Flavor is Whole30 compatible. Just because you’re giving up certain food groups for a month or so, that doesn’t mean you’ll be eating uninspiring food. Quite the opposite. Your Whole30 food can (and should) be taste-bud-ticklingly delicious—especially if you follow a few easy flavor hacks and seasoning tips.
These simple ways to spice up Whole30 meals will help you cook with Melissa Urban’s “Stuff Over Stuff” method or freestyle in the kitchen. Anything you want to throw together can be made better using the Whole30 flavor boosters below. But if you’d prefer more of a step-by-step guide to tasty food, browse the hundreds of Whole30 recipes we’ve collected for you.
Salt is the ultimate flavor enhancer
Sprinkle it dramatically from a great height with your fingers. Delicately dispense it from a fancy glass bottle. Shake it from a ceramic chicken your grandmother gave you. Dump it straight out of the container.
Just make sure to salt your food.
It brings out the natural flavors of the ingredients you’re using. The earlier you salt, the less you have to use. And starting with whole foods means you can add salt without overdoing it on sodium. So whether it’s table, sea, Kosher, or flaky, don’t forget the salt.
Bring the yum with more umami
When savory, meatiness is called for, you have plenty of options for bringing umami to the party. We’ll skip the chemistry that makes this fifth basic taste possible and jump right to the flavor hacks to boost the umami of your menu.
Start with these ingredients:
- Any meat, but especially cured products like bacon
- Mushrooms
- Coconut aminos
- Tomatoes (paste is more concentrated for more umami)
- Seaweed (especially kombu or nori)
- Garlic
- Fermented foods like kimchi
- Nutritional yeast, which adds a cheesy flavor, too
- Anchovies, sardines, and dried seafood
- Fish sauce (check label for compatibility)
Herbs
Pound for pound, herbs pack more flavor and aroma than anything in the plant world. All you need is a few sprigs of rosemary, a tablespoon of tiny thyme leaves, or a chiffonade of basil for big bursts of herbaceousness.
All those herbs (along with oregano, dill, lemongrass, chives, parsley, mint, cilantro, bay leaves, sage, tarragon, and more) are compatible with any phase of your Whole30 journey. Even a dish as simple as scrambled eggs is elevated with an infusion of herbs.
You can use them dried or fresh, whatever you prefer. Just remember dried herbs are about three times stronger than their fresh counterparts. So the tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves is equivalent to one teaspoon of the dried variety.
Spices
Instead of a rack or part of a cabinet, your spices deserve a shrine. With all the deliciousness they impart to every bite of your food, they’ve earned it.
And one of the easiest flavor hacks you can use is simple: stock your spice cabinet (or shrine) with a variety of fresh options. Ground spices only retain their full flavor wizardry for two or three years. You might get an extra year out of whole spices.
So make sure to keep your spice shrine stocked with these common flavor boosters (no dried herbs included, since they’re listed above):
- Allspice
- Black pepper (or white pepper if you’re a Julia Child stan)
- Chili powder
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Corriander
- Cumin
- Granulated garlic or garlic powder
- Ground ginger
- Nutmeg
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Red pepper flakes
Spice blends are also a great way to season your food with little effort and big results. (We have a few DIY options here, too.) When you’re choosing a blend or even grabbing spices and seasonings, check the label to make sure there’s no added sugar or other non-compatible ingredients.
Aromatics
So many recipes start with onions and garlic for good reason. The aromatic vegetables provide a savory base for soups, stews, sauces, and about a thousand other dishes.
Adding garlic and onion to ground meat in your meal prep will bring more flavor to whatever ingredient meal you have planned. You already know garlic can amp up umami flavors in the meat, making it even more savory. Onions bring a subtle sweetness and can, after sauteing, add even more umami.
Carrots, celery, and herbs—also ginger or lemongrass in Asian-inspired recipes—can be used as aromatics in a dish to create a sturdy base of flavor you can build on with higher notes of spice and acid.
BONUS: A few more easy ways to add flavor to any meal
You could make pretty flavorful, savory food with what you’ve already read. Now it’s time for the bonus round—flavor hacks that add additional notes to give your dishes delicious dimensions.
- Don’t be afraid of acid. A little lemon juice or compatible vinegar might be exactly what you need to brighten a dish.
- A drizzle of oil can add a lot of richness to your meal.
- Acid and fat should act in harmony to create a balanced flavor profile.
- Spiciness is a personal preference. But turning up the heat with fresh peppers, chili flakes, or a compatible hot sauce can kick up the intensity of your food.
- Sugar is out during elimination, but that doesn’t mean sweetness is off the menu for your Whole30. Dates and 100% fruit juice can add sweetness to sauces, but caramelizing vegetables—especially onions—can add subtle sweet notes, too.
- It’s not a flavor hack exactly, but adding crunchy texture to your plate also enhances your culinary experience.
Flavor is on the menu for your Whole30
You’ve seen how easy it is to enjoy every forkful from elimination into food freedom with a few simple flavor hacks and seasoning tips. You understand how to turn simple ingredients into delicious dishes. Now play around with the combinations of herbs, spices, aromatics, and umami bombs that light up your palate. You’ll be a culinary rockstar in no time!
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