Whole 30 Review

Sunday, February 28th

2021 Popular Diet Reviews

Whole 30

• Cost: $30 for first month, $15/month thereafter
• $49 for the first quarter, $36/quarter thereafter
• $99 for the first year, $84/year thereafter

Whole30 is a popular diet plan that requires major changes in your eating habits. But, for those who have benefited from putting it into practice, this approach to food can be life-changing.

If you suffer from allergies and/or sensitivities but haven't quite figured out what's causing the problem, struggle with conditions with no apparent cause, or have had trouble losing weight no matter how hard you've tried, Whole30 has been effective for millions of people like you.

Ideal for those who:

• Are struggling to identify allergens and want to figure out sensitivities
• Can make a 30-day commitment
• Enjoy meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, and natural fats

Not ideal for those who:

• Aren't ready to make HUGE changes to their everyday diet
• Want a long-term plan for changing their eating habits
• Aren't willing to give up all added sweeteners, alcohol, grains, legumes, and dairy

Whole30 is designed to change your relationship with food, increase your energy, and change your cravings over the course of 30 days (hence the "30" in the name). There are several extremely important rules you will need to follow in order to be successful on this popular diet:

• Eat real food. In other words, the closer to the way the food is in nature, the better it is for you. (Think raw vs. stewed tomatoes, ground beef vs. hot dogs) Whole30 prioritizes meat, seafood, eggs, plenty of vegetables and natural fats, lots of herbs, spices and seasonings, and some fruit.
• Don't eat ANY of the "forbidden" foods. The list is long, and may be too daunting for all but the most dedicated health-seekers: no added sugar (not even substitutes like stevia or xylitol), no grains, no legumes (which also means no peanut butter), no dairy (from cows, goats, or sheep), no sulfites/carrageenan/MSG, and no junk food!
• Don't weigh yourself or take any body measurements for the whole 30 days.
• NO cheating. Not for a special occasion, not as a "slip", nada, for the entire month. Because you may be trying to figure out which of the most commonly-allergenic foods are causing you problems, you'll reset the clock if you have bread, corn, or dairy even one time, and you'll wind up feeling like this program was a total failure.

With all of those rules and can't-eats, it's easy to understand why someone would want help in planning and preparing for a Whole30 month! That's where Real Plans comes in. Your subscription lets you choose a start date and the length of your program (minimum 30 days, of course), and how many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners you want help planning.

This service is 100% customizable, within the accepted parameters of the Whole30 program. Maybe you absolutely hate asparagus or already know you're allergic to eggs, so feel free to set those preferences right away.

After your first 30 days, Real Plans helps you work on your 10-day reintroduction: in other words, gradually bringing back in some of the no-no foods as you determine if you are sensitive to each of them.

Best of all, this system generates shopping lists based on the meals you've selected. Go to your pantry first to check off whatever you already have, too. And, if you've finally figured out which type of mustard is "Whole30 approved", you can add a photo of any specific ingredient so that you don't have to read the label over and over again. (Next level pro tip? Real Plans integrates with Instacart, so you can get all of your Whole30 ingredients delivered right to your doorstep).

Pricing for this popular diet plan is reasonable. If you're taking the cautious approach and just want to subscribe for a month, you'll pay $30 for Month 1 and $15/month for every month after that. Ready to commit for a little longer? Choose the $49 quarterly plan, which drops to $36 per quarter after the first 3 months. If you're feeling particularly gung-ho - or if you've done Whole30 in the past and know it's the right thing for you, but you just need some structure - the annual plan is the best deal at $99 for a year and $84 for every year afterwards.

In general, Whole30 is probably the only popular diet plan that can be a game-changer for people who want to identify food sensitivities by eliminating the most likely suspects. And, Real Plans is one of the best resources available for taking as much of the planning and preparation stress off the table.

But, for the average person, Whole30 is HARD. The list of things that you can't eat is long, and if we're being honest, most of us are too lazy or unmotivated to give all of them up completely for an entire month. If you stick to the plan, you might lose a bunch of weight - but that might be from not having anything you WANT to eat, not just from finding out that you've had a food sensitivity all along. For many people, Whole30 is an interesting (and difficult) experiment, but not a sustainable change for the rest of their lives.