Registered dietician and recipe content developer Beth Stark, RDN, LDN says Whole30 doesn’t have much flexibility when it comes to what you can consume. “The foods that are ‘allowed’ on this short-term diet regimen are limited to fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, seafood, natural fats, herbs and seasonings. Followers of this diet are also advised to choose only foods that have ‘recognizable’ ingredients or no ingredients at all,” advises Stark. “When dining out on Whole30, my best recommendation would be to stick to the basics, order everything plain and plan ahead.” Ready to dive in? Here are some of the best options dietitians agree work best on Whole30 if you have to eat at a fast food restaurant.
Whole30 fast food list
Whole30 at McDonald’s
Hamburger “Your best bet would be to order a plain burger of any kind, minus the bun, obviously, with no seasoning sauces or cheese. This means no ketchup. Lettuce, tomato and onion are permissible,” says Stark. Tamar Samuels, MS, a registered dietician and co-founder of Culina Health, adds the pickles are a no-no, but you can ask for extra lettuce to make a DIY lettuce wrap. Apple slices You’ll have to give up the fries, but there is something you can order to complete your meal. “Apple slices. These are just apples and calcium ascorbate, which is technically not Whole30-compliant because it’s a food additive, but it does contain whole foods that have minimal processing,” says Samuels.
Whole30 at Burger King
Hamburger At Burger King, you’ll run into the same problem with fried foods, but ordering a plain burger of any kind will work with just lettuce, tomato, and onion, but no bun. Garden side salad “To round the meal out a bit more, order a garden side salad with no cheese or dressing,” says Stark. Samuels adds that you should ask for a balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing if you must have it. Breakfast sandwich If you’re on the go in the mornings, there is one option for breakfast. “The breakfast sandwich, but ask for no cheese and no croissant or bread. This will just be eggs and meat, certainly not a well-rounded meal, but if you want breakfast this is the closest to whole 30 compliant,” explains Samuels.
Whole30 at Subway
Salad Samuels says all of the salads are all grain, dairy, legume-free, however the meats do have food additives and some have sugar. She says these are veggie-heavy items with whole food ingredients. “No surprise here, a salad is going to be one of your best options. Order the Oven-Roasted Chicken Salad, with no frills and keep the dressing far away,” says Stark. She suggests carrying vinegar with you for road trips so you can add it to your salads. “Ask for olive oil and red wine vinegar for your dressing. You can also add guacamole for an extra bit of flavor,” says Samuels. Egg and Cheese Flatbread There are breakfast options here that will work in a pinch. “Order an Egg and Cheese Flatbread, but hold the cheese and flatbread. Make sure the egg is plain,” says Samuels. Oven-Roasted Subs or Signature Wraps “The oven-Roasted Subs or Signature Wraps are another option, but order without the bread/wrap, no cheese and again, no condiments or dressings besides red wine vinegar,” says Samuels.
Whole30 at Chick-Fil-A
Grilled chicken breast sandwich Stark says to make sure to order it without the bun and to say no to the lemon herb marinade or honey roasted barbecue sauce. You can keep the tomato and lettuce! Market salad “The market salad is probably the most solid option on the menu as it’s composed mostly of lean protein, fruits and veggies. Order the chicken plain and omit the blue cheese, dressing, and any other toppings,” says Stark. Grilled chicken nuggets “Although these [nuggets] have some added sugar as part of the chicken seasoning, other food additives and soybean oil, they don’t have any dairy or grains,” says Samuels. Also, be sure to skip the dipping sauces! Side salad While you can’t have fries as a side, you can get more veggies instead. “Ask for no crispy bell peppers and no cheese. See if they have olive oil or balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette) to use as a salad dressing,” suggests Samuels. Kale Crunch Salad Don’t fret, because there is another salad option to fill you up. “The kale crunch salad is probably the best salad option, although the dressing is made with soybean oil, there is no added sugar,” says Samuels. Egg White Grill “For breakfast, try the egg white grill without the English muffin. Ask for the chicken to be plain with no citrus marinade or seasonings and hold the cheese. Pair with the fresh fruit cup to make a complete breakfast,” suggests Stark.
Whole 30 at Five Guys
Hamburger “The only real option here is to order a bunless plain, unseasoned hamburger and load it up with their free and unlimited number of toppings like lettuce, tomato, onion and green bell pepper to make a salad of sorts. If the grilled onions and mushrooms can be made-to-order, pile some of those on there too,” advises Stark. Veggie sandwich Samuels suggests asking for this sandwich without the bun. “This is basically a side of sauteed vegetables. It’s probably cooked in seed oils and potentially seasoned with ingredients that contain sugar and/or additives, but overall a good choice.”
Whole 30 at Chipotle
Both Samuels and Starks agree that Chipotle is probably the best place to grab food on the go. “Chipotle even lets you search for menu items based on ingredients you would like to avoid. Their meats don’t have any added sugar although some do contain seeds oils and the sofritas has soybeans. They also have a lot of vegetable items and they’re very customizable,” says Samuels. Order off the Whole30-approved menu Samuels recommends getting a salad with barbacoa, carnitas, chicken, or steak, guacamole, fajita vegetables, fresh tomato salsa, tomatillo green chili salsa or tomatillo red chilli salsa. Burrito bowl or salad “The burrito bowl or salad are both completely customizable so you can omit the ingredients that aren’t part of Whole30. Order the protein like chicken or steak plain, along with fresh salsa, plain fajita veggies and guacamole,” suggests Stark. Or keep it super simple and order on one of their Whole30 approved menu items including the Whole30 Salad Bowl with Chicken, Carne Asada or Carnitas. Next up, here’s what to know about being a vegetarian on Whole30
Sources:
Tamar Samuels, MS, a registered dietician and co-founder of Culina Health. Beth Stark, RD, LDN, is also a recipe/content developer, media spokesperson and podcaster living in PA.
