The Tastiest Whole30-Friendly Meals You Can Make in Under 30 Minutes

Photo: Anya's Eats

Even if you consider yourself a pretty healthy eater, committing to a month of the Whole30 diet can be daunting. (Seriously, no quinoa?!) The program says hasta luego to sugar, legumes, dairy, and grains of all kinds. Cue the freak-out when you realize peanut butter is also not allowed.

No matter how beneficial Whole30 may be for your gut and your skin, like any diet or eating plan, if it requires too much effort, you're probably not going to stick with it. After all, a girl's got workouts to attend and people to see.

An ultra-nourishing, Whole30-compliant meal in under 30 minutes though? That sounds feasible. Just take some deep breaths as you prepare to say goodbye to hummus for awhile....

Originally posted January 5, 2017. Updated May 26, 2017.

Keep reading for 10 super-speedy, Whole30-friendly meals.

paleo tuna zoodle casserole
Photo: Cotter Crunch

1. Paleo Tuna Green Chile Zoodle Casserole

This isn't your mama's tuna noodle casserole. Cotter Crunch blogger Lindsay Cotter gives the comfort food a major upgrade with canned, safe-catch tuna and zoodles in lieu of pasta, which—bonus— keeps cooking time minimal.

chorizo butternut squash pizza hash paleo
Photo: The Paleo Running Momma

2. Chorizo Butternut Pizza Hash with Baked Eggs

Ordering a pie from the Italian joint down the street doesn't really fly when you're doing Whole30. Instead, Paleo Running Momma's Michele Rosen fills her skillet dish with potassium-rich butternut squash and adds both crumbled chorizo and eggs for a protein boost. No crust speeds up cooking in a big way—just be sure to double check your sausage and tomato sauce to make sure there are no added sugars (the number one Whole30 no-go).

whole 30 roasted salmon
Photo: The Natural Nurturer

3. One-Sheet Roasted Garlic Salmon & Broccoli

This meal is as easy as it sounds—especially considering that, besides the salmon, you likely have all the other ingredients in your kitchen already. Taesha Butler, the blogger behind The Natural Nurturer, coats her fish and veg with EVOO, garlic, and salt and pepper before popping it in the oven. And just like that, dinner's ready 15 minutes later.

whole 30 mango chicken with coconut
Photo: Food Faith Fitness

4. Mango Chicken with Coconut Cauliflower Rice

No rice, no problem. Taylor Kiser of Food Faith Fitness swaps in miracle veg cauliflower for the grain so that you can enjoy the flavorful Asian-inspired dinner. Whole30 means stashing away the soy sauce away, but Kiser uses coconut aminos, which provides similar flavor with a much simpler ingredient list.

whole 30 ginger garlic shrimp
Photo: Pancake Warriors

5. Ginger Garlic Shrimp Zoodle Bowl

Samantha Rowland—AKA Pancake Warrior—tosses spiralized zucch' with asparagus and red pepper, and finishes the dish with shrimp that are sautéed in garlic and ginger. This veggie-packed dinner can be made in 10 minutes—one of the fastest on this list!

whole 30 apple pecan chicken
Photo: Wholesomelicious

6. Creamy Spiced Apple Pecan Chicken

Wholesomelicious blogger Amy Rains proves that you don't have to give up sweet-and-savory flavors when you give up sugar and dairy. (Her secret weapons? Apples and coconut milk.) Plus, it only takes one pan to whip up this whole meal.

whole 30 poke avocado bowls
Photo: Anya's Eats

7. Tuna Poke Avocado Boats

Anya Kaats of Anya's Eats created this dish to satisfy her sushi bowl cravings, filling her avocados with tuna, macadamia nuts, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Your Instagram and your taste buds will thank you for this one.

whole 30 pesto frittata
Photo: A Calculated Whisk

8. Pesto Frittata

Eggs are a staple in many healthy diets, and Whole30 is no different. The easy protein fix makes for a 5-ingredient, 15-minute meal. One caveat: Make sure you reach for a dairy-free pesto. Becky Winkler, the blogger behind A Calculated Whisk, likes to make her own, but any dairy-free version will do in a pinch.

whole30 paleo cod
Photo: A Better Happier St. Sebastian

9. Cod en Papillote with Potatoes, Asparagus, and Scallion Pistou

Cooking everything in parchment paper is a genius—not to mention speedy—way to cook all the components of your meal at once. No wonder it's a weeknight staple for A Better Happier St. Sebastian blogger Jillian Guyette.

paleo Vietnamese meatballs
Photo: There's a Cook in my Kitchen

10. Vietnamese Meatball Bowls

If you were a grain bowl devotee prior to starting the Whole30, cauliflower rice has your back. The grain-free rice replacement, flavored here with turmeric, scallions, and broth, serves as a hearty base to any dinner. Pro tip: Stacey Isaacs of There's a Cook in my Kitchen spices these Vietnamese meatballs with lemongrass paste, and though you may not have any in your kitchen, it's worth picking up a jar—the herb has major healing properties for your digestive tract.

Here's what to do after you make it through a month of Whole30. And if you're a plant-based eater who's curious about the Paleo diet, these recipes bridge the two

Loading More Posts...