Tips and tricks, kitchen recommendations, and helpful resources to read before you start your first Whole30!
So, you’re doing this.
Or you’re considering it.
30 days of real, nutritious food. Meat, seafood, eggs, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats. No alcohol, legumes, grains, added sugars or artificial sweeteners, or dairy.
You’re DOING this. You can do this. It’s only 30 days. You can do anything for 30 days.
Today I’m sharing tips and tricks, resources, and kitchen recommendations for you to do ALL THE RESEARCH before you start!
The Whole30 Basics
First and foremost, Whole30 has published several books and resources for Whole30ers. If you’re like me just starting out, you’re wondering which ones will be helpful and which ones you can skip on. I’ll dive into them each below.
The Whole30 Day by Day
Summary: A daily journal meant to guide you day by day through your Whole30. Each day, you journal your cravings, sleep, energy, and meals. Melissa also includes daily inspiration and tips that line up with how most are feeling on each specific day of their Whole30. This was the KEY to my first Whole30 success.
Buy this if: It’s your first Whole30 or you love daily journaling.
Note: I bought this journal again for our second round of Whole30– that’s how much it helped me!
The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide To Total Health and Food Freedom
Buy this if: It’s your first Whole30 and you have no idea where to start.
The Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook + The Whole30 Cookbook
Buy this if: You love cookbooks (me), you prefer hard copy recipes to use, or you need step by step cooking instructions for your new Whole30 lifestyle.
It Starts With Food
Buy this if: You’re a nerd and want to know the nitty gritty of why in the world you have to give up PEANUT BUTTER, for pete’s sake.
Food Freedom Forever
Buy this if: You started Whole30 with big hopes to improve your relationship with food. Finishing off my Whole30 with this book brought it all home and truly cemented my “food freedom”.
Online Resources
Whole30 also provides tons of resources on their website. Here are the ones I referenced the most during my Whole30:
- Meal Template – Print this out and put it on your fridge for easy reference.
- Common Additives Cheat Sheet – Put this one up on the fridge, too. And keep a copy of it saved on your phone for easy access while grocery shopping.
- Whole30 Rules – Another good one to have on hand for easy reference.
Kitchen Tools
First, you do not need to go out and buy ten different specialty cooking gadgets to prepare for your first Whole30. I’ll dive into a few basics you need, and then talk about some “nice to have” tools.
Whole30 Kitchen Essentials
Good Quality Knives
By now you know that you’re going to be doing a lot of chopping, prepping, and cooking. A set of good quality knives is key to efficiency (and safety!) in the kitchen. We got this set for our wedding, but really you just need one or two solid ones like this.
Slow Cooker or Multicooker
Slow cooker or Multicooker – Having a night off from cooking was such a welcomed break. I made every Sunday and one weekday a slow cooker dinner day and it made life so much easier. We have this multicooker that I’m in LOVE with. You can read all about it here.
Several Cutting Boards
For real. Several. We have two large ones this size and two mini ones like this. The mini ones are so great when you’re just cutting up something small like garlic, limes or lemons. Epicurean makes the BEST cutting boards. They’re lightweight and dry quickly. I can guarantee you one will always be in the sink or dishwasher, so having a few is so nice.
Non-Stick Skillets
Having to scrub cooked-on food off skillets is the worst. Or when the food you’re trying to cook is sticking and turning into a literal hot mess. No thanks. Quality kitchen tools are always worth it. We got a set of two at Costco that you can literally slide cooked eggs out of. This set of three is a good price point and has great reviews!
Spatulas
This seems silly, but we have three spatulas and even then sometimes they’re ALL dirty. Your life will be easier if you have a few, I promise. You will use them daily. P.S., I’m obsessed with these mini ones that are so great for small containers and food processors.
Food Storage Containers
Last but not least, you’re going to need containers to store your cooked and prepped food in. Y’all, almost every single time I ran the dishwasher, the entire top level was full of food storage containers and lids. Glass storage like this is great because you can see what’s in them! And let’s be real. Your leftovers become a little more glamorous when you’re eating them out of a glass container.
Whole30 Not-As-Essentials
These tools are “nice to have”, but aren’t mandatory for your Whole30.
Garlic Press
Saves you so much time and fine dicing. Press your whole garlic cloves through the sieve, and keep going.
Avocado Tool
Healthy fats are essential with every meal, and avocados were one of my go-to’s! This neat tool will cut your avocado, de-seed (avoiding the dangerous knife-hack technique), and perfectly slice the avocado meat for easy mashing.
Spiralizer
You’ll love swapping spiralized zucchini, sweet potato, and butternut squash for pasta in dishes. Use this spiralizer attachment for a Kitchen-Aid mixer, or a handheld spiralizer works just as well.
Tips and Tricks
Lastly, I wanted to share tips and tricks I learned during my first challenge, from one Whole30er to another. If you’re like me, you’re doing your research before you start and want to soak up any tips and life hacks you can to ensure success.
- Before you start cooking, pull out everything you need for a recipe, including measuring spoons and cups. If you’re missing one key ingredient, you want to know before you start. Like the time I planned to make this rosemary garlic cauliflower mash and then realized I hadn’t bought a head of cauliflower.
- Spices and sauces will make a recipe. Roasted chicken and veggies get a whole new life with a drizzle of tahini. Sweet potato fries are next LEVEL with a creamy chipotle mayo dipping sauce.
- Keep emergency food on hand. Frozen vegetables, compliant hot dogs, hard boiled eggs, and canned tuna, chicken or salmon can save the day.
- Keep a scrap/trash bowl while you cook. It keeps your prep space neater and makes clean up a breeze.
- Don’t try for different lunches and dinners every day of the week. You will wear yourself out, friend. If you had a stir fry on zucchini noodles for dinner, try packing it with cauliflower rice for lunch the next day instead. If you had shredded chicken with dinner, try putting it in a wrap or on a salad.
- On that note, if you’re eating leftovers for lunch, put together your lunch container while you’re serving your plate for dinner. You’ll be glad you did.
- Always have a snack with you. Things don’t always go as planned, and when you’re at the office an hour later than expected, you’ll be glad you have that RXbar or jerky stick.
- Do what you have to do to stick to your Whole30. This may look like hot dogs, carrot sticks and guacamole on a paper plate for dinner. It may look like breakfast for dinner on a Tuesday. Show yourself some grace on those long days when you’re doing the best you can.
- Lastly, don’t be afraid to try new foods! I found a love for cabbage, my husband decided mashed cauliflower is actually delicious, and I learned how to cook a perfect simple roast. Challenge yourself, go out of your comfort zone and have fun with it! You are doing something incredible for yourself!
It’s my hope that these tips and tricks help you prepare for your first Whole30. It’s true what they say- it really will change your life!
Do you have any tips or tricks you swear by for Whole30? Share them below!
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