When Brian and I first decided to try The Whole30, I’ll be honest, I didn’t do a lot of research or preparation. I had seen so many friends posting on various social media platforms about Whole30 and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I also wondered if it could finally be the thing that helps me figure out why I have erratic and extreme digestive issues still, even after eliminating dairy (which made a HUGE difference). So I just bought the book, read through the rules and got started.
Our first round of Whole30 wasn’t really hard because we already ate pretty healthy, but it was a lot harder than it needed to be.
Our Whole30 experience could have been much easier if I had done some shopping and preparation in advance. Luckily I learned my lesson quickly and for Whole30 Round Two and round three (which I’m doing right now), cooking has been so much easier because I have the right kitchen items and food items on hand ready to go.
Keeping your pantry stocked with Whole30 compliant foods and your kitchen outfitted with tools that make cooking easier and faster, makes The Whole30 an amazing experience.
The problem: Whole30 foods are hard to find!
If you live near Whole Foods, you’re luckier than most… but there’s a reason it’s also called Whole Paycheck. If you live near a Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, or other specialty grocery store, you’re also in luck, as they carry a lot of Whole30 compliant foods. But what if you don’t live anywhere near those stores? Or what if the parking lots are so miserable in those shopping centers that you avoid them at all costs? Or, let’s be realistic… what if you don’t want to spend almost $3.00 on one single bar? OMG!
The solution: Amazon.
Enough of my friends have asked for my Whole30 shopping recommendations and for a list of things to buy to make Whle30 easy that I have gathered together 57 Whole30 Foods and Kitchen Tools that I love that are available on Amazon — and as an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Clicking the links on this page and purchasing any of the items listed costs you nothing extra but helps me keep the lights on and the hosting paid!
In this list you’ll find some of my favorite kitchen tools and appliances, grocery items I keep stocked in the pantry, and bars and snacks we keep on hand for hiking and traveling.
Click the Pin It button on the image below to pin this list!
Whole30 Books
First things first. While you can “do” The Whole30 without reading the books — just eliminate everything you’re supposed to eliminate, like dairy, grains, sugar, alcohol, legumes, etc. — that defeats the intention behind The Whole30.
The program isn’t meant to be a quick fix or diet, but an opportunity to learn more about the foods you’re buying and eating and how they affect your body and mood. Whole30 eliminates all of the things that most commonly cause health problems, allowing your body to “reset,” then invites you to reintroduce them one at a time, tracking how they affect you. By reading the books, you’re learning the WHY behind the program and setting yourself up for long-term health and success. Plus, recipes!
Helpful Appliances
No, appliances aren’t Whole30 🙂 But there are certain appliances in my kitchen that I use all the time and helped with many of the recipes I made during our rounds of Whole30. I love my Nutribullet for small batch things like pesto, my Vitamix for soups and chopping veggies for meatballs, my immersion blender for homemade mayo, my Spiralizer for vegetable noodles, my food processor for quick easy chopping, and my newest addition, my Instant Pot — hellp delicious shredded chicken!
Helpful Kitchen Tools
As you get more and more comfortable with the Whole30 lifestyle over time, dining out and eating at restaurants does get easier. But when first starting The Whole30, eating out can be tough. So tough in fact, that if you’re like me, you may just avoid eating out completely. This means you’re going to be cooking three meals a day every day.
You’ll be spending a lot more time in the kitchen cooking Whole30 compliant meals, but luckily there are several awesome kitchen tools that will make your Whole30 life much easier. For example, I now line my baking sheets and baking pans with foil before cooking, which means they’re still clean and now we don’t have to wash a big dish! Rubbermaid storage containers allow me to do major meal prep on the weekend for the whole week, and the baking sheet with the baking rack helps my veggies and homemade fries stay crispier!
Nut Butters
For as long as I can remember, I have eaten peanut butter on sandwiches, toast, apples, and even burgers. But no legumes while doing Whole30 means no peanut butter, so I’ve replaced it with other nut butters, and I actually like them better!
We always keep one almond butter and one “other” nut butter, like cashew butter on hand because I like some variety. They’re great with apples, celery, pears, and even used in sauces that may normally call for peanut butter. While I’ve tried all of the nut butters below, my top two are Justin’s Almond Butter, which is fairly dry, and Barney Bare Smooth Almond Butter, which is creamier in texture — which I pick depends on my mood and what I’m using it for.
Food Items
There are a multitude of blogs and websites and recipes that recommend all sorts of food items that are Whole30 compliant, but they are hard to find! And if you’re not near a Whole Foods or specialty grocery store, you’re out of luck. I have been able to order some Whole30 compliant food items direct from the manufacturer, like Tessemae’s sauces, dressings, and marinades (which I love), and some I just order through Amazon because it’s easy and we’re already ordering other items.
Bars And Snacks
What happens when you’re doing Whole30 and you’re not at home or not at work? What happens when you’re traveling in the car, an airplane, or a train? What happens when you’re hiking out in nature, road tripping, or at a business conference all day? Or what happens when you’re running late and you don’t have time for a whole meal?
To stay on track with Whole30, you’re going to need easy sustenance, and that means you’re going to need quick items on hand. We keep a variety of bars, mixed nuts, and quick to-go packs of apple slices, almond butter, and baby carrots on hand.
When I first began Whole30, my go-to for travel were Larabars, but now in my third round of Whole30, they taste really sweet — almost like a candy bar. These days, I almost always choose a Blueberry or Chocolate Sea Salt RxBar.
