Whole30 …. such a love/hate memory of my #JanuaryWhole30 month but there is no doubt that I felt 100% better when it was all said and done. Eliminating alcohol, sugar, grains, dairy and legumes was not an easy choice .. especially after New Years Eve weekend spent celebrating in Asheville, NC surrounded by all types of delicious, carb-heavy food and brewery craft beers. That being said… after wedding ‘season’, birthday ‘ season’ and holiday ‘season’, my body was more than ready for a reset and Whole30 did exactly that.

Here are some of my favorite Whole30 staples that got me through  the 30 days: 

– Ghee (unclarified butter) – Get some from Trader Joes or order some 4th and Heart Vanilla Ghee (available on Amazon)
– Coconut Aminos (great substitute for soy sauce and my go-to for asian-inspired recipes)
– Riced Cauliflower / Riced Broccoli ( can buy frozen or fresh ): Now a days you can find almost ANY vegetable riced so switch it up and you won’t get bored.
– Vegan Kale Cashew Pesto from Trader Joes: I love pesto and you can’t have most of the typical pesto products so this was a perfect substitute.
– Turkey Burgers, 100% Grass-Fed beef burgers OR Chicken Lime Burgers from Trader Joes – Both approved and can do a lettuce wrap or avocado on top
– Frozen berries – all fruit but in moderation
– Seasonings (& lots of them! Trader Joes has the best.. so many options. My favorites were, “Everything but the bagel” seasoning; other staples: garlic, cayenne, onion salt, 21 Seasonings, Rosemary, pepper,  sea salt, cinnamon)
– Sweet potatos / red potatos / any potatoes 🙂
– Eggs .. eggs. and more eggs
– Frozen vegetables [for convenience] – Brussels sprouts / broccoli / onions / bell peppers  – Food prep and just roast a sheet pan of these every Sunday for the week ahead
– Spaghetti Squash: a million recipe combinations on Pinterest
– Any of the spiralized veggies which you can buy at TJ’s / Whole Foods / Sprouts .. etc. etc.
– Plantains – Great to bake in a cast iron if you have one – lightly cover in ghee; bake and flip halfway through till lightly browned. { super good with some guac on top }
– Any meats.. Chicken ( lots of crock potting ), ground turkey, 100% grass fed beef,  shrimp , salmon, trout 

OIL
– Olive Oil
– Avocado Oil
– Coconut Oil
( your choice what you like  )

SAUCY:
– Tessamae’s dressings: available on Amazon. Great substitutes for your typical salad dressing. They also have tasty barbecue sauce to make crockpot BBQ pulled-chicken or pulled-pork!
– Balsamic Vinegar:  Read ingredients. Be careful about added sugars in certain brands. Reduce 1 cup of balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan and drizzle it over your vegetables for some additional zest.
– Primal Kitchen:  Ranch, Honey Mustard, Greek approved-salad dressings. Available at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fresh Market and of coarse, Amazon.
– Franks Red Hot Sauce: hot-sauce on everything. This came in handy many times to make all different types of buffalo chicken/cauliflower/dips … the list goes on.

LUCKY STRIKE EXTRAS: 
– Almond butter ( or any nut butter OTHER than peanut butter). My favorites are Mixed Nut Butter from Trader Joes or Georgia Grinders Cashew or Pecan butter.
– Salsa
– Avocados/ Guacamole ( as long as no sugar or added ingredients )  – holy guacamole is a good brand
– Mixed bag of nuts – just make sure dry roasted no sugars / glaze/ etc. – salted is fine.
– 100% Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
– Chicken broth
– Split Pea soup ( Amys brand )

EMERGENCY SNACKS:
– Just Beets –  Trader Joes and only one ingredient; dehydrated beets
– RX Bars -great emergency food to keep on hand. Any of them comply to Whole30 EXCEPT the ones with peanuts in them
– LARA bars – Same as above but check for ingredients for no peanuts /syrup/etc.
– ” Just Mango ” from Trader Joes was my jam. Dipped in some almond butter as an afternoon treat.

DRINKS:
– La Croix  ( or any sparkling water if you like this during the day )
– Tea unsweetened
– Black Coffee
– Unsweetened ( check ingredients ) Almond Milk: New Barn, Silk, MALK, or So Delicious are all good brands
– Kombucha:  GT’s brand  ( NO added cane sugar which other brands have )
– Nut Pods (can order off Amazon if you like creamer in your coffee ,this is approved): 3-flavors available including regular coffee cream, hazelnut and vanilla