The Whole30 Diet (colloquially shortened to “Whole30”) is almost near Atkins-level popularity. The simple fact that there is an official Whole30 label and certification process is a testament to its mass following. Trends don’t get a label unless they’re a big deal, and brands want in. The program currently boasts 136 official Whole30-approved brands (75 that are vegan) with more applying on a weekly basis. From sauces to plant-based meat alternatives, we found these products to be essential in helping us stick to our plant-based Whole30 journeys. While we’ve completed our 30 days and are free to enjoy a wider variety of foods again (hello, soy latte, oh how we’ve missed you!), these vegan-friendly Whole30 brands are so good, they’ve earned a permanent spot on our shopping lists.
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What is Whole30?
The 30-day elimination-style diet that claims to reset eating habits was co-created by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig in 2009 and truly took off in 2015 with the book, The Whole30. Up until the March 2022 debut of Plant-based Whole30, the diet was virtually impossible to commit to as a vegan, because in addition to all sweeteners, grains, alcohol, dairy, carrageenan, and sulfites, the program also prohibited most legumes. Yes, that means no beans and no soy. Meat and seafood, however, are fair game on the original plan.
The Plant-Based Whole30 program eschews all animal products but allows for legumes and minimally processed soy—think tofu, tempeh, and edamame. Textured soy products (TVP, used in many plant-based meats) and soy protein isolate (found in many protein powders) are not allowed. Grains (including rice, oats, wheat, and corn), any type of sweetener other than fruit (goodbye, maple syrup), alcohol, carrageenan, and sulfites are also no-go. You’re essentially left with produce, nuts and seeds, and minimally processed soy. After looking at the ingredient labels on most of our go-to condiments and store-bought products, we found that we also had to forgo these products as they contain at least one or more of the Whole30 prohibited ingredients.
One other hurdle: Whole30 disapproves of foods that attempt to mimic prohibited foods. For example, Banza “rice” technically does not contain any off-limit ingredients; however, because it is trying to emulate a Whole30 prohibited grain, it’s not allowed. Here’s where it gets confusing: single-ingredient items like cauliflower rice, which also mimics a grain, are allowed. We weren’t really sold on this rule; because of that, some items on this list may not have the official, physical Whole30 stamp of approval, but technically are compliant in regards to the ingredient rules (Siete tortillas, for example). Of course, you do you. If you want to comply to the tee, stick to just produce and items with the Whole30 label.
When you’re down to veggies, fruit, nuts, and potatoes for 30 days, you need some excitement to stay the course. Thank goodness for these vegan brands.
16 life-saving vegan Whole30-approved brands
1 Abbot’s Butcher
This woman-owned vegan company is the first-and-only vegan meat alternative brand certified by Whole30, and it’s a game changer. Made with pea protein and just a handful of clean ingredients you can pronounce, it provides a much-welcome break from the blocks of tofu and tempeh we consumed on the regular. A salad topped with a mound of browned “chorizo” became a weeknight staple.
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Humm Kombucha
2 Humm Kombucha
Scientifically speaking, you need sugar to make kombucha. It’s essential for fermentation. That won’t fly on Whole30, but Humm concocted a way to make refined sugar-free booch. The Whole30 line uses white grape juice and sugar-free kombucha cultures to create a bubbly probiotic beverage. Flavors include Mixed Berry, Mango Lemon, and Strawberry Blossom.
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MALK Organics
3 MALK Organics
Turn over the carton of whatever plant milk you have in your fridge. Look at the ingredients. More likely than not, it contains some sort of sweetener. MALK’s plant-milks allowed us our almond milk while staying Whole30 compliant. The Vanilla Almond is a new mainstay in our fridge.
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SeaSnax
4 SeaSnax
A curious thing happened about seven days into the diet. We started craving more savory foods, particularly in the form of chips. Truth be told, this digital editor was never a chip fan, but without a nightly dessert, the desire for something crunchy and salty planted its seed. These light-and-airy, delightfully crispy seaweed snacks hit the spot.
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Artisana Organics
5 Artisana Organics
When you’re on Whole30, it’s nearly impossible to eat out (Chipotle or the Whole Foods hot bar being exceptions). On the plus side, that led to a net savings, so we were completely justified in splurging on some higher-quality nut butters. Artisana Organics makes truly gourmet nut butter blends, and you can taste it in every luxuriously creamy bite. We bought a big jar of the raw cashew butter and swooned over the Macadamia-Coconut Butter. We also tried hemp and brazil nut butter for the first time, and it was magical. Note: other nut butter brands are fine, but check the ingredients to ensure there are no sweeteners.
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A Dozen Cousins
6 A Dozen Cousins
We were already familiar with this Black-owned brand’s seasoned beans, but its new line of Whole30 sauces revived our loyalty. Many dinners consisted of a baked sweet potato loaded with A Dozen Cousins refried black beans and a mound of salsa, accompanied by a side of guacamole and steamed broccoli. Even though our time is up, this meal has become our new don’t-feel-like-cooking staple.
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Kite Hill
7 Kite Hill
Not all Kite Hill products are Whole30-approved, but the brand helpfully added a Whole30 section to its website to make navigation a breeze. The diet-compliant products include four flavors of almond-based cream cheese and an almond milk ricotta. No, you can’t pair the Everything Bagel or the Garden Veggie cream cheese with a bagel (remember, no grains or gluten), but we found satisfaction in schmearing it on cucumber slices and Siete cassava tortillas.
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Love Beets
8 Love Beets
It’s incredible how sweet and delicious beets can taste once you’re completely off sugar for a few days. We ended up snacking on these marinated baby beets and piling them on salads. Some flavors do contain a sweetener, so check the label, but the Mild Vinegar, White Wine & Balsamic, and Garlic Herb are approved.
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Nutpods
9 Nutpods
Caffeine is allowed on the plant-based Whole30 diet, but the sugars that often accompany it are not. Most creamers and plant milks contain a few grams of sugar to balance out the bitterness of coffee. For those who can’t drink it black but need their daily cuppa, Nutpods will help it go down easier. Note: the flavors are a little misleading—the Cinnamon Swirl variety we tried didn’t taste sweet but we did detect a light cinnamon flavor. Just prepare yourself. While the packaging says Coffee Cake, it’s not going to be as delightfully sweet as your typical cup of coffee with sweetened non-dairy creamer.
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Primal Kitchen
10Primal Kitchen
Crafted for the paleo and keto crowds, this Whole30-approved company also makes products with vegans in mind. We consistently returned to the Mushroom Gravy and Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce. You’ll learn on Whole30 that most store-bought marinara contains some sugar, but this product allowed us our zucchini noodle pasta with all the convenience of a jarred sauce.
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Saucy Lips
11Saucy Lips
Originally a hot sauce brand, Saucy Lips has expanded its offerings with Mexican cooking sauces. We heavily relied on these to make our veggie-and-tofu skillet meals more appetizing and exciting. The rich mole sauce was a particularly tasty discovery. On days when we had the spicy mole, we forgot our diet was restrictive at all.
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The New Primal
12The New Primal/Noble Made
A spin-off of parent company The New Primal, Noble Made’s sauces and seasonings made us crave frozen vegetables and tofu. We sprinkled the Everything Bagel seasoning and nutritional yeast on everything and dipped air-fried tofu cubes into the complex, slightly spicy Sriracha Tahini dressing. Note: not all products are vegan, so check the label before you try out the other marinades, dressings, and barbecue sauces.
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Siete Foods
13Siete Foods
Tortillas made with anything other than wheat flour or masa made us extremely skeptical. Begrudgingly adding Siete’s cassava flour tortillas to our basket, we predicted them to be tough, grainy, and dry. We are so glad to be proven wrong. While slightly thinner than a wheat or corn-based tortilla, these grain-free flatbreads were pleasantly supple, tender, and completely satisfying. It’s a toss up as to what was our favorite new product discovery during this Whole30 journey—these amazing tortillas or the soul-satisfying Blanco Cashew Queso.
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Yai’s Thai
14Yai’s Thai
Turn over any given jarred peanut or curry sauce, and you will find some sort of sweetener. This line of Thai-inspired sauces is Whole30 compliant, and many options are vegan. We found the Thai Almond No Peanut Sauce to be lacking in flavor, but we did enjoy the yellow coconut curry and Ginger Garlic Stir-Fry sauce. If you want to explore the other options, check the ingredient list as some contain fish sauce and anchovies.
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Hannah Che
15 Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles
After you’ve had properly prepared kelp noodles, zucchini noodles don’t stand a chance. They’re tender and chewy and they don’t get watery like a vegetable-based noodle. The trick is to know how to soften them—straight from the package, they’re unpleasantly crunchy. All you need is a tablespoon of baking soda and a lemon. Drain and rinse the kelp noodles after removing from the package and place them in a bowl. Dust with baking soda followed by the juice from a whole lemon, then cover with hot water and massage the noodles a bit with your hands to dissolve the baking soda. Allow the noodles to sit, submerged, for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse again. Sprinkle with a generous helping of nutritional yeast, salt, and cracked black pepper; or dollop a homemade cashew alfredo sauce and Abbot’s Butcher Chopped Chick’n for a decadent, Whole30-compliant dinner.
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T.Davis
16Haven’s Kitchen
It’s all about the sauce on Whole30, and Haven’s Kitchen Whole30-approved sauces make our everyday salads and Buddha bowls taste new and exciting. Not all of the products from this vegan-friendly brand are diet compliant, but the Red Pepper Romesco, Herby Chimmichurri, and Golden Tumeric Tahini provide enough variety to last you the month. A few no-recipe meal ideas: slather cauliflower florets with the romesco and bake until crispy; dress a salad with the chimichurri, or drizzle the tahini over a broccoli and chickpea bake.
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Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
