So you’ve decided to attempt the Whole30—good for you, we’re total believers. We also highly recommend getting your boo or bestie on board, because it’s so much easier when you have that support and someone to help meal-prep and share the cooking responsibilities. Plus, someone’s gotta clean the kitchen. Make your Whole30 a breeze (OK, there may be a few gusts, but it’s worth it) with recipes that make enough for just two people. These 23 simple dishes will help you stick to the program without worrying that you’ll bore your taste buds after a third night of the same leftovers.
1. Omelet Wraps With Spinach, Lettuce, and Mushrooms
Tortillas are no-no’s on the Whole30, so this blogger gets resourceful by rolling up these breakfast “burritos” in omelets instead. Use your favorite sandwich veggies and a dollop of salsa for extra flavor. It’s simple, but genius.
2. 15-Minute Protein-Packed Paleo Breakfast
One of the most fun ways to eat eggs is in a “basket” of toast, but since bread isn’t happening on the Whole30, portobellos step in instead. Bake the eggs inside the mushroom caps and pair with a few other healthy accompaniments to make a complete breakfast. Just be sure you use compliant smoked salmon, and you’re golden.
3. Shakshuka for Two
Go Middle Eastern for breakfast with this fragrant and rich, but easy, skillet dish. While crusty baguette or pita slices are usually used to sop up the runny eggs and spicy tomato sauce, who needs bread when you’ll just be licking the plate clean?
4. Fiesta Breakfast Bibimbap
This new age, rice-free bibimbap gets its carbs from sweet potato cubes, while a generous pile of steak strips and sautéed veggies add more volume and nutrition. Topped with a fried egg and a simple guacamole, this nontraditional take on a Korean staple starts your (and your special someone’s) day off on a filling, colorful note.
5. Eggs With Avocado and Sweet Potato Toast
No toast? No problem! We’re drinking the sweet potato toast Kool-Aid by slathering avocado onto thin slices of the orange veg and topping it off with a fried egg. The potato crisps up in the toaster and gives you a sneaky extra dose of veggies. No wonder it’s become such a thing.
6. Whole30 Perfect Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs seem like the simplest thing to make, but they’re also surprisingly easy to mess up—there’s a small window between getting fluffy clouds or ending up with a rubbery disaster. This recipe uses coconut milk for extra creaminess and a spatula for gentle folding to give you velvety yet light perfection each time.
7. Sausage, Potato, and Mushroom Skillet
While white potatoes are now allowed on the Whole30, using the sweet kind in this recipe makes for a nice twist on tradition. The sausage packs in the savory flavor, and, well, mushrooms are never out of place in a breakfast hash.
8. Thai Shrimp Salad With Almond Butter Dressing
Peanuts may not be allowed on the Whole30, but you can recreate some authentic southeast-Asian flavors with an almond butter-based dressing instead (just leave out the honey)! Drizzle it over a vibrant dish of shrimp and chopped veggies for a fresh but filling salad that rivals any Thai takeout.
9. Taco Salad
If you and your pal are especially hungry, look no further than this recipe. It makes two huge servings and is packed with filling fats from the avocado and protein from the meat. The word salad may be in the title, but it’s totally main meal-worthy.
10. The Meat Lover’s Ratatouille
Ratatouille is usually a vegetarian dish, but this recipe tosses a few chunks of beef into the produce for extra oomph. The quick, skillet-cooked method makes the meat tender while the veggies stay crisp; whether you serve it as a side or a main, it’ll be the star of any meal.
11. Paleo Berry Tuna Salad
Stirring strawberries and blueberries right into the fish in this mayo-free version of tuna salad may seem slightly strange, but trust us, it works. The fruit adds fiber and color, plus makes your lunch that much sweeter.
12. Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Salad
This is a pretty traditional recipe as far as buffalo chicken salads go—just make your own compliant mayo so that it has the Whole30 stamp of approval. Mixed with celery, onions, and garlic, it’ll taste just like what you get at the deli, minus the added sugars.
13. Roasted Portobello Topped With Spicy Shrimp Bruschetta
Serve up this classic appetizer on baked mushroom caps instead of baguette slices. The portobellos add a meaty texture that might make you prefer this version to the original.
14. Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries
With just some coconut oil and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, sweet potato fries reach new heights… when it comes to taste. The simple additions bring so much flavor, you don’t even really need a dipping sauce.
15. Braised Lamb Shanks With Caramelized Carrots
Want to impress your Whole30 partner without stressing yourself out? Make this. Lamb shanks and veggies are soaked in a garlicky, balsamic broth for two hours of hands-off cooking time and make for incredibly juicy results. Your friend will be bowled over, you will be totally relaxed, and dinner will be amazing.
16. Whole30 Garlic Salmon With Watercress
Show your S.O. just how much you care by cooking up this superfood fish for dinner. Then show them just how much you love them by pairing it with a salad that includes chopped (Whole30-compliant) bacon. It’s a meal they won’t forget.
17. Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash Boats
Spaghetti squash makes the perfect meal for two—each person gets one half of the veggie. Here, each shell gets filled with the squash strands (duh), plus shrimp that’s been sautéed in a mouthwatering mix of ghee and garlic. There may be no linguine in this scampi, but the 30-minute meal doesn’t even need it.
18. Romantic Steak Dinner for Two
Recreate the flavors of a classic steakhouse with seared sirloin, plated up with a warm cauliflower salad including pomegranates and almond slices. The best part? You need fewer than eight main ingredients to put this beauty together.
19. Paleo Zucchini Pasta With Shrimp Marinara
If you’re on the Whole30 but used to an Italian meal on a Sunday night, get as close to pasta as possible by making zucchini noodles. Covered in sautéed shrimp and a simple marinara sauce, it stacks up against anything you’d get at a good Italian spot.
20. 5-Ingredient Baked Chicken and Sweet Potatoes for Two
Keep your Whole30 meal simple with the best, wholesome comfort food. All you have to do is stick chicken and sweet potatoes in an oven with some garam masala for a bit of a kick. Thirty minutes later, dinner’s on the table.
21. Blackened Salmon Over Cajun Zoodles
Requiring just four main ingredients and 20 minutes, this dish is a great option for anyone who’s low on time but still wants to make a special meal for two. Use the Cajun seasoning to taste so that the zucchini and salmon are as spicy as you—and your special someone—want them.
22. Mexican Chicken Stir-Fry
You don’t have to be an expert in the kitchen to whip up a perfect Whole30 meal for your bud/S.O./date. What this recipe doesn’t have in fanciness, it more than makes up for in flavor, thanks to the cumin, cayenne, and paprika dusting the chicken and veggies. Light a candle, and even this simple meal becomes instantly romantic… if that’s what you’re going for.
23. Chicken Primavera
Anything with the word “primavera” in it implies lots of veggies, and this dish doesn’t disappoint. Brimming with green beans, zucchini, and yellow squash, it’s a fantastic way to make your meal healthy, but still feel like you’re at your favorite restaurant.
