6 foods to avoid in the Whole30 diet

6 foods to avoid in the Whole30 diet

A nutritional program, the Whole30 diet is formulated with an aim to alter the way you feel and eat in 30 days. The clean-eating plan is designed in a way that it essentially cleans up the dietary habits by eliminating foods that are unhealthy or have a negative impact on the body. Yes, committing to the diet will mean giving up several kinds of foods like dairy, alcohol, and more. You will instead have to choose healthier alternatives to curb hunger like vegetables and protein-rich foods.

Wondering what exactly are the type of foods that you will have to give up on? Well, here are some that you will have to give up on for 30 days if you take up the Whole30 diet.

Dairy products
Dairy products like cheese, milk, sour cream, cream, kefir, and butter cannot be consumed. This includes all the dairy products made from goat, cow, and sheep milk. However, the only exception of an acceptable dairy product that can be consumed is clarified butter.

Grains
Daily grains are not permitted as part of the Whole30 diet. Foods like wheat, rye, oats, corn, rice, barley, millet, sorghum, bulgur, and sorghum must be excluded from your diet. The types of grains are not limited to those listed here, even the gluten-free variants like amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa must be excluded. You must also note that even packaged products that contain grains cannot be eaten when following the Whole30 diet plan. Foods with added wheat, rice, or corn in the form of starch and germ too are included under the no-grain list. Thus, it is essential to check the product labels carefully when consuming given foods.

Alcohol
While undertaking the Whole30 diet plan, you must abstain from drinking alcohol in any form. One cannot drink alcohol nor add to cooking preparations. Vanilla extract too must be excluded during the 30 days. However, kombucha, a drink that comprises of a very small amount of alcohol may be consumed, only if it contains any form of added fruit juice or sweetener.

Sugar
Sugar or sweeteners, irrespective if real or artificial, cannot be consumed in the 30 days of following the diet. Products like maple, Stevia, Splenda, and maple syrup, among others, must be excluded. This exclusion can be extremely difficult to follow as not only grocery store finds, but home-made foods also contain some amount of sugar. It is important to check the labels of store-purchased food products.

Junk or baked foods
The cravings for favorite foods can hit hard, but you cannot eat any kind of junk or baked foods when following the Whole30 diet plan. Sweet-treats or even recreated home treats cannot be consumed. Even using Whole30 compliant ingredients to whip up baked and junk foods are not permitted with the diet plan.

Carrageenan, sulfites, and MSG
The Whole30 diet calls for avoiding any types of foods that are processed or packaged. When checking the label, you must ensure that if the ingredients list contains MSG, sulfites, or carrageenan, then the product must be left back on the shelf.