My husband, Aaron, and I just completed our second round of Whole 30(woohoo!), and might I add we started and failed a number of times before actually completing it twice.
I just want to keep it real. But, what made this second time successful is that we went public with it. If you want to check out our videos click here.
We told the world (or whoever was listening) that we were doing Whole 30. That way it was more difficult to back out during our moments of weakness (cuz Lord knows that happened). So, thank you for the accountability.
With that being said you can see that we have some experience with Whole 30. As we were planning our first Whole 30 adventure we never realized how challenging our first grocery trip would be.
When it was all said and done it took us over TWO hours to find everything we needed. By the end we were overwhelmed and doubting our choice to try this thing out. I mean who knew sugar was added to what seemed like everything!
So, I wanted to save you some time and sanity and pass along the Whole 30 Approved Grocery List plus a general view of our weekly budget.
Starting Whole 30 can be intimidating if you don’t know exactly what to buy and how much it’s going to cost. That is why I decided to break both down for you. I’ve included pictures and the stores I shop at, which are usually Aldi and Target.
If you want to skip my explanation behind everything and go straight to the list and budget here you go! ***Whole 30 Grocery List & Weekly Budget***
Whole 30 Shopping List:
Aldi
Aldi is by far my favorite grocery story for multiple reasons. If you want to read more about that click here. But, for now let’s focus on Whole 30 approved foods…
Snacks:
Freeze Dried Fruit, Dried fruit and Nuts are all a great way to get a quick snack. I made sure to check the labels for no added sugar since that is very common for these types of foods.
Fruit:Â
Aldi often has great weekly specials, so I found some great fruit for 99 cents, but I usually get pears, grapes, and mandarines as well. I love to have plenty of fruit on hand. Oh and bananas are a must in this house! A great snack and also really tasty when frozen and blended (mmm!). In addition to bananas, I usually buy:
- pears, grapes, tangerines, cantaloupe and whatever is on sale.
Vegetables
Another huge staple of my grocery list! Depending on my meal plan for the week I but about four to five different types of vegetables. Which usually are:
- cauliflower, peppers, spinach, carrots, zucchini and brussel sprouts…okay, sometimes six.
Potatoes:
HUGE lifesaver when doing Whole 30 (if you couldn’t tell my my all caps). They just make you feel like you’re having something special. I usually buy three different types of potatoes:
- sweet, yellow, and the tiny colorful ones.
Sauces/Condiments –
I’ve included these certain brands because their ingredients were Whole 30 approved. P.S It’s super hard to find Marinara that doesn’t have added sugar.
- Marinara, Salsa, Guacamole, Yellow Mustard
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~I buy both types of guac. The individually packaged ones or great for lunches on the go.         Â
Fresh and Frozen Meat:
I buy
- Â fresh Chicken Breast and frozen Turkey Burgers and Salmon.
This way I can use the frozen meat for longer and it costs me less. All while staying Whole 30 approved.
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Eggs:
We eat a ton of eggs while doing Whole 30. They are a great protein and easy to fix for the whole family.
- I but two to four cartons depending on what our meal plan looks like for the week.
Healthy Fats/Cooking Helpers:
I cook everything with either
- Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
My favorite is the Coconut Oil because it gives my eggs and veggies a hint of sweetness…yes please.
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- Frozen Fruit and Vegetables –Â I like to buy frozen vegetables because they’re cheap, healthy and a good back up in case we run out of fresh vegetables and I’m in a pinch. Frozen fruit is a must because it’s delicious, refreshing and helps out my sweet tooth.
- Drinks (“Lacroix” and Coffee)-Â Soda in any form is a Whole 30 no, no (this was REALLY hard for me. But, thankfully Aldi has their own version of Lacroix for a good deal cheaper but it tastes exactly the same! I also make sure to stock up on coffee because who doesn’t need coffee?!?
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Target
Target is the second store I shop at: a) because there are some things that Aldi doesn’t carry without having added Cane Sugar, b) because it’s my happy place!!
- Nut Butter –Â I have found that Target has the best prices on Almond or Cashew Butter. If you buy their brand, Simply Balanced, it is also a couple dollars cheaper than anywhere else. Plus it’s delicious and I could eat a whole jar of each!
- Larabar –Â (Aaron had to pop in the pic for his one and he’s pretty cute so I let him ;)) But for real, Larabars are where it is at!! They have awesome flavors and most of them are Whole 30 Approved. Make sure you look at the ingredients because some do have chocolate or vanilla and both of those are not approved. I always buy these are Target because I can get the best prices! I use my Ibotta app and can usually get a dollar refund sent to me and on a really lucky day I can also find a coupon and use Cartwheel!! Yes and yes (insert hallelujah chorus!)
- Lunchmeat –Â We had a really hard time finding lunch meat that was approved. There are so many additives in most lunchmeat. But, thankfully we did find that the Applegate Organics. Turkey and Roast Beef are usually are go to for Aaron’s lunches.
When it is all said and done my weekly grocery budget is between $100-$130 while on Whole 30. This is more than normal but I also want to remind you that you won’t be eating out or buying snack foods, so it basically evened out for us.
Here is my printable Whole 30 Grocery List and price breakdown of each item.
I hope this saves you time and money during your Whole 30 Grocery visits!
fantabulous post dear. Your grocery list is just perfect for a week routine. You add up all the neccessary day to day things. All are in my list too. Great post. Helpful for making a list.
Thank you so much for taking such a detailed look!!
This is a great post. I haven’t tried Whole 30, but I have several friends who have. This makes it seem really do-able!
It is totally doable Mary Leigh! Especially after you understand what the approved foods are!
I’m impressed!! You are so organized!!! I need you to go shopping with me LOL 🙂
that’s so sweet of you! I often feel the opposite of organized.
Great piece and love the bright photos! I haven’t heard of Whole 30, but it looks like a very clean way of eating. Thank goodness you can have COFFEE 🙂 that is a must!
right!? Coffee was a deal breaker for me 🙂
This is a great post. I’ve been trying to buy healthier foods for my family without spending tons of money. We just moved but I think there is an Aldi around here somewhere.
I hope you had a good move and I hope you can find an Aldi! They have helped my family save a ton of money!!
This is such a great guide! Thank you so much for the shopping list tips!
No problem! I hope it helps you Dani!