January is a very popular month for resolutions, including trying the Whole30. Whether you're trying it for the first time or you simply need additional inspiration to make it through the rest of the month, staffers who've 30'd before offer their favorite tips.

Plan a Lunch Swap

My Whole30 was pretty fantastic. A ton of people on staff were also participating, so there was moral support when you needed it, especially when samples of the latest doughnut trend made their way into the office. Also, a group of us did a lunch swap, so each person brought in lunch one day a week for the group, which was amazing if you like meal prepping but hate eating the same thing every day for lunch. My personal favorite was Whole30 Sesame Chicken and Broccoli Rice (pictured above), because it’s easy to scale up and reheats well. Oh, and when you CANNOT look at another egg, whip up Food Network Kitchen's Whole30 Hot Apple Cereal. I make it even when I’m not participating in Whole30!

- Julie Hines, Managing Editor

Meal Prep, Meal Prep, Meal Prep

I love Whole30. I start each year out with it in January. It’s a great way to kickstart the year and feel really productive and accomplished. I spend a lot of time food prepping on Sunday, so it’s less essential to spend a ton of time doing that during the week. My husband and I make hard-boiled eggs and sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot, a big-batch soup for lunches for the week, and chili or some type of protein/veggie combo for dinner. It’s all pretty simple, which is why I think it’s easier each year that goes by. We now have our go-to recipes. I couldn’t do it without the help of my husband. We do it together each year so we're on the same team and one partner isn’t tempting the other to the “dark side.” It’s a great support system to have help doing all the meal prep and cooking — because it can be a lot!

- Laura Eshelman, Supervising Producer

Do Whole30 with a Group

Start a group text or message thread with a group doing Whole30! It's so helpful to have people you can share stories, struggles and even complaints with when things get challenging. Friends and family may get sick of hearing about Whole30, but your go-to group will always be there to cheer you on.

- Gabriela Rodiles, Social Media Manager

Share Ingredient + Recipe Inspo

When I did the Whole30 diet two years ago, I had my parents and sister do it with me. Even though they were on the other side of the country, I found it helpful to have a support group to bounce meal ideas and questions off of. Anytime I found a new Whole30-compliant item at Trader Joe’s I immediately put it into our group chat, and almost every night my dad sent photos of dinner for inspiration. It kept us all on track and made sure we never got bored during those very long 30 days.

- Rachel Trujillo, Associate Content Editor

Make Special Temporary Indulgences

Like most people, my husband and I tend to do Whole30 in January, when it's cold and grim outside, and nothing sounds better than wrapping our hands around a hot mug of cocoa. To stave off wistful cravings, we swap in bone broth for the month. Sure, it's not hot chocolate, but it's a much healthier stand-in. A butcher downstairs from the office serves a special flavor each day, often fortified with lemongrass or chiles, so I greedily take advantage during afternoon doldrums. But at home, we love slow-cooking our own.

- Erin Hartigan, Senior Managing Editor

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