Frisco restaurant gets Whole30 approval — good news for healthful eaters

UP Inspired Kitchen in Frisco is selling breakfast and lunch dishes that meet Whole30's rigorous standards.

Whole30 is a 30-day eating program that instructs its followers to eat "real food," according to the website — mostly vegetables, lean meat and seafood. But Whole30 is more often defined by its list of no-nos: no sugar, no alcohol, no grains, no legumes, no dairy and no junk food.

Created by Melissa Hartwig Urban, it's a popular plan. But it can make eating in restaurants (very) challenging. Even consuming a salad at a fast-casual shop, for instance, might mean eating it dry, because many salad dressings contain sugar or sugar substitutes. Trying to find a more complex restaurant dish that is Whole30 approved is even tougher, as many chefs cook with butter, cheese, grains, soy and a host of other not-approved ingredients.

Further, it's rare when the Whole30 team puts its seal of approval on a restaurant.

"Most restaurants don't go the extra mile to make [Whole30] dishes available to all of their customers," says Alyssa Anthony, brand partnership manager for Whole30. "We do have more and more becoming involved all the time, but it still takes a great amount of commitment."

UP Inspired Kitchen is the fourth restaurant group in North Texas to be recognized by Whole30. Zoes Kitchen is the largest one, and its 25-plus stores in North Texas became Whole30 Approved in spring 2018. Other Whole30 Approved restaurants are Snap Kitchen (10 locations) and Gather Kitchen (2 locations).

Having the word "Kitchen" in the restaurant name isn't required for Whole30 Approval, but it sure seems like a trend, doesn't it?

A team of Whole30 staffers all over the United States vet restaurants that want to be Whole30 Approved, including Anthony, who is based in Austin. Restaurants that meet the company's standards sign a license agreement that allows them to use the Whole30 Approved trademark — a welcome symbol on any menu for healthy eaters trying to follow the plan.

"We want people who are on Whole30 to feel empowered," Anthony says. "Doing a Whole30 shouldn't change your life, so the ability to go out and grab brunch with your friends is huge. That's why we're really happy we have partners like UP."

UP Inspired Kitchen has four dishes that fit the Whole30 plan, including a veggie hash with greens, egg and bacon; and zoodle salad with a lemon juice and olive oil dressing. See detailed descriptions of each dish here.

Anyone dining at the fast-casual restaurant is asked to specify that they want the Whole30 version. The dishes are also available via online ordering.

UP's co-founder Rachel Phillips-Luther says in a statement that the new Whole30 dishes "deliver maximum flavor using high-quality ingredients, allowing our guests to Fuel UP while staying true to their Whole30 goals." The remainder of UP's menu, while not Whole30 specific, is health-forward. Bowls and wraps come with vegetarian options and better-for-you swaps, like Greek yogurt instead of mayo; and gluten-free options are available.

UP is open for breakfast and lunch and is located at 5285 North Dallas Parkway (near Lebanon Road), Frisco.