Dear Melissa,
You’ve said there were some updates to the Pancake Rule in The New Whole30. Can you break them down for me? —Love, Everyone on the Whole30 Subreddit
Dear Everyone,
As part of the research for The New Whole30, we reevaluated all of the Whole30 program rules, including the Pancake Rule. In fact, this rule was discussed perhaps more than any of the others. We even debated whether life-changing Whole30 success still requires this rule at all! (When we evaluate the program rules, we question all of our own assumptions, and nothing is off-limits.)
Before you get too excited… the Pancake Rule remains. In fact, based on the research, our community surveys, and our clinical experience, we unanimously agreed the Pancake Rule is still integral for your Whole30 success. (You can read more about our community surveys on page 32 in The New Whole30.)
Without the Pancake Rule, you could spend your entire Whole30 still eating potato chips, bread, cookies, pizza, pasta, cereal, and fast-food fries. In which case, do you think you’d still get the same dramatic, life-changing transformation of your health, habits, and relationship with food? (Be honest!) The answer is almost certainly no. In fact, in a 2023 survey of 1,100 Whole30 alumni, 89 percent said their Whole30 would not have been as successful without the Pancake Rule.
“In fact, in a 2023 survey of 1,100 Whole30 alumni, 89 percent said their Whole30 would not have been as successful without the Pancake Rule.”
So, the rule stays—but there were some components of it that frankly needed an update. As an example, prior to this update, you could blend frozen fruit into a smoothie on the Whole30… but not blend fruit into a square shape and freeze it in the form of a “popsicle.”
I know—it didn’t always seem logical, and we took some deserved criticism for it. However, in our defense, it’s really hard to come up with one set of rules that is easy to follow and maximally effective—and the Pancake Rule has always been the trickiest for us. The food landscape is always changing, and it feels like every few months, we have to revisit this rule based on an innovative new product on the market. (See: plantain chips, cauliflower gnocchi, cassava tortillas… the list goes on.)
Sometimes, we went overboard with the intention of making the rule clear and easy to follow. This was the case when we moved to “no store-bought chips” in 2017. Plantain chips were new, and we watched as Whole30ers stopped loading their plates with veggies and started eating deep-fried plantain chips by the bagful. The intention of this rule was to keep “foods with no brakes” (like potato and plantain chips) out of the elimination phase, but the way we worded it meant store-bought kale chips, apple chips, or coconut chips were also off-limits. That didn’t feel right.
Sometimes, foods we ruled out because we thought they would be “food with no brakes” didn’t shake out like that. Take grain-free granola, for instance. Nuts and seeds are quite satiating, and as it wasn’t sweetened, there is less impetus to eat a whole bag at once. (It’s great sprinkled into a smoothie, though, or over berries, or as a salad topper.)
In many cases, it turns out we needed to thread the needle a bit more carefully. We had to ensure the elimination phase was effectively crafted, while allowing other (totally suitable and nutrient-dense) items in. We also had to do this without giving you a list of exceptions as long as your arm. (I told you, it’s tricky!)
The NEW Pancake Rule
I’m happy to say, the new language you’ll find on our website and in The New Whole30 accomplishes just that, to the best of our ability given the current food landscape. And if some totally new food innovation comes out next week to challenge all of this (what else can cauliflower become?!?), we’ll be ready.
Below is a quick summary of the new language (with emphasis added).
During the 30-day elimination phase of the Whole30, the Pancake Rule asks you not to include:
- All baked goods made from alternative flour (bread, tortillas, wraps, crackers, pizza or pie crust, biscuits, pancakes, crepes, waffles, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, and brownies)
- Pasta or noodles made from alternative flour
- Cereals made from alternative flour
- Chips (including potato, sweet potato, tortilla, plantain, taro, or cassava chips)
- French fries or tots
To summarize the differences:
- Alternative flour: This language makes this rule more specific to flour-based products and allows products that are just protein and/or veggies. (For example, flour- or starch-free egg-white wraps, coconut wraps, or the egg-and-banana “pancake” are now compatible with the elimination phase.)
- Chips: Previous language made it hard to know which chips were and were not compatible. This rule calls out specific potato and potato-like chips, but it leaves you free to enjoy other fruit and veggie chips, like apple, kale, and coconut.
- Other changes: The Pancake Rule language previously didn’t allow for 100 percent (no added sugar) fruit pops or sorbets; grain-free granolas made from nuts and seeds; or whole dates used in smoothies or other beverages. Current language allows for these foods during elimination.
Happy day—a more accessible and logical Pancake Rule for this next era of Whole30! For a more detailed perspective on all things Pancake Rule, read pages 32-33 in The New Whole30.
XO, Melissa
