50 Main Dish Potato Recipes (Whole30, Paleo or Vegan) (2024)

FAQs

Are potatoes paleo Whole30? ›

Yes, you can eat potatoes of all colors under the new Whole30 guidelines, white varieties included. Mash 'em up, roast them, or throw them in the skillet to enjoy. Just don't eat them commercially deep-fried or in packaged chip form to stay Whole30-compliant.

It is possible to go overboard on pretty much everything, including tons of foods that have always been allowed on the Whole30. True, for most people, it is probably suboptimal to eat too many potatoes. But then, it's also not great to overuse nut butters, or dried fruits, or red meats, or any number of other foods.

Are Potatoes Whole30? Yes! As of January 2021, all varieties of potatoes are included in the Whole30 diet.

While conventionally-cooked (deep fried) french fries are NOT allowed on your Whole30, you can totally make your own in the oven, and this variety is totally Whole30 Approved. These oven baked french fries are essentially roasted potatoes. Not deep fried in oils that aren't good for you… There's a huge difference!

Paleo people regularly ate tubers and wild potatoes. Some people list potatoes as unacceptable because they're a starchy high-glycemic food. But ancient hunter-gatherer communities relied on the calories and carbohydrates in potatoes and other tubers for energy.

Sweet potatoes are a popular choice among paleo enthusiasts as a substitute for regular potatoes. These nutrient-dense root vegetables provide natural sweetness and a range of health benefits. Sweet potatoes are also rich in fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium.

All potatoes can fit into a healthy diet, but purple potatoes, red potatoes, and sweet potatoes—which are often grouped with potatoes—stand out due to their high amounts of protective plant compounds and essential nutrients.

What about bananas? Yes, both pickles and bananas are allowed on Whole30. Yet if they are a potential trigger food for you (for instance, the sweetness of bananas sets off a craving for other treats or makes you want to binge on the fruit), then you may consider including them on your “don't eat” list.

Whole30 at McDonald's

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. You'll have to give up the fries, but there is something you can order to complete your meal. “Apple slices.

Extra virgin olive oil is approved and Whole30 compliant. Regular olive oil (aka pure olive oil) and light tasting oil are also approved by the authors. While on the Whole30 plan, you should avoid most packaged salad dressings and mayonnaise. Most of these products are made with seed oils and are not compliant.

Is peanut butter okay on Whole30? ›

Though peanuts and peanut butter aren't allowed on the Whole30 program, other nuts and nut butters are. Cashew butter is loaded with nutrients like healthy fats, magnesium, manganese, and copper. Its smooth, sweet taste pairs well with apples ( 1 ).

White potatoes are a whole, real, nutrient-dense food! It doesn't make logical sense to leave them out while other carb-dense foods like taro, yuca, or sweet potato are allowed.

What Whole30 menu items to order at Chick-fil-A: It's probably best to skip Chick-fil-A altogether during your Whole30, Yawitz says. But, if you find yourself there, you could ask if they could make the grilled nuggets without the marinade on a Cobb Salad with no bacon, cheese, crispy red peppers, or corn.

Bacon can be a delicious addition to your Whole30 meals, but you'll need to find bacon without added sugar. Look for Whole30 Approved sugar-free bacon from Applegate, ButcherBox, or Pederson's Natural Farms.

At I Heart Umami you'll find simple and easy Air-fried recipes made gluten-free, Paleo, low carb, and Whole30. Enjoy crunchy delicious air-fried Asian dishes without the guilt and keep it low carb healthy!

If you're transitioning to a paleo diet, you can either choose to include small amounts of rice in your diet or begin to focus on eating other foods like potatoes to meet your needs for starchy carbs.

“Sweet potatoes are the only potato that is considered paleo,” explains Evans. “Sweet potatoes have a much lower glycemic index so while they have a similar amount of carbohydrates, their impact on blood sugar and insulin is much lower, which is a goal of eating paleo.”

Much like the paleo diet, there is an emphasis on eating unprocessed meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and healthy oils. However, some paleo foods like honey, maple syrup, and alcohol are off limits. As a general rule, all Whole30® foods are paleo approved, but not all paleo foods are Whole30® compliant.

However, others say these potato varieties are paleo. That's because, like white potatoes, red and purple potatoes are unprocessed whole foods—which, by definition, makes them paleo.