Top 10 Tips – Whole30

Fresh herbs are a low calorie way to add tons of flavor to your favorite recipes.

1. When pan roasting meat or vegetables with balsamic vinegar, be sure to line your baking sheets first. The balsamic vinegar burns easily and can be very difficult to remove. Lining the pan first makes cleaning up afterwards a breeze.
   
   
2. Flank steak is a relatively tough, but incredibly flavorful cut of meat. For best results, be sure to marinate it in advance and cut it into thin slices against the grain prior to serving.
   
   
3. Buy several rotisserie chickens when they are on sale. Then remove and shred the meat before freezing in individual packages for quick and easy weeknight meals, like our Buffalo Chicken lettuce wraps.
   
   
4. Seafood can be a delicious and healthy addition to your diet. However, it is becoming more and more difficult to know what seafood is safe and sustainable these days. Check out seafoodwatch.org for the best options.
   
   
5. Sugar and other sweeteners are not allowed on the Whole30 diet plan. However, roasting naturally sweet root vegetables, such as carrots and sweet potatoes, is a great way to add a touch of acceptable sweetness to your meals.
   
   
6. Most packaged salad dressings are not Whole30 compliant because they contain added sugar and other banned ingredients. Fortunately, it’s really easy to make your own homemade versions. Add some fresh fruit to your vinaigrettes for a bit of natural sweetness.
   
   
7. When possible, select a colorful assortment of fruits and vegetables for your recipes. This will add additional textures and flavors to your menu, and a more diverse assortment of vitamins, minerals, and others nutrients to your diet.
   
   
8. Choosing more colorful fruits and vegetables for your recipes also lends more visual appeal to your presentations. Why be bland and boring when you can easily add healthy splashes of color to your table?
   
   
9. Preparing pork loin can be tricky because it is so easy to overcook. For this reason, choose timed oven roasting over your much-loved slow cooker for consistently juicy results.
   
   
10. Fresh herbs are a low calorie way to add tons of flavor to your favorite recipes. You can add them to Whole30-compliant smoothies, salads, dressings, and marinades for a satisfying dose of extra flavor. To save money at the grocery store, grow an assortment at home on a sunny windowsill, deck, or patio, or in your garden. A nice mix of basil, rosemary, thyme, mint, cilantro, and oregano is ideal.

Gina Hansen