Everything You Should Know Before Starting the Whole30 Diet
Key takeaways:
The Whole30 diet is an elimination diet that cuts out certain foods for 30 days to help you notice how they may impact you.
During the elimination phase, you strictly avoid grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, and alcohol.
The Whole30 diet is meant to be a “reset” to help you learn healthy eating habits, but there is limited evidence on its health effects.
Many fad diets claim to help with weight loss, but the popular Whole30 diet takes a different approach. Under this eating plan, you stick to certain “whole foods” for a month. The goal is not to lose weight but to help you identify how certain foods may be affecting your everyday well-being.
That said, many people try using the Whole30 diet for quick weight loss or to jumpstart their weight-loss journey. Whether or not this approach is effective is uncertain. In fact, there are almost no peer-reviewed studies on the Whole30 diet and its potential value.
What is the Whole30 diet?
The Whole30 diet — which first debuted in 2009 — calls itself an elimination diet. It is a month-long food program that completely cuts out certain types of foods.
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As an elimination diet, the goal of the Whole30 diet is to help you recognize which foods are negatively affecting you. This may include effects on sleep, digestion, energy, and mood.
There are other reasons that people may try the Whole30 diet. Some people use the Whole30 diet as a “reset” to help them break certain eating habits. Other people use the program to try to lose weight — but the Whole30 diet doesn’t pitch itself as a weight-loss diet.
How does the Whole30 diet work?
The Whole30 program includes two phases: the elimination phase and the reintroduction phase.
The elimination phase lasts for 30 days. There are strict rules about what you shouldn’t eat during this phase. You also shouldn’t weigh or measure yourself during this time. This may help you focus on how food makes you feel instead of its effects on weight.
After the month-long elimination phase, there is a 10-day reintroduction phase. The program instructs you to resume eating the eliminated foods one at a time and usually in a certain order.
As you add foods back in, reflect on how they affect you. Does your digestion change? Are certain foods keeping you up at night? Does one food make you feel sluggish? This may help you identify foods that may be negatively impacting your well-being.
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What can’t you eat on the Whole30 diet?
During the 30-day elimination phase, you strictly avoid eating:
Sugar, including “natural” sugars and sugar substitutes, such as honey, maple syrup, and Splenda
Alcohol (all forms)
Grains, such as rice, oats, pasta, and bread
Dairy from any animal (cow, sheep, goat, etc.)
Legumes
The Whole30 diet also doesn’t allow homemade “junk food” made from approved ingredients. For example, making pancakes from almond flour would be considered a “cheat” and is not allowed.
What can you eat on the Whole30 diet?
During the elimination phase, the Whole30 diet encourages eating:
Meat
Seafood
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruit
Healthy fats
100% fruit juice
Green beans and most types of peas, even though they are technically legumes
You can season food with spices, herbs, and iodized table salt. You can also cook with vinegar and coconut aminos (a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce).
A plant-based version of the Whole30 diet allows legumes, pulses, and minimally processed forms of soy (like edamame and tofu). In this program, you should still avoid ultra-processed forms of soy.
Does the Whole30 diet work?
While the Whole30 website claims that the program can provide “life-changing results,” there are no evidence-based studies available to prove it. This means there is no research to confirm the effectiveness, safety, risks, or benefits of the Whole30 diet.
If you choose to try the Whole30 diet, proceed with caution. Consider working with a healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian.
What are the pros?
In general, the Whole30 diet promotes certain healthy habits. This includes:
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables: A study of more than 100,000 U.S. adults found that higher intakes of fruits and vegetables were associated with lower mortality. Unfortunately, the average U.S. adult does not eat the recommended amount.
Eating more whole, unprocessed foods: Whole foods also tend to have more fiber and micronutrients than heavily processed foods. A meta-analysis found that participants who consumed the most ultra-processed foods had the highest risk of all-cause mortality.
Not focusing on weight: The Whole30 diet does not give restrictions on calories and does not allow weighing. This may be helpful for people who want to improve their eating habits without focusing on weight.
What are the cons?
The Whole30 diet cuts out grains and legumes, which are generally considered healthy. While the program doesn’t claim that these foods are “bad,” people may still get the wrong message.
Most nutrition organizations — such as MyPlate by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — support whole grains and legumes as part of a nutritious and balanced diet. A 2017 meta-analysis found that intake of whole grains was associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancers of the colon, pancreas, and stomach.
One of the biggest concerns with the Whole30 diet is that it may feel very limiting for some people. Restrictive diets, especially those that are low in carbs, may be difficult to stick to. They may also lead to unhealthy thoughts and behaviors around food.
Lastly, elimination diets work best under the guidance of a medical professional, such as a registered dietitian. However, this is not something that the Whole30 program emphasizes or promotes. Doing an elimination diet on your own could lead to disordered eating or not getting enough of certain nutrients.
Who is best suited for the Whole30 diet?
The Whole30 diet may be helpful for those who want to change their eating patterns but are stuck in certain habits. For example, it may help some people switch from eating lots of ultra-processed foods to a diet focused on whole foods.
The Whole30 diet may not be a good fit for people who:
Have a history of eating disorders
Have food allergies, since they may already have a more restrictive diet
Are trying to fix or treat a health issue (see a healthcare provider instead)
Are trying to lose weight
Changing your eating habits may result in weight loss, but the Whole30 diet is generally too restrictive to result in safe and sustainable weight loss. An overall healthy eating pattern with a caloric deficit is often more effective than any specific diet with strict rules.
What are other ways to eliminate processed foods from your diet?
You can limit or avoid ultra-processed foods without doing the Whole30 diet.
Remember that not all processed foods are bad. Minimally processed foods may be a convenient way to enjoy healthy foods. Examples of healthy processed foods include whole-wheat bread, canned beans, store-bought guacamole, canned tuna, natural peanut butter, and frozen vegetables.
Tips to cut down on ultra-processed foods include:
Cook with as many whole, fresh ingredients as possible.
Make large batches of recipes so you can enjoy leftovers when you don’t have time to cook.
Avoid frozen, boxed, or microwavable dinners — even ones that are labeled as “healthy” or “low calorie.”
Avoid fried foods and fast food.
Have fruit with peanut butter or yogurt as a nutritious snack instead of processed chips or crackers.
Enjoy fruit for dessert instead of store-bought baked goods and snack cakes.
Avoid sodas, fruit juices, and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Opt for water, seltzer, or unsweetened tea. Infuse with fruit, or add a squeeze of citrus for flavor.
The bottom line
The Whole30 diet is an elimination diet that is intended to help you identify foods that may be affecting your well-being. For some, this program may help build healthier eating habits over time.
That said, you should see a healthcare provider if you are having trouble with your sleep, digestion, energy, or overall health. Underlying health concerns may be responsible, and eliminating foods without medical supervision could do more harm than good. If you think you would benefit from an elimination diet, you should work under the guidance of a registered dietitian or gastroenterologist.
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References
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Gordon, B. (2019). What is an elimination diet?. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Koliaki, C., et al. (2018). Defining the optimal dietary approach for safe, effective and sustainable weight loss in overweight and obese adults. Healthcare (Basel).
Lee, S. H., et al. (2022). Adults meeting fruit and vegetable intake recommendations — United States, 2019. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
McRae, M. P., et al. (2017). Health benefits of dietary whole grains: An umbrella review of meta-analyses. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine.
Pagliai, G., et al. (2021). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health status: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Nutrition.
Polak, R., et al. (2015). Legumes: Health benefits and culinary approaches to increase intake. Clinical Diabetes.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2022). Healthy eating for adults.
Wang, D. D., et al. (2021). Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality: Results from 2 prospective cohort studies of US men and women and a meta-analysis of 26 cohort studies. Circulation.
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