I’m so excited to be sharing TEN easy and satisfying Whole 30 snacks and mini meal recipes and ideas with you! These are great pre or post workout meals, or to use as a mini meal for nursing or pregnant women, or if you find you’re hungry between meals.
Whether you need Whole30 snacks recipes for work, travel, or just for life, this post is for you! I’m also talking a little about how to make sure your snack works with the program and a little about rules vs. recommendations, so read on!
❓Snacks During Whole30
Snacks aren’t recommended for your Whole30. But I learned a long time ago that when you treat a recommendation as a hard and fast rule, you could end up missing some important non-scale victories:
Getting truly in tune with your body. Hearing your body’s signals and responding to them appropriately. Caring for yourself in ways that make you feel well.
BUT WAIT, there are plenty of reasons why you could and should incorporate a mini meal or snack into your Whole 30!
If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, working out, or if you find you’re hungry, feed yourself! Remember, Whole30 isn’t about calorie restriction or deprivation. It’s about nourishment. So please, listen to the recommendations as long as they serve you, but don’t treat them as you would treat the rules.
What to Watch for
- Sometimes I’m not completely sure if I’m actually hungry or just bored/stressed/snacky, so be sure to honestly ask yourself if you’re actually hungry. Tip: Sometimes I drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes before I make a decision about having a snack. If I still feel hungry after 10 minutes, it most likely wasn’t just a craving or old habit.
- If you find yourself hungry between meals quite often and aren’t sure why, make sure you’re eating enough food at those meals, and be sure you aren’t skimping on fat. Compare your meals to what’s recommended in the meal template.
- Be careful not to use your mini meal as an excuse to indulge your sweet cravings or habits. Don’t have a bunch of fruit or an RXbar after dinner just because you’re used to having something sweet for dessert. And don’t do it just because a sweet craving hits.
Now ideally, your mini meals would be smaller, perfect versions of the meal template, and pre and post workout snacks would perfectly fit those recommendations, too… but this isn’t a perfect world.
Even when I’m following my 4 week Whole30 Meal Plan, I don’t always have leftover complete meals in my fridge, or time to cook a full mini meal when I need it, so I want to show you some super simple options for your snacks.
There are even a few no-cook snacks included here, too! I hope this is helpful!
10 EASY WHOLE30 SNACKS
1. Jammy Egg, Cucumbers, & Grapes
Boiled eggs are something that are almost always on hand in my refrigerator. Especially when I’m on a round of Whole30, it’s really helpful to have a versatile protein ready to go (You can check out how I make perfect Jammy Eggs, or how to Air Fry Eggs).
The really nice thing about eggs is you can eat them as your protein for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Most weeks, I’ll buy a dozen eggs and boil them, then eat them as needed throughout the week.
To make it: Sprinkle the egg with Everything Bagel seasoning (store bought or homemade) and serve with 1/4 of a thinly sliced English cucumber and a handful of grapes.
2. Smoked Salmon, Crunchy Veggies, and Ranch
This is a no-cook Whole 30 snack you’ll come back to time and time again! The smoky salmon and crunchy, fresh vegetables is such a killer combo. Plus is comes together in like a minute, maybe two if you’re moving slowly. It’s basically a mini version of my platter.
Whole30 compliant smoked salmon is fairly easy to find, but just be sure to double check for sugar and artificial junk. Those are two sneaky things sometimes added to smoked salmon.
To make it: Just plate 2-3 oz. of smoked salmon with some sugar snap peas, and thinly slice one radish. Serve with a sprinkle of Everything Bagel seasoning and a little compliant ranch for dipping.
3: Tuna & Sauerkraut
Don’t knock it till you try it! I promise, this no-cook Whole30 snack combo is less weird than it sounds. It’s really fresh and light, totally satisfying, and it mixes up the normal flavor routine quite nicely. I do think you have to be a person who likes sauerkraut to like this one, so if that’s not you, just swap lettuce or shredded cabbage. This is a good pre-workout snack.
*To make it: Take about 1/2 cup of sauerkraut (this is Beet Red Sauerkraut from Cleveland Kraut, if you were wondering), and top it with about 1/3 can of pole caught canned tuna and a sprinkle of diced red onion. Serve it with some avocado for fat.
4. Turkey & Apple Bites
This is one Whole 30 snack my kids and I enjoy together! The crisp apple and savory turkey work really well together! I’ve found compliant turkey from Applegate at my local Kroger, and it’s widely available at other stores, too!
To make it: Take 3 slices of compliant deli turkey and slice half of an apple. Cut the turkey slices in half and wrap around the apple. Secure with a toothpick and serve a handful of nuts for fat.
Optional: Tuck a few spinach leaves inside. Easy peasy!
5. Hot Dog Lettuce Wrap
Yup, it’s just a hot dog. Nothing super earth shattering here, folks, but is it real food that will tide me over? Yes! Does it make me feel like I’m 7 1/2? Sure, but I kinda like that. I’ve gotten compliant hot dogs at Kroger, Target, and Walmart.
Tip: I like to cook my hot dogs in the air fryer so they’re a little crispy, but you could grill, boil, or microwave them, too.
To make it: Cook one compliant hot dog, slice it up, and served it inside a couple of romaine lettuce leaves with compliant ketchup and mustard. Easy and so fast!
6. Pepperoni Pizza Snack Box
This is one of my husband’s favorite snacks! I’m not an olive person (these might even be the only olives on my entire website?), but everything else in there is delish in my book!
I find compliant pepperoni at my local Kroger and olives basically everywhere. Bonus – it travels well so it’s a good for when you’re at work or on the road for the day!
To make it: Just package a small handful of compliant olives, about 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, and a few slices of pepperoni. Serve with some basil leaves and you’re in business!
If you can’t find compatible pepperoni, grab prosciutto or salami.
7. Smoothie
Can I have a smoothie on Whole30? Well, smoothies are not recommended for your Whole30, but remember, recommendations shouldn’t be mistaken for rules. Smoothies can be completely appropriate for your Whole30, not to mention a total lifesaver, especially if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
A smoothie was one of the only things I could stomach for months when I had morning sickness, and it was nourishing and really easy to throw together for a mini meal postpartum (It could also be consumed with one hand, which is helpful when you have a baby attached to you 24/7). I honestly don’t think I could’ve gotten through my last pregnancy without them.
Try my: Kiwi Spinach Smoothie or Cucumber Pineapple smoothie.
Tips
- Include vegetables. Spinach, cucumber, cauliflower, butternut squash, and zucchini are all great choices that don’t have super strong flavors.
- Add a healthy fat. Coconut milk or almond butter work well!
- Limit the fruit. A banana, a cup of blueberries, an orange, or a peach is usually enough to sweeten the smoothie lightly without turning it into a sugar bomb.
- Add a scoop of Whole30 Approved collagen for protein.
8: Frittatas
Frittatas are so great as a Whole30 mini meal, because you can make them ahead of time while you’re meal prepping and keep them on hand for whenever you need them. I sometimes even freeze them in individual portions just for this reason! Since they’ve already got protein and veggies, you can just reheat a slice for your mini meal and call it a day.
Some of my favorite Whole30 frittatas:
- Spinach, Artichoke, and Sun-dried Tomato Frittata (pictured above)
- Pepperoni Pizza Frittata
- Chorizo, Potato, and Kale Frittata
Tip: I like to reheat my frittatas in the air fryer so they don’t seem so soggy. Just heat once slice for about 4 minutes on 390°F, and you’re done!
9. Deli Meat Roll Ups
Deli meat is my go-to for my kids’ lunches, but it’s also one of my go-to ingredients for Whole30 snacking and my mini meals. I’ve been able to find Whole30 compliant sliced turkey, salami, ham, prosciutto, and turkey bacon in grocery stores like Costco, Kroger and Walmart.
To make it: Just roll up your favorite compliant sliced deli meats and serve them inside a lettuce wrap with a little Whole30 compatible mayo or ranch. I like to serve it with a handful of nuts or some slices of tomato.
10. Pre-Packaged Snacks
I think it’s nice to have some solid shelf-stable Whole30 snack or mini meal items in your desk drawer at work, for road trips, to keep in your purse, carryon, car, or diaper bag. Thankfully they’re becoming a lot easier to find in stores these days.
My favorite Whole30 compliant pre-packaged snacks
- Wild Zora Meat Bars: These bars all contain high quality meat AND vegetables, which I think is really nice (Available at Walmart!).
- Wild Zora Freeze Dried Soups: They have meat and vegetables already, just add water. These are really good for traveling because they’re about the size of your hand and weigh almost nothing.
- Epic Meat Bars: Not all the bars are Whole30 compliant, but the Chicken Sriracha and Venison (my favorite one) are, and there are probably a few others too.
- RxBar: Be cautious not to use these to indulge your sugar dragon, and choose flavors without peanuts or chocolate to stay compliant. That said, they’re a solid option. I much prefer them to larabars because they include egg whites, which helps balance out the sugar. I’ve been seeing RxBars pop up in grocery stores, but also in airport lounges, drug stores, and more, which is really nice to know if you ever find yourself hungry without a snack in your bag.
- Baby Food: It might sound weird, but I just think of it like eating apple sauce. Look for Step 1 and Step 2 packages, because they usually just include a fruits and vegetables only. Some pouches are too large for air travel, so double check the ounces if you’re planning to keep keep it in your carryon.
- Cans or Pouches of Tuna and/or Salmon: I get cans that don’t require a can opener, or else I opt for packages that you can tear open. You definitely need a fork, but these are easy protein options when you need them.
- Olive and Nuts: Always double check the ingredients labels, but most grocery stores will carry at least a few compliant options. They can be your super easy plated fat!
- Chomps Bars (not pictured because we’ve eaten them all!): They have nice flavors and are kid-friendly, except for the jalapeno flavor! I’ve seen them at Walmart, and they’re available online (feel free to use my affiliate code COOKATHOMEMOM for 15% off online if you’d like!).
So there we have it! Ten easy and Whole30 compliant Mini Meals and Snacks! If you liked this post, check out my Whole30 Meal Plan, complete with four printable weekly grocery lists!
