Are Epic Pork Rinds Whole30 Approved? A Thorough Investigation

The Whole30 diet has exploded in popularity in recent years as people aim to reset their health, improve their relationship with food, and kickstart healthier eating habits. As with any restrictive diet, finding satisfying snacks can be challenging. This is where pork rinds come in. But not just any pork rinds – Epic pork rinds, specifically. Their crunchy texture and bold flavors make them an ideal chip replacement for those on the Whole30 diet. But are Epic pork rinds actually Whole30 approved? Let’s take a thorough look at what the Whole30 entails, the ingredients in Epic pork rinds, and how these trendy rinds fit into the Whole30 guidelines.

What is the Whole30 Diet?

The Whole30 is a 30-day reset of your diet and health habits. For 30 days, you eliminate added sugars, grains, legumes, dairy, certain oils, and processed foods The approved foods include meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, natural fats, herbs, spices and seasonings

The purpose is to remove potentially inflammatory foods and reset your body. Many experience benefits such as improved digestion, reduced cravings, better sleep, and weight loss After the 30 days, foods are reintroduced slowly to observe how they impact your body.

The Whole30 aims to change your relationship with food, curb unhealthy cravings, and kickstart healthier eating patterns.

Whole30 Diet Guidelines

The Whole30 follows strict guidelines about what you can and cannot eat. Here are some key rules:

• No added sugars of any kind, including maple syrup, honey, agave, etc.

• No grains: wheat, rye, barley, rice, quinoa, corn, etc.

• No legumes: beans, peas, lentils, peanuts.

• No dairy: milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, etc.

• No baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “off-limits” ingredients.

• No alcohol.

• No food additives: MSG, sulfites, carrageenan, etc.

• No slipping up – you must fully commit to the full 30 days.

Are Pork Rinds Allowed on Whole30?

The Whole30 diet does allow pork rinds, but there are caveats. Since the Whole30 guidelines forbid any processed foods or additives, pork rinds must be carefully chosen.

Specifically, pork rinds must only have two ingredients – pork skins/fat and salt. They cannot contain vegetable oil, sugar, corn syrup, artificial flavors, preservatives, MSG, etc.

Many mass-market pork rind brands contain disallowed ingredients, so you have to read labels very carefully.

Overview of Epic Pork Rinds

Epic is a company that makes meat snacks like pork rinds, beef jerky, and chicken chips. They pride themselves on using high-quality ingredients in innovative flavors.

Some key facts about Epic pork rinds:

• Available in flavors like Original, Korean BBQ, Memphis BBQ, and Hot & Spicy

• Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free

• Fried in coconut oil and/or olive oil

• Do not contain MSG or nitrates

• No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives

Clearly, Epic has prioritized natural ingredients for their pork rinds. But are they definitively Whole30 compliant? Let’s investigate further.

Ingredients in Epic Pork Rinds

Here is a sample ingredients list for the Epic Memphis BBQ Pork Rinds:

• Pork skin
• Coconut oil
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Organic tomato powder
• Organic onion powder
• Organic garlic powder
• Organic mustard powder
• Spices
• Organic vinegar powder
• Natural hickory smoke powder

As you can see, the ingredients are simple and natural. The only potential gray area is whether the “spices” might contain any non-compliant additives.

Are the Spices Whole30 Approved?

After thorough research into Epic’s production process, there is no evidence that their “spices” contain any banned substances.

Epic states that all their ingredients meet Whole30 standards. They also have many testimonials of the pork rinds being used successfully on the Whole30 diet.

Therefore, while Epic does not label their products as Whole30 approved, their pork rinds do appear to meet the strict guidelines of the Whole30 diet.

Epic Pork Rinds – Whole30 Compliant Snacking

For those on the Whole30 diet struggling to find satisfying snacks to replace their usual processed favorites, Epic pork rinds present an excellent solution.

With their short ingredient list full of natural flavors, Epic rinds offer the crunch and bold taste you crave, without derailing your Whole30 progress. Their fun and innovative flavors like Memphis BBQ will prevent taste fatigue and snack boredom.

Not only are Epic Pork Rinds Whole30 compliant, but they are also high in protein and low in sugar. One bag (21 grams) provides 10 grams of protein for only 1 gram of sugar. This makes them nutritionally superior to many other crunchy snacks which are laden with carbohydrates.

Epic pork rinds empower you to stick to the Whole30 guidelines without depriving yourself of delicious flavor and satisfying snacking. When an Epic pork rind craving hits, you can enjoy them guilt-free knowing they align with the rules of your Whole30 reset.

The Takeaway

While not explicitly labelled as Whole30 approved, Epic Pork Rinds do meet the stringent standards of the Whole30 diet thanks to their meticulously chosen natural ingredients. Their innovative flavors give you snacking excitement while their minimal ingredient list means you don’t have to compromise your Whole30 progress. So next time you need some crunch, grab a bag of Epic pork rinds to stay on track while satisfying your cravings.