This Whole30 Food List Will Break You Out of a Grocery Shopping Rut

No sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, sweets, or alcohol. After one look at the list of Whole30 rules, you're probably wondering what exactly you can eat while undertaking the month-long challenge — and how you're going to survive 30 days without hummus or pasta.

But this deprivation mindset can make it difficult for you to stick with the elimination diet, which is designed to help you see how your body feels when you take away foods that could be negatively affecting your energy, sleep, digestion, and more, according to information on the Whole30 website. Instead, view it as an opportunity to expand your palate, says Jessica Beacom, R.D.N., co-founder of The Real Food Dietitians. "Don't see it as 30 days of deprivation, but as a chance to do an experiment on yourself," says Beacom. "Yes, you're taking things out, but it's also an opportunity to add things in. I've worked with clients who say they now have a new appreciation for new fruits and veggies [since trying Whole30]."

TL;DR: You'll be taking a produce-heavy Whole30 food list — likely featuring at least a few foods you don't typically use in your cooking — to the supermarket. By ditching grains, including those found in processed foods, you'll end up loading your cart with nutrient-dense veggies such as winter squash and sweet potatoes, as well as fresh fruits, says Beacom.

The Ultimate Whole30 Food List

To make the most of the Whole30 diet challenge and add some variety to your meals, bring the Whole30 food list below with you each time you hit the grocery store. (You'll also want to look to these Whole30-approved recipes for some cooking inspiration for any meal.)

Remember: While following the Whole30 program, it's important to maintain diversity in your diet and "eat the rainbow," so incorporate red bell peppers, purple cauliflower, and a variety of other colorful veggies into your Whole30 food list, says Beacom. Make sure to eat leafy greens, sesame seeds, almond milk, or other fortified foods to get the calcium you're missing by eliminating dairy. And if you're incorporating prepared foods that sport the "Whole30 approved" label on the package, just make sure to keep an eye on your sodium intake, says Beacom, since processed foods tend to be high in salt.

Whole30 Food List: Protein

It may be tempting to put pre-packaged, fast-cooking meats such as breakfast sausage on your Whole30 food list, but they generally should take a backseat to minimally processed proteins. These pre-prepped food products often have high levels of sodium, says Beacom, and high sodium consumption can raise blood pressure and, in turn, increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For a nutritious, quick-cooking protein option, keep pre-cooked shrimp in your freezer, which you can thaw and add to salads, lettuce wraps, or stir-fried dishes with veggies, she suggests. And remember: "You don't have to eat steak all month," says Beacom. Add proteins you actually enjoy eating to your Whole30 food list and keep your meals varied.

• Beef
• Chicken
• Deli meats and sausages (Just remember to avoid those with added sugar, carrageenan [a food additive used as a thickening agent], MSG, or sulfites.)
• Eggs
• Pork
• Salmon
• Seafood
• Scallops
• Shrimp
• Turkey
• Whitefish

Whole30 Food List: Vegetables

If you eat veggies only when they're bite-sized and dipped in ranch, now's your chance to get out of that habit and test new methods. Instead of serving cauliflower raw on a crudité plate, try roasting it or putting it in a stir fry. If the only squash you've tried is an acorn variety covered in butter and maple syrup, opt for a savory version with garlic and rosemary, or try spaghetti squash for an alternative to pasta, suggests Beacom. For a veggie that packs a lot of nutritional bang for a small buck, you could also try cabbage, which has a similar texture to noodles when sliced thin. Remember, all vegetables except corn and lima beans are allowed while on the Whole30 diet, so try adding as many new vegetables to your Whole30 food list as you can fit in your fridge.

• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Bell Peppers
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Endive
• Fennel
• Frisée
• Garlic
• Green Beans
• Greens: Arugula, Collard Greens, Kale, Lettuce, Romaine, Spinach, Swiss Chard
• Jalapeños
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Okra
• Onions and Shallots
• Parsnips
• Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes/Yams
• Radishes
• Rutabaga
• Rhubarb
• Snow Peas
• Squash: Acorn, Buttercup, Delicata, Butternut, Pumpkin, Spaghetti, Summer, Zucchini
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Sprouts
• Tomatoes
• Turnips

Whole30 Food List: Fruits

Lucky for you, all fruits are allowed on the diet and can be added to your Whole30 food list. Along with eating grapes by the handful, get creative with your fruit consumption: Try incorporating strawberries, apples, and blueberries into your salads, grilling your salmon with citrus, or topping your burger with diced mango.

• Apples
• Apricots
• Berries: Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries
• Cherries
• Citrus: Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Nectarines, Oranges, Tangerines
• Dates
• Figs
• Grapes
• Jicama
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Melon
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Pears
• Pineapple
• Plantains
• Plums
• Pomegranate
• Watermelon

Whole30 Food List: Fats

Sorry, you won't find salted butter on this Whole30 food list. Whether you're sautéing veggies or making a homemade salad dressing, use ghee or clarified butter, which have the milk solids removed, or EVVO to give your dish an added layer of rich flavor. While there are many diet-compliant salad dressings available that can have a spot on your Whole30 food list, it's just as easy to whip up scratch-made versions yourself (such as Beacom's Paleo ranch dressing).

Whole30 Cooking Fats

• Coconut Oil
• Duck Fat
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Ghee or Clarified Butter
• Lard
• Palm Oil
• Tallow

Whole30 Fats for Dressing and Topping

• Avocado and Avocado Oil
• Coconut Butter and Coconut Milk
• Coconut Flakes and Shredded Coconut
• Olives
• Sesame Oil

Whole30 Nuts and Seeds

• Almonds and Almond Butter
• Brazil Nuts
• Cashews
• Hazelnuts
• Macadamia Nuts
• Pecans
• Pistachios

Whole30 Food List: Pantry Staples

To keep flavors interesting, add powerful spices and herbs to your Whole30 food list. Beacom recommends drizzling olive oil onto veggies and roasting them with garam masala for a warm, satisfying plant-based dish or sprinkling cinnamon on top of sweet potato for a filling breakfast. If you're seriously missing your flavored coffee creamer, pour almond milk and a dash of cinnamon into your cup of Joe for a Whole30-approved drink.

• Almond Flour
• Arrowroot Powder
• Botanical Extracts: Vanilla, Lemon, Lavender
• Broth
• Capers
• Cauliflower rice
• Cocoa (100% Cacao)
• Coconut Aminos
• Coconut Flour
• Condiments: Hot Sauce, Mayonnaise, Mustard
• Dried Fruit
• Fish Sauce
• Iodized Salt
• Pickles
• Raisins
• Salsa
• Sardines
• Spices and Herbs
• Tapioca Starch
• Vinegar: Apple Cider, Balsamic, Red Wine, White

Whole30 Food List: Drinks

If you can't take one more sip of plain water, add kombucha to your Whole30 food list. Although kombucha contains sugar, it's used for fermentation purposes — not as a sweetener — making it A-OK while you're on the Whole30 diet. Beacom recommends choosing a kombucha that has the least amount of sugar as possible, like GT's Gingerade or lemonade, and drinking it only occasionally.

• Almond Milk or Cashew Milk
• Apple Cider
• Club Soda
• Coconut Water
• Coffee
• Fruit Juice
• Kombucha
• Mineral Water
• Naturally Flavored Water
• Seltzer or Sparkling Water
• Tea or Matcha
• Vegetable Juice