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Melissa Urban

Melissa Urban

Melissa Urban is an 8x New York Times bestselling author (including the instant bestseller, The New Whole30) who specializes in helping people establish healthy boundaries and successfully navigate habit change. She has been featured by the New York Times, People, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Today Show, and Good Morning America, and is a prominent keynote speaker on boundaries, building community, health trends, and entrepreneurship. She lives in Salt Lake City, UT with her husband, son, and two rescue doodles.
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Articles/Recipes


Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
February 14, 2024, 6:00 pm
  • Dear Melissa

Embracing Change with The New Whole30

Your flagship book, The Whole30, came out in April 2015—almost nine years ago. Have you thought about updating that book, and if so, what...
Whole30 Reintroduction: Four Common Mistakes
January 30, 2024, 12:03 pm
  • Reintroduction

Don’t make these 4 reintroduction mistakes

Congratulations on finishing your Whole30 elimination phase! You feel better than ever and secure in your new healthy habits, but are still excited to...
Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
January 25, 2024, 11:36 am
  • Dear Melissa

How to deal with stress beyond food

Dear Melissa, I just finished my January Whole30, and I feel amazing! I have more energy, my skin is glowing, I’m no longer bloated all...
How to prepare for Whole30 reintroduction
January 24, 2024, 12:00 pm
  • Reintroduction

How to prepare for Whole30 reintroduction

The 30-day elimination phase of the Whole30 gets a lot of attention. It is called the Whole30, after all, and participants and the media...
Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
January 10, 2024, 4:50 pm
  • Dear Melissa

A closer look at dietary fat on the Whole30

Dear Melissa, I’m on Day 15 of my second Whole30, and I’m wondering if there is such a thing as eating too much dietary...
Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
December 19, 2023, 3:57 pm
  • Dear Melissa

3 steps to maintain your Whole30 commitment

Dear Melissa,  I’m on Day 3 of my first Whole30. So far it’s going really well, but the excitement of the first day or...
Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
December 12, 2023, 5:07 pm
  • Dear Melissa

The Whole30 Mindset

As you approach your next Whole30, there are lots of tasks on your checklist: plan some meals, clean out the pantry, hit the grocery...
Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
December 4, 2023, 7:37 pm
  • Dear Melissa

How to Stay Social on Your Whole30

I always encourage you to stay social on your Whole30, recognizing that your health commitment is an integral part of these interactions. Sure, this...
Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
November 14, 2023, 5:18 pm
  • Dear Melissa

Your guide to food freedom this holiday season

Dear Melissa, We’re heading into holiday party season, and I’m going to use the holiday tips in Food Freedom Forever and your boundary scripts...
Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
October 30, 2023, 8:51 pm
  • Dear Melissa

Find your Food Freedom “why,” Part 2

In Part 1 of Find your Food Freedom “why”, I said that if you really want Food Freedom success, you need to work your...
Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
October 17, 2023, 9:58 pm
  • Dear Melissa

Find your Food Freedom “why,” Part 1

You’ll often hear me and the Whole30 HQ team talk about finding your Whole30 “why,” and using that to help you stay on track...
Plant-Based Meal Template
September 18, 2023, 5:22 pm

Plant-Based Meal Template, Part 3

Part two of my plant-based meal templates series featured  another one of my favorite Whole30 “meal templates,” Plant-Based Stuff Over Stuff. Meal templates are...
Dear Melissa—Melissa Urban wearing a light blue jean top and darker blue jeans, cooking on a wooden table top, and smiling at the camera.
September 14, 2023, 5:36 pm
  • Dear Melissa

Dear Melissa: Three Whole30 tips when you just want to quit

In this article, I’m helping you navigate the spur-of-the-moment temptation to self-sabotage what you know is a really good thing for you right now—your...
Plant-Based Meal Template
September 12, 2023, 10:05 pm

Plant-Based Whole30 Meal Template, Part 2

In Part 1 of my plant-based meal-planning series, I shared one of my favorite Whole30 “meal templates,” Tofu ‘n Things. Meal templates are barely...
Plant-Based Meal Template
September 4, 2023, 7:51 pm

Plant-Based Whole30 Meal Template, Part 1

I spend a lot of time talking about meal planning on the Whole30, and the underlying message tends to be “keep it simple.” These...
Dear Melissa & Friends: How to save time in the kitchen while navigating a busy schedule with New York Times bestselling author, Danielle Walker
August 17, 2023, 9:02 pm
  • Dear Melissa

Dear Melissa & Friends: How to save time in the kitchen while navigating a busy schedule with New York Times bestselling author, Danielle Walker

This week’s Dear Melissa & Friends guest just happens to be one of my besties in the food and wellness space—none other than Danielle...
Melissa, a long-haired smiling woman, and text that says Dear Melissa
August 1, 2023, 10:00 am
  • Dear Melissa
  • Troubleshooting

Dear Melissa: I’m Bored of My Whole30

Dear Melissa, It’s Day 25 of my last Whole30, and I’m OVER IT. No foods sound good, and I can’t imagine what to make...
Melissa, a long-haired smiling woman, and text that says Dear Melissa
July 21, 2023, 11:41 pm
  • Dear Melissa

Dear Melissa: My food freedom—A day in the life of MU

Every week, I get at least a few questions along the lines of, “But how do YOU eat?” You’re always interested in how I...
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