Your Essential Plant-Based Whole30 Shopping List
FOOD & HOME
Your Essential Plant-Based Whole30 Shopping List
BY: Tanya Flink
What is Whole30? It’s a month-long program designed to help you identify foods that don’t make you feel your best. Whole30 (and now Plant Based Whole30) has gained momentum in recent years, posing as a significant yet attainable challenge for all looking to reboot their eating habits live healthier, more energetic lives. Essentially an elimination diet, the program prohibits processed foods, top eight allergens, and other foods that many people are sensitive to. Because we believe that food should make you feel good, all of our premium plant-based meats are naturally Whole30 approved. If you’re considering or about to jump into your own Whole30 journey, here’s what you need to know to have the most positive experience possible.
Whole30 Rules
There are two tracks to Whole30: the original and the plant-based version. All of our products are approved for both tracks, though for the remainder of this article, we are going to focus on the plant-based side. While following the Plant Based Whole30 program, one is expected to completely eliminate all grains, animal products, processed forms of soy (tofu and tempeh are okay), sugar of any kind (fruit is fine, maple syrup and stevia are not), and foods with carrageenan and/or sulfites. At first, these rules can seem extremely limiting and quite daunting, but we’ve completed the program and know that you just have to get a little creative and stock up on Whole30 approved staples.
Ready to jump into Plant-Based Whole30? Here’s your shopping list to keep your meals both nourishing and exciting.
Whole30 Shopping List
1. Abbot’s Butcher Plant-Based Meats
Our plant-based meats add flavor, protein, and variety to any Whole30 approved dish. Try roasting our Chick’n and tossing with a big salad, add texture to a chili with our Ground “Beef”, or pile our “Chorizo” onto a loaded baked sweet potato. The possibilities are virtually endless, even with the Whole30 restrictions. Check out our Whole30 approved recipes for more tasty ideas.
2. Nut or seed butter
A quality nut or seed butter will add richness and satiety to your days. We admittedly have a sweet tooth, so going off sugar was particularly anxiety-inducing. We found that slicing up an apple or banana, sprinkling it with cinnamon, and slathering on the cashew butter satisfied that sweet craving while still being Whole30 compliant. A large handful of peanuts and raisins also did the trick. Note: ensure your nut or seed butter is pure. It shouldn’t contain oils, sugars, or any other ingredients besides nuts, seeds, and possibly spices.
3. Dates
Again, for those craving something sweet but not wanting to break Whole30, dates are a game changer. They’re nature’s candy, and they’re phenomenal on their own or stuffed with nut or seed butter. Many Whole30 recipe developers also call for them when making a homemade sauce. Medjool dates are the sweetest and most tender, in our humble opinion, so opt for this variety and buy plenty!
4. Kelp Noodles
Grains are off limits on Whole30, meaning no rice, quinoa, oats, or pasta of any kind. These seaweed-based noodles are an excellent replacement for the grains we craved. Note: you do need to soften kelp noodles before enjoying in your favorite recipe. To do this, drain and rinse the noodles then sprinkle them with a tablespoon of baking soda and the juice from one lemon. Add hot water to submerge the noodles (don’t rinse) and soak for about 10 minutes or until they feel tender. Drain and rinse once more, and they’re ready to use. Our favorite way to use kelp noodles is in a Chick’n cacio e pepe. Simply season the softened noodles with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, sea salt, and nutritional yeast, then top with our cooked Chopped Chick’n. If you want to add some veg in there, peas work well.
5. Cauliflower
Not everyone does well with cauliflower, but if this cruciferous vegetable doesn’t make you bloat, it can be indispensable during Whole30. Use a food processor to create cauliflower rice, thickly slice it into steaks, or puree it with a bit of garlic to create a luxuriously creamy cauliflower mash. Cauliflower can do it all.
6. Potatoes
Russet, sweet, purple, Yukon Gold … every kind of potato is welcome on the Whole30 plan. Roast baby potatoes and serve simply with flaky salt and fresh herbs, load up a sweet potato with beans and salsa, or whip up a vibrant purple potato mash. Like cauliflower, potatoes can be a cornerstone of your Whole30 diet when you know how to mix it up.
7. Leafy Greens
Salads are the easiest way to consume a ton of vegetables and shake up your meals. No two salads are alike depending on what you add to them. We always had a tub of mixed greens, a head of romain, or a bag full of arugula on hand to create a mixing bowl-sized salad to tame any hunger pangs.
8. Fruit
Not only does fruit provide a substantial kick of vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants, it also helps curb that sweet tooth. Think of Whole30 as an incentive to try something new. If you typically just stick to bananas, apples, and oranges, branch out a bit. Discover how sweet a honeydew can be, or be on the lookout to find the perfect mango. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with cotton candy grapes. They’re completely natural, yet the taste will certainly remind you of that flossy sugar you used to enjoy at the fair.
9. Really good condiments
Condiments truly level up the Whole30 experience. When you’re essentially eating a whole foods, plant-based diet that also eliminates a major food group (grains), condiments save the day by adding flavor and variety to every single meal. Several brands have developed Whole30 approved sauces, and some are better than others, but here are basics we relied on: coconut aminos, dijon mustard, salsa, tahini, Core and Rind cashew cheese, and Haven’s Kitchen sauces.
For more plant-based food guides, check out the other posts in Our Journal.