Why Whole30 is trending as top way to master better eating habits

Lots of us start a new year with every intention of improving our eating habits, focusing on nutrition and adopting new practices to ensure that we have healthier meals on the table at home. But some of us either don’t like to or don’t have time to cook every night. Here’s why Whole30 is trending as a top way to master better eating habits, with easily-available recipes and meal delivery plans to take all the guesswork out of planning your daily menu.

Are better eating habits within reach with a Whole30 meal program?

It’s the start of a new summer season, and you know what that means: time to recommit to new, healthy habits as beach trips draw near. Now, we do not believe in dieting just for diets’ sake… but we do believe in giving our bodies the nutrients they need in order to thrive. It’s not about losing weight, or about looking a certain way; it’s about figuring out how to live our best, healthiest lives.

That’s where Whole30 may come in.  For those who aren’t familiar with the world’s most popular meal program, Whole 30 is an elimination diet designed to help you figure out the way certain foods makes you feel.

So, for thirty days, you eat fruits, vegetables, meats, seafoods and eggs. That’s right – no dairy, no grains, and no refined sugars. After those thirty days are up? Well, it’s time to bring back those favorite food categories you’ve been missing… or maybe not. Maybe you’ll have decided you don’t need them.

It may sound like a challenge. Especially as pie and ice cream seasons are also almost here. But unlike some fad diets, done properly, a Whole30 plan can actually help us feel better. It’s not punitive and the focus is on improving energy and satisfaction, not on deprivation and toughing it out.

And once those thirty days are up, you might notice some real differences in how you feel.

If you’re a little intimidated, no worries. Giving Whole30 a try can be done with plenty of assistance – including meal delivery services and extensive library of recipes.

If you think you’re ready to dive into thirty days of life-changing food mindfulness, here’s how to get started.

10 ways (hacks, actually) to make trying a Whole30 meal program as effective and painless as possible

1. Real Plans

If you’re feeling bold – or if you really love to cook – you can do Whole30 on your own… or with just a little help. For some of us, it’s not the preparation that’s the problem – it’s the planning. And if you’re feeling short on inspiration for Whole30 approved meals, that’s where Real Plans comes in to help.  When you sign up for Real Plans, you’ll receive a full calendar of recipes that are approved by the program ($36/month, or $99/year), and you won’t have to worry about a thing.  Of course, if you’re confident in your meal planning abilities and you just want recipes? They’ve got those too.

2. Trifecta

But there’s no need to make things difficult. You can also get Whole30-approved meals delivered straight to your door, as with any meal kit subscription system. Of course, this will be a little different, since Whole30 requires only 30 days of its special regimen – but hey, maybe you’ll love it so much, you’ll want to keep going.

Trifecta seems to be the Whole30 go-to, and we can see why. Every item is made with whole foods, and every time is Whole 30 approved – meaning you can enjoy your chimichurri grilled steak and your pesto chicken breast without worrying about a thing.  Customize your plan with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a third entrée, and choose between five and seven days a week. ($154.99 – $414.99)

3. Brodo

We already know and love Brodo, so how amazing is it that their scrumptious bone broths are Whole 30 approved?  They’re also paleo and keto certified, and designed to improve skin, nails, joins, and more. Order a variety ten pack ($127) – chicken broth, beef broth, and hearth broth –  and start your Whole30 program off strong (and happy) . And if you love what you get? Subscribe, and keep this going long after your thirty days are up.

4. Evelyn’s Kitchen

What began as a passion project for Chef Ayala Donchin has grown into a global sensation. Located in East Harlem, Evelyn’s Kitchen provides Whole30 approved meals both locally and nationwide.  We recommend ordering the EK Whole 30 Box ($275) which includes five lunches and five dinners, but if you live locally, you’re in luck – you can order directly from the shop for pick-up or delivery, adding soup, breakfast, and other a la carte delights. But the best thing about Evelyn’s Kitchen? The seasonal specials, which right now include salmon with broccoli and brussels sprouts; lemon chicken with garlic green beans; and steakhouse salad. Doing the Whole30 program doesn’t have to mean sacrificing deliciousness.

5. Eat the 80

Eat the 80 is Whole 30 Approved, and available in most states. Their meals are never frozen, and instead arrive fresh and vacuum-sealed, safely packaged in a temperature-controlled box. When you’re ready for them, you can reheat in as few as three minutes. As we’ve discussed, one of the difficulties of Whole30 can be meal planning, and programs like Eat the 80 take away all the stress. Choose between five, seven, ten, and fourteen meals weekly ($64.78 – $167.28), and feel free to pause or cancel anytime. But we predict you won’t want to – you’ll love their curry chicken, their steak marsala, their teriyaki glazed salmon, and everything else they have to offer.

6. The Good Kitchen

The Good Kitchen is fresh, farm to table, and delivered right to your door. Even if you weren’t participating in Whole30, we would still recommend that you try their incredible meal subscription.  The only question is what you want to eat first; is it going to be the chicken cacciatore? How about the Mongolian cashew beef? We’re intrigued by the pot roast with sweet potatoes. Sign up today, and  you can schedule delivery for once a week, once every two weeks, or once every four weeks, and you choose six, eight, ten, or twelve meals. Your thirty days of Whole30 is likely to fly by, and you might not even notice you’re doing it! ($89.88 – $163.80).

7. Fresh N Lean

When your meals from Fresh N Lean arrive, they can go right in the fridge – nothing frozen here! And since Fresh N Lean’s menu changes every week, you’re never going to get bored. This week, they’re serving a buffalo chicken bowl, bearnaise grass fed steak, and salmon chipotle, but next week? Who knows! But we do know that you’ll never find any antibiotics or hormones in what they’re serving. They’re also allergy-friendly, making it easy for you to mark additional dietary restrictions with your order. And best of all, they offer an extremely flexible plan, letting you choose as few as five – or as many as twenty-one – meals each week. ($41.21 – $167.84).

8. Territory

Our mouths are watering, just looking at Territory’s tempting options. Dijon mustard pulled pork! Za’atar pesto chicken! Shakshuka! They also offer seasonal options, and each menu item comes with the calorie count, as well as full nutritional information about fat, carbs, and protein. Since Whole30 is all about understanding what we put inside our bodies, Territory seems like a perfect fit. ($145/ten meals).

9. Snap Kitchen

If you are lucky enough to live in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Chicago or Philadelphia, then you should try Snap Kitchen – they are Whole 30 Approved, and they are a stand-out. Their meals are Chef-crafted locally in Texas, and you can taste the difference. They taste more like a local restaurant than they do a meal delivery service. Choose six ($13.84/meal) or twelve ($11.34) meals a week, and start your journey of delicious-tasting, healthy foods.

10. Thrive Market

Maybe you’re not interested in a meal kit subscription service, but you do want some help finding healthy, Whole30 approved products. Well, you’ve got to check out Thrive Market, which is recommended by the Whole30 Program, and which has a treasure trove of nutritious delights in their online store.  Before you begin your thirty days of elimination, browse through to find the items that will make this process a little easier. You won’t regret it.

Healthy eating is easier on the Whole30 meal program

We hope this helps explain why the Whole30 trend is so popular for mastering better eating habits right now, thanks in part to meal delivery services and readily-available recipes to make it easy to follow. What do you think, dear reader? Is this your kind of meal plan?