You’ve heard it before and chances are you’ll hear it again: “I’m on a diet.” Whether those words are from your mouth or someone else’s, a diet usually comes with restrictions (and an eye roll or two). In the case of the Paleo and Whole30 diet, the restrictions are challenging for some, while simple for others. Basically, the way to determine whether or not you can eat something is to ask yourself this question: Could a caveman eat this? If not, it’s a no-go. No dairy, grains, legumes, starches, alcohol, processed foods, sugars or sugar substitutes.

Below are the recipes I used for one day on the Paleo and Whole30 diet. You can find hundreds of Paleo and Whole30 recipes on sites like Pinterest and Nom Nom Paleo.

Breakfast: Egg Muffin

This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes. It’s delicious and makes enough to last you a week. You can store them in the freezer and reheat them in the microwave in just 1–2 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 dozen eggs
• ½ onion, chopped
• ½ pound of mushrooms
• ½ cup of spinach
• ½ cup of halved cherry tomatoes
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of pepper
• ½ pound of breakfast meat (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk and beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add onions, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, salt and pepper.
• Drop a dash of coconut oil into each muffin cup.
• Fill each muffin cup halfway with the mix.
• Bake for about 25 minutes.

Lunch: Tuna Avocado Lettuce Wraps

This great recipe from PaleoGrubs.com is one of my very favorite healthy lunch recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna
• ½ very ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoons of paleo mayo
• ¼ cup of halved green olives
• 2 tablespoons of diced green chiles
• 1 scallion, diced
• 2 large leaves of green leaf lettuce

Directions:

• Mash the avocado until it’s creamy, and then mix in the paleo mayonnaise.
• Add the tuna, olives, scallion and diced green chiles to the avocado-mayonnaise mixture.
• Place one scoop of tuna salad on a large leaf of lettuce.

Post-Breakfast/Pre-Dinner Snack: Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 bags of kale

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Wash the kale and add the olive oil.
• Place kale on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Bake for 10–13 minutes in the oven.

Dinner: Pollo Asado Chicken

I made a copycat homemade version of the Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado Chicken with cauliflower mashed “potatoes” and grilled asparagus.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of thinly sliced chicken
• 2 bags of cauliflower, chopped
• 1 bundle of asparagus
• A pinch of pepper
• A pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon of Garlic Expressions salad dressing
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• ¼ cup of Frank’s RedHot

Directions:

• Prepare a marinade with Frank’s RedHot, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin and paprika. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes.
• Boil about 1½ cups of water. Add cauliflower to boiling water. Cover and put at a medium to high heat. Cook cauliflower for 15–20 minutes, until tender.
• Place the asparagus in foil, add the Garlic Expressions dressing, add a squeeze of lemon and season to your liking.
• Cook asparagus for 10–12 minutes or until tender.
• Add a teaspoon of olive oil to pan or grill. Add chicken and grill for 7 to 10 minutes.
• Drain water from cauliflower and use a potato masher, whisk or blender to mash the cauliflower.

These recipes are perfect for the diet and taste amazing. What Paleo and Whole30 recipes have you tried? Comment below and share your favorites!