchen, it's worth picking up a jar—the herb has major healing properties for your digestive tract.

Related Stories

Here's what to do after you make it through a month of Whole30. And if you're a plant-based eater who's curious about the Paleo diet, these recipes bridge the two.

Tags: Healthy Eating Plans, Healthy Meal Ideas

Quick and easy Whole30 dinner recipes | Well+Good (2024)

FAQs

What happens if I cheat on Whole30? ›

Since the Whole30 diet is more of a food challenge than a long-term change, there are some hurdles. The Whole30 diet has strict rules. The overall goal is to restrict your eating. So, if you “cheat” on a day of your challenge, they recommend you start again from day one.

How do I stop being hungry on the whole 30? ›

Make sure you are eating enough at every meal — protein, fat, + carbs are the main components of each meal, ++ make sure that you feel full + never, ever hungry. If you're hungry, eat more! You should never feel that you have not had enough to eat.

What to make for dinner when you don't have much food? ›

These simple dinner ideas use only a handful of ingredients so you can still whip up a meal using whatever you have in the cupboard.
  1. 15-ingredient sausage rolls. ...
  2. 2Creamy mushroom gnocchi. ...
  3. 3Fast falafel bowl. ...
  4. 45-ingredient satay beef skewers. ...
  5. 55-ingredient meatball carbonara. ...
  6. 6Speedy wild rice and salmon salad.

Why is Whole30 not healthy? ›

Some downsides include Whole30 side effects like digestive problems, worsened food cravings, and reduced nutrient intake. The diet restricts certain foods and food groups, which, if followed long-term, can result in nutrient deficiencies.

What is the one bite rule on Whole30? ›

And on the Whole30 that is a big no-no. The rules state that if you take even one bite of an outlawed food, you have to start all over again.

What to cook for dinner when lazy? ›

30 lazy dinners to make on weeknights
  • Ramen carbonara. 4.666665. 4.7. 30 Minute Cheesy Chicken Risoni. 4.3617. 4.4. ...
  • Thai Green Curry Chicken Noodle Soup. Family Friendly Fried Rice. 4.285715. 4.3. Asian-style Scrambled Eggs. 3.636365. ...
  • Sri Lankan Coconut & Cashew Chicken with Saffron Rice. 4.188975. 4.2. Potato Gems Shepherd's Pie. 4.2.

What are 5 small meals a day? ›

Five meals a day equals breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. To do this right, you need to plan what you'll eat every day for each “meal.” And you need to schedule eating every 2 to 3 hours. Stock up. Face it: You're going to grab whatever food is closest.

What is lazy cooking? ›

It means making smart or clever adjustments that make cooking quicker and easier. Think of it as pandemic cooking 2.0—good, healthy food made convenient. It's all about sheet pan dinners, pressure cookers and any meal you can make in one vessel. It likely involves fewer steps and fewer ingredients.

What is the hardest day of Whole30? ›

On Days 10 and 11, you are statistically the most likely to quit your Whole30. (That's why they're “the hardest days.”) By this point, the newness of the program has worn off, and though you've made it through most of the unpleasant physical milestones, you've yet to experience significant benefits.

Can I eat as much as I want on Whole30? ›

Unlike many other diets, there is no need to track calories, measure portions, or count points. Also, weighing yourself is strictly reserved for days 1 and 30 of the program. Following the Whole30 diet involves eating as much as you'd like from the approved list of foods while avoiding certain foods for 1 month.

What happens after 30 days on Whole30? ›

According to the official Whole30® website, once those 30 days are up, it's up to you to “carefully and systematically reintroduce those foods you've been missing”.

How to eat when you're broke? ›

Here's a shopping list of 21 healthy but relatively cheap foods that you may want to consider putting in your shopping cart.
  1. Apples.
  2. Bananas.
  3. Beans.
  4. Brown rice.
  5. Chicken.
  6. Corn tortillas.
  7. Eggs.
  8. Flour.
Jan 16, 2024

What can I cook in 5 minutes? ›

25 healthy recipes you can cook in 5 minutes or less
  • Pea and broad bean couscous.
  • Fast home-made baked beans.
  • Porridge.
  • Pasta with cherry tomatoes and rocket.
  • Home-made hummus.
  • Smashed avocado and wilted spinach.
  • Cucumber (or potato) raitha.
  • Quick pitta pizzas.

What if I mess up on Whole30? ›

It's clear right in the Whole30 program rules: No slips, no cheats, no special occasions. The program requires 30 straight days of 100% compliance, otherwise, it's back to Day 1 for you.

Can one cheat day ruin your whole diet? ›

If you're healthy, your body knows how to regulate itself after a cheat meal. Aside from feeling bloated, less active, and a temporary increase in water weight (excess sodium in many processed foods means you'll hold on to more water) a cheat here or there won't do much harm.

What are the withdrawal symptoms of Whole30? ›

Popular diets (i.e., Atkins and Whole30) instruct dieters to prepare for a “withdrawal” syndrome marked by headaches, fatigue, irritability, and cravings that follows the timeline of drug withdrawal (i.e., emerges in the first days after dietary change and peaks on Days 2–5).

Can you go into ketosis on Whole30? ›

No. The Whole30 diet doesn't have a carb limit, so it's not meant to put you in ketosis. However, it tends to be lower in carbohydrates than a standard American diet (SAD) since it cuts out grains, traditional baked foods, and processed items, which are major sources of carbs.

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