Whole30 Approved® Product Guidelines
Show our community you are compatible
The Whole30 Approved® program and product label is the best way to show our community that your product is 100% compatible and meets all Whole30 Approved product guidelines. The label also tells shoppers that your product and company have been looked at by our team for alignment with our core values and mission. That stamp of approval speaks volumes, making it easier for consumers to feel good about picking your product out from all the offerings on the shelf. And your interest in Whole30 Approved status helps us expand the easy-to-love product options for our continually growing community—with millions changing their lives with the Whole30 since 2009. As the community expands, it also heightens the reputation and exposure of our Whole30 Approved partners.
Whole30 Approved® Program Requirements
- No added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, monk fruit, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Fruit or fruit juice is the only acceptable sweetener.
- No alcohol, with the exception of wine vinegars and alcohol-based botanical extracts (like vanilla, lemon, or lavender).
- No grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains, and all of those gluten-free pseudo-cereals like quinoa. This also includes wheat, corn, and rice bran, germ, starch, and so on.
- No legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts/peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy: soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, or soy lecithin. Green beans and most peas (including sugar snap peas, snow peas, green peas, yellow peas, and split peas) are the only exceptions.
- No dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s products such as milk, cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, and whey. Clarified butter or ghee are the only exceptions.
- No replicating baked goods, treats, or comfort foods. This includes alternative-flour bread, tortillas, wraps, crackers, pizza or pie crust, biscuits, pancakes, crepes, waffles, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, pasta, or cereal. This also includes potato chips or fries. We err on the side of caution with this rule.
- High-quality protein: All animal protein sources used in Whole30 Approved protein products should come from appropriately fed and humanely raised animals wherever possible. (See HERE for our detailed animal welfare standards.)
- All prepared ingredients used must be compatible: If you are using pre-made or packaged ingredients like mustard, dried cranberries, or bacon in your product, each of these ingredients must be compatible as well.
- Your products must be available to the majority of our U.S.-based audience, either in stores or online. You can sell through your online store, Amazon.com, online markets like Thrive Market, or in retailers throughout the U.S.
Before your initial approval is granted, we need to thoroughly review the product(s) that you believe fit our criteria. We will request that you send us a list of all of the ingredients in each product you are submitting for Whole30 Approved status, or point us to the complete ingredient listing on your web site. Please note that we reserve the right to decline partnership, even if your product ingredients are technically compatible.
