Blissfully Bright & Delicious Whole 30 Summer Recipes

Summer is a delicious time for the brightest flavors and these Whole 30 summer recipes celebrate the season. With fresh basil coming in and fresh fruit being kissed by the sun what better time than to eat whole and delicious foods bursting with flavor?

Whole 30 in the summer involves recipes bursting with BBQ flavor and asparagus wrapped in bacon and fried. Summer also tastes tomatoes in salsa verde that’s slathered onto baked fish. I hope you love tasting summer as much as we do with this list of Whole 30 summer recipes.

What is Whole 30?

Whole 30 is definitely what it sounds like. You eliminate everything but whole foods. Whole 30 is similar to paleo in that there’s no grains or dairy, and then you also eliminate alcohol and any sweetener whatsoever. After 30 days of elimination, you add things back one by one then hop back into Whole 30 for two days. After those two days introduce another thing. You learn you. It’s a personal experience that can really challenge all the foodie emotions that you carry and it’s a great healing opportunity. After finishing five rounds here are my top 12 tips for thriving on Whole 30. Learn more about Whole 30 on their website.

If you’re doing a Whole 30 lettuce know how it’s going in the comments!

Whole 30 Summer Recipes

And now for a drumroll filled with the sound of butterfly wings in the distance. It’s time to celebrate the flavors of summer with Whole 30 summer recipes. Fill yourself with fresh tomatoes, just-picked herbs, and bright flavors. Although many of these recipes can be made year-round the flavors are at their pick during the summer. I hope you love these Whole30 summer recipes and get inspired to craft up your own.

Easy As Bread Lettuce Wrapped Sandwich

Although I love more complex recipes it’s always a bliss to go back to basics. Lettuce sandwiches are bright, filling, and leave you feeling you can dance all day in the sun. The burst of heirloom tomatoes and the pop of basil or chives really shows off the summer in the simplest of ways.

In this lettuce wrapped sandwich guide you just lay out let lettuce like bread, add your meat and dressings, then cut it in half. This way you don’t need to do a full on lettuce wrap with paper and rolling, you can make life as easy as a sandwich. Lettuce leaves are strong enough to hold up tons of toppings, and you feel so refreshed all day from eating this Whole 30 sandwich lettuce style.

Whole30 Bell Pepper Taco Bowls

These Whole30 bell pepper taco bowls are just everything I love about tacos. When it comes to tacos the best part is the beef bursting with cumin, chipotle, and a hint of cayenne. Top the beef with nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. You can either make your own blend of spices or use pre-packaged spice blends like Siete’s or Primal Palate.

If you aren’t a fan of bell peppers feel free to sub the base for lettuce and create a salad or use sweet potatoes for a taco-filled sweet potato bowl.

Whole 30 BBQ Chicken

We used the grill rack and oven to craft up this Whole 30 BBQ chicken. Feel free to use the grill or check out the air fryer recipe below. The BBQ glaze is sweetened by coconut aminos and is made tangy by apple cider vinegar. Salty, sweet, tomatoey by ketchup, and tangy are everything you need for BBQ.

Sidenote: We also added ways to personalize the sauce so you can adjust it to your taste. If you want a tangier BBQ glaze up the apple cider vinegar etc.

Whole 30 Salsa Verde

How can you think of summer and not think of tomatoes? Tomatoes taste like the sun if it turned red and popped off a vine. Heirloom tomatoes are one of those rare fruits you can still only get in the summer which makes them so delicious and a yearly treat. This salsa verde uses tomatillos, jalapeno, roasted garlic, and onion and can be created in less than thirty minutes. This is a Whole 30 summer recipe that you can easily have year-round as specialty grocery stores stock tomatillos often.

Tomatillo salsa is super fresh so make sure to consume it within a week.

Whole 30 Tilapia with Salsa Verde

After you create salsa verde here’s what to create next, and then create it again and again. Addictively delicious Whole30 tilapia is an amazing Whole 30 summer recipe because it combines buttery, ghee filled fish with fresh roasted salsa. If you’ve never tried fish and salsa together make sure you cannot say that a year from now. It’s life-changing.

Besides using tilapia try this with any white fish like mahi-mahi or cod.

Peaches and Lavender Pork Chops with Fresh Basil – One Pan & Whole 30

Lavender is so incredible in meat recipes. If you’ve only had it in baked goods then give it a go anywhere from steak to chicken to fish. Start with a pinch as lavender is so strong. The floral flavor is incredible and it pairs beautifully with seared peaches and pan-seared pork chops. Simmer the chops in some broth to get really juicy, flavor-filled pork.

Whole 30 Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers

I freaking love turkey. Turkey is so moist and it takes on flavor wayyy better than beef. For these burgers we use fresh lime zest and cilantro. You can roast the tomatoes in the pan after crafting the burgers for extra flavor. We use butter lettuce for the buns and it absorbs so much flavor.

Not a fan of cilantro? Use parsley instead.

Gluten-Free Potato Pancakes

I love recipes that don’t seem like they’re going to be Whole30 and then they fit into it perfectly. These potato pancakes are super versatile and you can explore summer flavors with fresh cherry tomatoes and your favorite herbs to keep it bright.

Instant Pot Poached Pears

Pears are a summertime fruit that has such a short season on it. Stone fruit is finicky and has to be eaten quickly but not too quick. I love stone fruit and love the adventure that it is. Poaching the pears removes some guesswork because you can poach them at any time. Instead of using sugar just use water and let the peaches do their own sweet thing.

Also, drink the water. The water tastes like pear juice and it is magically delicious. On another note we torched these once…it really did not work. I recommend not torching.

For these poached pears we used the pressure cooker function on the Ninja Foodi. Feel free to use the Instant Pot or poach them on the stove.

Whole 30 Summertime Baked Salmon with Cherries and Mint

Cherries are so plump, juice and remind me of wine that tastes like the sun. Salmon and fruit is an unusual but beautiful pairing. The salmon compliments the cherries and you get to try a whole new way of eating salmon.

Simple Baked Eggs and Broccoli

Simple recipes are my favorite. You get to taste each ingredient and really know it’s flavor. In this recipe, you get to really taste how well broccoli and egg go together. If you want a snack then go for this because you’ll get fat, protein, and veggie all in one.

Dandelion Greens Salad for Uplifting Mind Tingles

This was the very first recipe I ever created on this blog. I was feeling wibbly-wobbly for days and eating dandelion greens perked my mind back to bliss. This was back when I was struggling to understand food and how it affected the mind. It’s crazy and beautiful to see my journey since then and where it is now. I still love this salad and will make it with a lot of affection for the journey. Next, we’ll have Whole 30 summer recipes that use my favorite way of cooking, air frying.

Whole 30 Summer Recipes in the Air Fryer

These Whole 30 air fryer recipes are delicious in the summer. We use the Ninja Foodi as our fryer and it’s incredible. The Ninja Foodi is also a pressure cooker, dehydrator, steamer, and has a sear, broil, and bake function. We use this daily for nearly all of our meals. We don’t use it to boil water for coffee is really the only thing it can’t do….I’m super in love with it. The Foodi is also wide instead of tall so you can cook a whole chicken in it or fit a lot of veggies. Air frying is all about the circulation of hot air so the more surface area the better.

Whole 30 Air Fried Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Oh my bacony bliss I love making bacon-wrapped anything. These beauties are perfectly crispy and you’re getting meat and veggie all in one edible stick. The air fryer crisps all sides of the bacon so you aren’t left with any chewy bits. This whole 30 summer recipe is one we make time and time again, even off Whole 30.

Whole 30 Air Fried Crispy Turkey Thighs

That crackling skin with a burst of juicy meat is really all I can ask for in life, food wise. The air fryer locks in the moisture of the chicken meat so it remains insanely juicy. Then, because of the fast circulating air running through the skin the skin crisps up brilliantly. Add some fresh herbs to get true summer flavor.

Finger Lickin Good Whole 30 Air Fryer BBQ Chicken

I’m a Texan living in Austin. BBQ is life and I’ve never lived further than three hours away from the most famous BBQ in the country. I have to consume BBQ on Whole 30 or summer does not taste like summer. When it comes to whole 30 summer recipes BBQ is a classic that cannot be denied.

Because this chicken is made in the air fryer it is very similar to grilling chicken. You get an incredible sear and the air circulates so that the chicken gets super crispy.

Whole 30 Air Fryer Alfredo Zoodles

Alfredo sauce is just a cheesy creamy sauce with pepper and Italian seasoning. We recreated alfredo Whole 30 style and paired with zoodles you’ll find yourself craving a new type of pasta. That’s it for these Whole 30 summer recipes until next summer when we’re coming back with more.

What are your favorite Whole 30 summer recipes? Lettuce know in the comments below. Also let us know if you’ve created Whole 30 summer recipes of your own.

Pin These Whole 30 Summer Recipes For Later!

Whole 30 Summer Recipes Tips

Grow Your Own Herbs

You can easily grow basil on your windowsill in the house or on the balcony. You can also regrow chives by sticking them in a glass with a little bit of water. The chives grow fast and you can just cut them when you need them.

We used Buzzy Seeds to grow the basil below and it’s grown its whole life inside on the window sill. Definitely not an overnight process but the plants can grow for a long time once their up there.

Plan Ahead

When it comes to summertime fresh herbs and tomatoes will go bad quickly. To make sure everything gets used up make a meal plan.

Make Fresh Food Visible

For your fridge put anything that is about to expire front in center. Out of sight out of mind definitely comes to play with the fridge. If you get lettuce and chard put it in a bowl with water and place it on the bottom shelf of the fridge so it is clearly visible. If you have a crisper door for veggies and get new veggies place the ones that need to be used in the main part of the fridge so you see them first.

If I have veggies that are going bad that day I’ll put them on the counter and leave them there all day so that I eat them for breakfast lunch or dinner.

Breakfast Foods for Summertime

During the summer, or any time on Whole 30, view breakfast like lunch or dinner. Growing up it’s usually pancakes and muffins, which sets you up to crave sugar or whatever is in the muffin. Try eating a salad for breakfast one day then try eating a muffin (off Whole30) and feel the difference. All of the Whole 30 summer recipes above can be eaten for breakfast too. The lettuce wrap sandwich is just as easy to make as a couple of fried eggs, probably even easier. Fried eggs is also an epic choice, just pair it with some veggies.

Common Whole 30 Questions

Does the Whole 30 Help Me Lose Weight?

While you can lose weight on Whole 30 that is not the goal. In fact, the guidelines say to not look at your scale and if you do to start over. The mentality of Whole 30 is to feel good on a much deeper level than a number can show. According to the website: “The scale maintains control of your self-esteem. This is perhaps the most important reason of all to break up with your scale. It’s psychologically unhealthy to allow a number—any number—to determine your worth, your value, or your self-confidence.” Check out the full article on Why to Break Up With Your Scale. With these Whole 30 summer recipes, you’ll also get a lot of energy from fresh food, and summer is such an easy time to do Whole 30 because there’s tons of sun and outside distractions. Feel free to work out on Whole 30. Just listen to your body.

Is the Whole 30 Hard?

Whole 30 can be dependent on several factors and everyone’s experience is different. Your attachment to food, and how long you’ve been eating foods that your body struggles to digest, can directly affect your experience. The Whole 30 isn’t for everyone just like nothing is. Do what works for you.

If you wind up not completing the Whole 30 the first time you try maybe wait a few months and try again. I have done a Whole 30 that only lasted five days and then tried again four moths later and completed 35 days.

Support is crucual on the Whole 30 so try searching #whole30 or #whole30 recipes on Instagram. There’s also a Whole 30 forum where you can share your daily journey with others that are doing a Whole 30 as well. You can also check out this article by Melissa on Whole 30 support groups. My main recommendation is to purchase or borrow from your library It Starts With Food so you can let your logical mind understand the purpose and science behind the Whole30.

Finally, you can get friends to do the Whole30 with you. I’m a little pushy and have learned that it’s not for everyone and I really can’t, and should avoid, forcing others into it. You can easily make friends on the Whole30 forum if your IRL friends are not wanting to do the thing.

How Do I Know if _____ Is Compliant?

Honestly you can just Google it and an answer will pull up. The Whole 30 forum, linked above has the most answers on what is complaint.

How Do I Know If Whole 30 Is Right For Me?

The Whole 30 is something I recommend simply trying to see if it is right for you. Even if you think bread is easy to digest you won’t really know the answer to that, on a personal level until you eliminate it for a while.

Whole 30 is what I recommend for those looking to learn more about their body. If you’re experiencing brain fog, tiredness, insomnia, pain that you don’t understand. The Whole 30 can actually bring out systems as your body heals back to its natural state of health, such as described in the Is This Normal Post by Melissa: “

• Headaches (dull)
• Lethargy
• Sleepiness
• Crankiness
• Brain fog
• Cravings
• General malaise
• Breakouts
• Mild digestive issues (bloating, irregularity)

These are particularly common if, pre-Whole30, you’ve been eating a Standard American Diet (S.A.D.), are coming off a major Carb-a-Palooza binge (starring Sugar ‘n Gluten), or have been following conventional health and fitness recommendations to eat lots of whole grains and low-fat-everything every two hours, six times a day.

In addition, if you have an autoimmune or chronic health condition, it’s not unusual for your specific symptoms (arthritic joints, psoriasis, fatigue, etc.) to get worse before they get better. (This usually happens around the third week of the program; again, we explain why in The Whole30.)”

In reality you won’t get to know how amazing your body can feel unless you reset it. I never knew how much sugar and whatever was affecting me until I felt how beautiful it was to be free of them. Know I can consciously choose if a cupcake is worth it or if my sugar dragon has taken the reigns.

Is Whole 30 Expensive?

Honestly, it does not have to be. First of all, you DO NOT have to buy organic. Do what works for you. Besides buying the book It Starts With Food there’s no supplement or health drink pack you need to buy. Whole 30 is very different from Weight Watchers or programs that require you to buy food.

When I was growing up my mom would randomly do a diet, throw out everything in the house that wasn’t part of her diet, and buy so much food it filled up a whole pantry. I think she would spend $500 every six months on food that she wound up throwing out half of. It was insane to watch and turned me off of dieting forever.

Whole 30 is incredibly delicious and can be way cheaper than other types of eating. As long as you aren’t buying loads of collagen and compliant jerky and snacks that are triple the price as the regular stuff, Whole 30 can be cheaper than usual. If you live on pasta and rice (guilty) then eating three meals a day of fresh veggies and meat can add up. Aun and I together spend around $450 a month on food, and if we cut out sparkling drinks and fruit it would be less.

The main trick to keeping Whole 30 cheap is to save leftovers and I mean all of them. If you have half a chicken thigh and two pieces of broccoli left on your plate then save it. Eat it the next day on top of lettuce. Batch cook meatballs, freeze half of them, and defrost two for each meal. Learning to save money by not wasting food is a skill that can save money for a lifetime.

If you like to eat frozen meals then Walmart now has compliant Whole30 meals. The Whole 30 summer recipes above all cost us around $5 to make.

Thrive Market is another way to save money. They sell high-quality products for cheaper by having a membership model.

Do I Have to Cook All of My Meals?

You can but you don’t have to. Another option is to buy freezer meals from places like Thrive Market. As stated above Walmart even has meals now. When eating at a restaurant you can ask if they know what paleo is and then just ask to avoid any sweeteners. If they haven’t heard of paleo look through the menu and find something that is already compliant or just ask for a salad with a side of bacon and eggs. If they have a cobb salad then you’re good to go, just ask what oil is in the dressing and if there’s any added sugar. You can also bring your own dressing and even ghee for added fat. For more tips check out this article.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this mix of Whole 30 summer recipes and Whole 30 questions. Whole 30 is so life-changing because it is so personal. Lettuce know about your experience and your favorite recipes in the comments.

Have a bliss full one!