What to drink on Whole30

What to Drink on Whole30 is a question you'll be asking yourself not long after you start a whole30! The main focus always seems to be on the food, with the drinks as an afterthought.

Need some recipe inspiration for your Whole30? Check out these easy and delicious Whole30 recipes! You'll be making them long after your round is over!

Check out this post if you're not sure what is Whole30!

How to figure out what to drink on Whole30

So you’ve got the food do’s and don’ts down, but what about drinks? The same rules still apply, and read your labels! If there is any form of sugar or sweetener on the label, it’s out. If there is carrageenan in the drink or other unapproved additives (check out this handy pdf), it’s also out. Obviously milk, smoothies with milk, creamer, or any drinks with dairy are out. 

Here's what you can drink while doing Whole30:

1-Whole30 Approved Sparkling Water

Sparkling water is a great option. There are LOTS of options and some are even Whole30 approved!

Here is a complete list of Whole30 approved sparkling waters:

• Waterloo
• La Croix
• Aura Bora
• Beak & Skiff

Note that Beak and Skiff is the first and currently only CBD brand that's approved!

Other great Whole30 compatible sparkling water includes are Spindrift, Buble, San Pellegrino, and Target store brand sparkling water to name just a few. Always be sure to check your labels as some do surprisingly contain off limit ingredients, but most sparkling water is compatible.

2-Tea

Herbal tea you make yourself is a great way to distract from sugar cravings! Plan to keep things interesting during your round by trying a few new tea varieties during your Whole30. Loose leaf teas are a really fun option, and the list of benefits they can provide are endless, just do some research on the specific kind.

If you use a tea bag, still be sure to read your labels! Some contain a form of sugar in them. Others, as I was surprised to find out during my last Whole30, have rice powder in them! Be as diligent reading labels with drinks as you are for food.

Try bottled tea if it’s compatible, and there are also quite a few approved brands!

Here's a list of Whole30 approved teas:

• Sound
• Kite
• Hoplark HopTea

3-Kombucha

Kombucha, a fermented tea, is a whole beast in and of itself. This is because kombucha isn’t regulated as tightly as other products are, due to it being regulated by the FDA and not the USDA. The rules on kombucha may seem confusing to some, but it doesn’t have to be. The rule is the same here as with everything else: if sugar is in the ingredient list, whether that’s for the 1st or the 2nd fermentation, it’s out. That eliminates nearly all store bought kombuchas, as sugar is a required ingredient for even the 1st ferment.

If you make kombucha at home, the rule is this: sugar is allowed for the 1st fermentation as it is required. Any sugar added afterward for a 2nd fermentation, is NOT allowed. This article thoroughly explains the intricacies of kombucha, written by Melissa Urban herself, co-founder of the Whole30 program. Kombucha is a great alternative to soda, since it’s fizzy and naturally sweet.

But, to the rescue comes Humm Kombucha! It is the first and ONLY Whole30 approved kombucha. They have found a way to make it only using juice, even in the first fermentation.

They taste crazy delicious, and come in four flavors: ginger, mango lemon, strawberry blossom, and mixed berry. They also have seasonal flavors! Buy them at Target and Shoprite, or check here for your local place to buy.

You can also make your own kombucha! It's allowed to make it using sugar in the first fermentation only, as it pretty much gets eaten up in the fermentation process. Using a sweetener for the the 2nd (optional) fermentation is out however.

For instructions, check out my Instagram page here and go to the kombucha highlight for step by step instructions!

4-Coffee

Yes, you’ll have to forgo sugar or sweeteners for 30 day as well as dairy creamer. But there are dairy-free, unsweetened options available.

Check out Nutpods and New Barn Organics. Both brands have Whole30 approved options so no need to fear the labels!

5-Bone Broth

Bone broth. Yes you read that right! The benefits of bone broth are quite important to combat the SAD (standard American diet) diet. While sugar, gluten, and much of the SAD diet can wreak havoc on our gut health and cause leaky gut (which can cause acne, headaches, fatigue, digestion issues, etc), bone broth can help to seal your gut and eliminate the symptoms. It’s also full of collagen which is great for your skin, and full of vital protein. It’s a great warm beverage to drink during the cooler months when hot chocolate isn’t an option.

Making it at home is the cheapest option and is also super easy! This recipe for slow cooker bone broth is extremely easy and foolproof, and you don't have to babysit it all day, just throw it together and be about your day!

If you’d rather buy it, make sure there’s no added sugars or MSG! Some really clean and sustainable brands are Bonafide Provisions or Kettle and Fire. Both are Whole30 approved too.

6-Juice

While drinking straight up juice is NOT recommended due to it being naturally so high in sugar, it is allowed. However, you WILL NOT overcome your sugar addiction if you are drinking glasses of juice each day.

During my first Whole30, I struggled to stop craving sugar because I had fruit or fruit juice whenever I was craving sugar. While it’s certainly better than soda, limit your juice intake!

Instead, use it to flavor your water. And that's really ALL that I recommend it for: FLAVORING your water. I included it here because it IS allowed, but I strongly recommend you do NOT drink it as is if you want to really slay your sugar dragon.

7-Natural Calm

One of my favorite things to add to my water is Natural Calm, a magnesium drink from Natural Vitality. Magnesium is used in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium can help you sleep better and feel calmer. It affects a whole host of things, and most people are believed to be deficient in it.

If you're on Whole30, just be sure to drink the original (unflavored) variety of Natural Calm, as the flavored varieties have added sweeteners.

What do you like to drink that’s sugar free and compatible? Share with us below!