The Whole30 Cookbook: 150 Delicious and Totally Compliant Recipes to Help You Succeed with the Whole30 and Beyond

I am not a "dieter." I don't buy "diet" cookbooks, and I don't subscribe to diet "fads." So I wasn't inclined to give this cookbook (or the diet) much credence. Until I read "It All Starts With Food." (Which, by the way, you should read. Seriously. Maybe not the whole thing, but at least grasp the concept - Americans' relationship with food is messed up, and it's killing us. Obesity is rampant, which has made diabetes an epidemic, and it is literally killing us.) Having started reading "It All Starts With..." I realized that following their program wasn't going to be easy. Our entire culture is based around "quick and convenient," NOT "healthy and nutritious," and the stuff that we are shoving in our faces is NOT what we need to thrive as humans. Because this cookbook addresses that square on, I think that this may be the best cookbook of all time.Seriously.. It's not long on technique (so it's not a "reference" cookbook the way that "Joy of Cooking" is, for example), and it doesn't have "fancy" recipes (which isn't a bad thing), but it might literally save your life. And it will certainly change your relationship with food, for the better. The WAY better! The recipes are (almost) all "winners" - they're easy enough for pretty much anyone to use, they're tasty and satisfying (and many of them will become your new favorites), but mostly they will make you feel better. As in a lot better. You will struggle to find ingredients (and be amazed by how many things have sugar in them - as in most of the things that you are eating!), and you will have "cravings" for "bad" foods, You will want to quit (resolve at the beginning of the 30 days that you will see it through), but if you don't you will be amazed at what happens at the end of the 30 days.I had never been on a "diet" in my life before I read this book. I have been blessed with a relatively slender physique, and am a darned good cook who likes fresh ingredients, etc., so I thought that my diet (we're ALL on "diets," right? It's what we eat!) was fairly healthy. Boy was I wrong! This book will help you "see through" the lies that are being foisted upon American consumers every day in the form of processed foods, unhealthy choices, and endless amounts of sugars. "It All Starts With..." explains the hows and whys; this book helps you "play past them" with healthy choices that will make you feel better, give you more energy, and even help you lose weight. After 30 days, you will have learned to "eat with intention" instead of just shoving random things in your face. And you will NEVER look at food the same way again! Buy it, use it for 30 days, and prove me wrong (or not).

This book was a surprise hit for me! I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much, and only bought it because I was actually doing a Whole30 in January 2017 (it went great! I recommend it—I assume you’re thinking about it if you’re reading this review). We’ve been vegetarian for about 7 years, so eating and cooking so much meat, well, let’s just say I needed some help. The first thing I was impressed with? The recipes are very creative! They are easy to follow, don’t take a lot of time (I have a baby and a toddler and work from home), I particularly loved the slow-cooker recipes that make extra (beef roast, etc) that is then used for different recipes later in the week. Genius!Melissa makes liberal use of spices, and as a spice blender myself Gneiss Spice Everything Spice Kit: 24 Magnetic Jars Filled with Standard Organic Spices / Hanging Magnetic Spice Rack (Large Jars, Silver Lids), nothing could make me happier. And when I say liberal…I mean, this book uses 50 different spices, herbs and seasonings. Some other reviewers stated the recipes call for hard to find ingredients. I disagree; besides the occasional call for capers or fennel bulb, most everything can be found at your local store. Spices on the other hand, there are a few that you might need to source online if you don’t have a gourmet foods market near you. If you were to make all the recipes in the Whole30 Cookbook, you’d need:• allspice (ground)• ancho chili• arrowroot• basil• bay leaves• Cajun*• caraway• cayenne• cinnamon (ground)• chia seeds• chili (seasoning blend)*• chipotle• cloves (ground)• coriander (ground)• coriander (seeds)• cream of tartar• cumin (ground)• cumin (seeds)• curry (powder)• dill• dukkah*• fennel (seeds)• garam masala*• garlic (granules)• garlic salt• ginger (ground)• harissa• herbes de provence• italian seasoning*• jerk (seasoning / no sugar)*• lemon peel (ground)• mustard (ground)• nutmeg (ground)• nutritional yeast• onion (granules)• oregano• paprika (sweet)• paprika (smoked)• pepper (ground black)• peppercorns (whole black)• parsley• ras el hanout*• red pepper flakes• rosemary• sage• sesame seeds• tarragon• thyme• turmeric• sea salt (coarse)*Some of the seasonings (cajun, chili seasoning, dukkah, garam masala, Italian, jerk, ras el hanout,) you can blend yourself if you already own the other spices on the list.Of these 50 spices, the essential, most often used ones are coarse sea salt, cracked pepper, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, cayenne, onion granules, garlic granules and ground cumin. However, you better have ras el hanout (or the spices to blend it) because it was hands-down the best chicken I’ve ever had (Moroccan Chicken with Carrot-Pistachio Slaw, page 143). Check out the photos we posted with our review, and don't skip making the accompanying Carrot Slaw!The other highlight recipes for me: Shakshuka (pg. 25), Beef and Sweet Potato Chili (pg. 33)—we ate that all week for lunch, Slow-Cooker Italian Beef Roast (pg 43)—use later for other meals like Poached Eggs with Salsa Verde (pg. 44), Mediterranean Bison Burger (pg. 53), Slow-Cooked Moroccan Spices Shredded Beef (pg. 61), Thai Beef Curry with Green Beans (pg. 77), Pork Posole with Tostones (pg. 87), Chipotle BBQ Chicken Thighs (pg. 128), Grilled Jamaican Jerk Salmon (pg. 192), Mexican Salmon Cakes (pg 198), Dukkah-Crusted Brussel Sprouts (pg. 224).The first thing you should make from this book? Red Curry Roasted Cauliflower (pg. 242). We've made it FIVE TIMES since we got the book. Super easy and so delicious. If you follow us @gneissspice on instagram, you’ll see dozens of posts of the meals I made from this book. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are debating a Whole30. Nothing is worse than trying to stick to the strict rules, and then have no idea what to eat for dinner. My only complaint about the book would be no mention of portion sizes. I had to head over to their website to find suggestions (they have a cool graphic for this, not sure why they didn’t include it in the book).

Read it front to back! Great book, explains a lot! Highly suggest purchasing it! Also delicious recipes

I absolutely love this cookbook. When I first started Whole30 I felt really overwhelmed. Having the cookbook helped me stay motived as I kept pictures of my dishes, and started to experiment more on my own. Also, seeing the book on the kitchen counter held me accountable each day. Thinking back, I don't think this book is a necessity though when doing the Whole30. Between google, Facebook, Pinterest etc there are so many ways to find delicious and creative Whole30 recipes as well. (Which I also kept researching). The majority of the recipes are meat based, I would not recommend this book for vegans/vegetarians. I was a little disappointed with the breakfast recipes. (can't look at those eggs anymore!). Again, the internet will be your best friend for that. My favorite part of this book are the many dressings provided. Since commercial dressings/sauces are loaded in sugar it was so nice to be able to make my own Ranch, Caesar, etc. dressing (most of them have raw eggs in them).Overall, I am very happy to have the book, I still use it all the time and it was definitely worth every penny, but with all the information online I can see how I didn't actually needed to buy it.

My daughter showed me this cookbook and once I looked through it decided I needed my own copy. Lots of great recipes!

Really helpful

This is a nicely illustrated book, my only gripe is that the measurements are US as well as certain ingredients, but with the help of a dictionary this can be overcome. Some of the recomended products are only available in the US but this is not really a huge problem.I really like this book.

Not a single recipe in this book was practical enough to try. A complete waste of money.

An excellent support for the Whole30 Guide. I am finishing the first 30 days and am feeling healthy and more energetic than previously. The recipes are delicious, with a wide range of basic and more exotic ingredients. The recipes are well laid out and, for smaller households, focus on meals for two people (also easy to do repeats without getting bored).