Thoughts from Meredith Launius

Our Primary Owner of CrossFit Eureka has been sharing her thoughts under the page, Our Thoughts, however, I have been missing many of them.  Which got me to wondering how many of you are missing them too.  So...I am going to do away with the page and just make it a category here on the main page.  What she has to share is so important to what we are doing, I wouldn't want any of you to miss it!  

Thank you Meredith!

 

 

This could get ugly folks!

So I feel the need to keep this discussion of food quality and quantity going. I have been a few days in with my new found freedom not being restricted to a certain amount of blocks per day, which if a person tends to overeat is not a bad thing but how do you know what is too much or too little if you don't have a target intake to aim for based on lean body mass calculations? This is where I am boggled still. Probably from years of eating on a  regimented schedule, hungry or not, because its lunchtime, I am having the hardest time " listening to my body". I know what not to eat but more or less am having a hard time planning the when and how much because I don't know how Ill feel later or even in the morning. Ok, I'm jumping ahead here...stay with me people! Robb Wolf has said many times that you cannot overeat paleo due to potent satiety factor of protein and fat and I'm gathering that veggies are not really in danger of being overeaten anytime soon. Four cups of broccoli is one serving,hello. Robb Wolf has not seen me annihilate a jar of coconut butter in an afternoon ( yes that's my treat, no laughing!). So I'm wondering, if my body knows what to eat, when to eat it and I'm going to look feel and perform better by listening to  it, then why oh why would it tell me to eat chocolate? Do I really need 10 ounces of steak? I know people who still crave nachos, does that mean your body is telling you to eat them? This whole intuitive eating that I get all touchy feely about with people is so hard for some reason! I find that I am eating double what I was and to be honest its freaking me out a little. Somewhere in the back of my mind I am still hearing the antiquated "conventional wisdom" of eat less and train more....women should eat like birds ( I got a bird for conventional wisdom! ha) or some other equally awful sage advice. I feel now firsthand the fear of change in regards to my food habits, they are sooo personal, that all of you feel or have felt when I say " Nope, give up the sweetener in you coffee's" or "Hey have you heard of our Whole 30 challenge?". I could probably apologize here at some point but i wont because just like me, you need to hear it. I needed 8 specialists to pry the block chart from my cold, frightened fingers so i could stand up, dust off and be able to serve my members better. If i cant make the necessary changes how can I ask you to? Intuitive eating is by far the hardest thing Ive had to do, harder than my Whole 30's, harder than prepping and packing food for my entire day, harder even than getting used to ADDING fat to meals ( yummy no problems there!). Sometimes not enough sleep or dehydration will trick the body into thinking its hungry, so ruling out those things before you hit the grass fed beef train to Grill City is always a good idea. Sometimes your just needing extra food for immune function to fight the bacteria hitchhiker you just picked up from the Winco shopping cart handle..ok Safeway has em too...Dan and I were having a convo the other day and he said something that really stuck with me about that there are world famous scientists who don't even understand every function of the human body, why would I presume to know it all? A wonderful point I am trying to use in my thoughts as much as I can, especially when it comes to meal timing which is one of my new goals I guess. I hope this helps, let me hear some feedback everyone...

Meredith

 

 

Nutrition, like training or even life is highly adaptive and constantly varied. Some days you are hungrier than others, just like some days you made need more sleep than other days. It all comes together in this beautiful, breathing, pulsating rhythmic symphony of the cycle of life and if you are tuned in enough you can live by this energy. We humans are amazing organisms that adapt to the environment around us striving for homeostasis and will find it under pretty much any condition, hence the millions of people walking around in their current state of inflammation and disease thinking that its a s good as it gets, hoping for a little better but never fully understanding how precious our bodies are and how powerful a medicine our food is. Fuel. Not 'had a hard day', ' I was good all week', but honest to goodness Fuel. I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to speak with a highly respected director of Wellness for the Zone labs Corp. headed by Dr. Barry Sears. "The Zone " as you know it is adapting. Life marches on. All these years of block methods and weighing and measuring for reasons varying from portion control to guaranteed adequate nutrition to elite performance is evolving into the next step of what we hope will be super health. During my conversation with the director, of which I had prepared an ample list of questions you can be sure, was left speechless and astounded by the answer to my first inquiry. I had given him some background on myself ( I have zone blocked my food for years!) and gave him my zone stats including that I eat paleo quality. I asked this man about elite performance activity factors as it applies to training and the amount of food or blocks you are prescribed, that we are finding it may not be enough. His reply was.." First let me congratulate you on eating paleo and having the dedication to train in your manner of lifestyle. You don't need to food block." I paused, stuttered and replied " b-b-b-bbut WHAT?". Bottom line, if you are eating your food in a manner that is stabilizing your blood glucose levels, getting adequate protein and you look, feel and perform well ( sound familiar? I love you Robb Wolf!) then why weigh it and measure it? The only food you need to put that much time into is the food you should generally avoid...grains etc... then you need to make sure your one quarter cup is accounted for and move on. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full, eat frequently and make good choices. Sure you can block if you need to check yourself now and then but why if you are eating meats, nuts seeds, veggies, some fruit, little starch and no sugar? This statement i have heard from Robb Wolf, Whole 9, mark Sisson, Matt Lalonde etc...why it shocked me from this man I don't know. Perhaps because I expected something safe like " Yes you must weigh and measure til the end of time". Free eating is out of my comfort zone, despite training at that threshold, I could not wrap my brain around it. I am sitting here writing this post thinking, we evolve, we adapt, we move on. Why not? As you can imagine that response generated a new line of questioning that went so rapid fire I think we both had smoke in our ears. Eat til you are full of quality paleo foods, eat smaller portions frequently, stop when you are full, repeat. All too easy. Take a breath and relax. The road to super-health just got paved. There is no excuse or fantasy about maybe if I went back to my blocks or oooh South Beach sounds like a winner......EAT. REAL. FOOD. I will have more to share from my conference call at our next nutrition class! see you there! 

Meredith

Up coming Nutrition Review Night

Tuesday night we will have a Whole30 check in, to talk about progress and  challenges with the new eating style.  

We’ll see you at 7 pm Tuesday night!

Sorry we haven't been keeping this blog very up to date lately, we have been very busy working on another project and will be for a while 
(shhhh...it's a surprise!).  

I will do what I can to get things posted, but it's kind of taking a back burner for a few weeks. 

Thanks for your patience. 

Tomorrow night will be a review night, and a time to issue some tips and warnings for those coming off their Whole 30.  This is a great class for everyone though, whether you participated in our Whole 30 challenge or not.  

My Favorite Bargains This Week

Grocery Outlet, Eureka:

North Coast Organic Apple Sauce with Berries 24 ounce (1 lb. 8 oz) $1.29 

Eden Organic Sauerkraut 32 ounce (2 lbs) $2.99 - the only ingredients in this product are the following Organic Cabbage, Water and Sea Salt


 Live Butter Lettuce $2.99

Glacier Foods Freestone Frozen Peaches 2 lbs $1.99

Eureka Natural Foods: 

Beelers 2 pound Bacon with No Nitrates, No Nitrites or other icky stuff, $11.99 

Organic Braeburn Apples   $0.89 per pound 

Organic Fuji Apples of all sizes, tiny to big  $1.19 per pound 

Organic Cauliflower $1.49 per pound ( although this is considered a clean veggie, I like to buy organic when I can and the price is comparable if not cheaper than non-organic right now) 

Costco:

Organic Fresh Blueberries From Chile $6.49  for 24 ounces

Organic Frozen Blueberries $10.99 for 3 lbs

Brussels Sprouts  2 lbs $3.79

Please See Our Thoughts, Meredith has written a great thought provoking article. Thank you Meredith!

Italian Summer Squash

4-5 very large yellow summer squash, cut into strips ( I cut them in half and then into strips because they were so large)

2 yellow onions thinly sliced (or any onion of your choice)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp basil

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

olive oil

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook unti tender.  Then add the tomatoes, , squash and remaining ingredients and simmer covered over low heat until squash is done to your liking.  Stir occasionally while it is cooking and don't forget to remove the bay leaves before serving.

Dinner in a Hurry!

Last night was one of those scrounge and throw it in a pot dinners, today is grocery shopping day so the night before can be a bit scarce.  Funny thing is it ended up being the best soup ever!  It got high fives from all the kids and that is a hard thing to do.  Unfortunately I didn't' keep track of amounts on my ingredients.  But after it was such a success, I sat down with my oldest daughter and we tried to recall everything that went into that pot so we can try to recreate it.  If we succeed you will definitely see it here. 
 Here is a list of the ingredients, the base was actually leftover Italian style yellow squash (which is yellow squash with onions, basil and canned tomatoes).  I will post that recipe right after I finish this post.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Soup

This makes a huge stock pot of soup, we had some leftovers which the kids were happy about.  Lunch for them today!

3 boxes of chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
4 scallions chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
1 leftover batch of Italian Yellow Squash
3 pounds of Turkey Sausage Homemade Breakfast sausage
2 small bunches of Kale chopped
2-3 large handfuls of spinach chopped
Basil
1 tsp minced garlic
garlic powder
Onion powder
Pepper
1/2 tsp red Pepper flakes
2-3 mini yellow peppers
2-3 mini red peppers
fresh parsley chopped ( close to a cup)
Chopped Carrots
6 slices of Bacon Chopped and fried (I did this first and then cooked the turkey sausage in the grease)
Broccoli chopped (small amount)
entire bunch of  celery including leaves chopped


Combine and simmer until done, yummy!  Like I said if I succeed at re-creating this I will post a more exact recipe later.

Spanish Cauliflower Rice

This is my version of traditional Spanish Rice with a twist, it's not rice!  It's actually cauliflower, and  it is so good, you won't believe you are eating cauliflower!

2 heads of cauliflower, just florets removed and pulsed in food processor till size of rice,  (save the stalks for making soup or broth later).

3 TBSP bacon grease

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of Garlic chopped

1/2 a small green pepper, chopped, (I was out so I subbed 1 mini red and 1 mini yellow pepper and it was great!)

1 (10 ounce) can Mexican Recipe Stewed tomatoes (I chopped my tomatoes smaller)

1 teaspoon Hot Mexican Style Chili Powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat your bacon grease in a heavy skillet, I always use my cast iron 10" pan.  Add the onion, peppers and garlic and saute for a few minutes till onions are soft.  

Then add your riced cauliflower and fry over high heat for a couple of minutes.  Stir in your canned Mexican tomatoes and continue to cook for a couple more minutes over high heat until the liquid has evaporated, stirring only occasionally.

And your done, serve it up and enjoy.  

A great quick, easy, tasty side dish. 

Try adding a protein to it for a complete meal.   It is a very forgiving recipe, so you could try adding some Jalapeno, cilantro, whatever sounds good to you.  I like it just like this, mildly spicy, if you want it more bland try substituting regular chili powder for the hot chili powder.  

Enjoy!

"We eat to Live. We don't live to eat."

What do you think about that quote?  Any thoughts?

Merdith's Alfredo Chicken

Note:  I just discovered this recipe, Meredith emailed to me some time ago.  I haven't tried it yet but it sounds yummy. 
Sheilla

This recipe will make about four very hearty servings. 

Alicia loves it because of the cheese flavor that the yeast has and the noodle quality of the spaghetti squash.   

3 large all natural chicken breasts, sliced fajita style 
2 large sweet vidallia onions chopped or diced to preference 
4 garlic cloves diced fine 
2 broccoli crowns chopped to bite size ( you can add or sub mushrooms, bell peppers etc...for the broccoli) 
1 large spaghetti squash, hollowed and steamed 
garlic powder
dill 
black pepper
ground mustard 
1 can light coconut milk 
1.5 cups Bragg nutritional yeast 
olive oil 
1 tbsp coconut flour  

In a large wok, skillet or pot heat up to one half cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, veggies,garlic, chicken and spices and saute until chicken is mostly done and onions are soft. Add coconut milk, coconut flour and nutritional yeast, stir to combine and let heat thoroughly before turning down to a simmer. Cover and let cook for approx 10-15 min stirring often.  While the sauce is simmering shred the cooled spaghetti squash into a large serving dish.  When the sauce is done you can go all in with squash in a pot or plate the squash and spoon Alfredo chicken over the top.

Check Out this New Site!

Looks like lot's of good recipes to try and most are Whole 30 compliant.  As always please check over the list of ingredients against your Whole 30 list before trying any of these.  That said have fun!
Chow Stalker- We Don't Do Cupcakes

Chicken Recipe From Jen's Gone Paleo

This is the Chicken Recipe I made for the Paleo Christmas party, re-posted at the request of Jeanette.  It is so delicious, especially on these cold days we have been having lately! 

Taken from Jen's gone Paleo-Lisa's Mediterranean Style Chicken

Lisa's Mediterranean-Style Chicken

Makes 4-6 Servings

3lb Chicken
6 Slices Bacon, thinly sliced
1T. Dried Oregano
1 Small Onion (I used red, but use what you like), thinly sliced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1.5lb Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" cubes
1/2lb Baby Spinach, roughly chopped 
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
1- 14.5oz Can of Diced Tomatoes or Fire-Roasted Salsa 
Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350F (not necessary if using a crock pot). 
2. In a dutch oven (or heavy pan, if using a crock pot) over medium heat, cook the bacon, turning often, until crisp, 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small plate.
3. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and oregano and add to the hot pan (with bacon fat). Cook, turning once or twice, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes.*
4. Add the squash and spinach. Stir to combine. Place rosemary sprigs on top of mixture and return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan. Add tomatoes. Cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 2 hours.
5. Remove from oven and serve with reserved bacon pieces and parsley.  

*Transfer the chicken, onion, garlic and all remaining ingredients (except for bacon and parsley) to a crock pot, at this point.

And, even better as leftovers!

This recipe is courtesy of my friend, Lisa. Her recipe calls for white beans, which I substituted with butternut squash (similar in creamy texture, but adding a sweetness that pairs really well with the smoky bacon and earthy rosemary). I also substituted a whole chicken, which she cut into pieces; I didn't want to add the extra step and just cooked it whole. For a nicer (more formal) presentation, use individual pieces or you can just carve it after cooking, like I did. 


This is the perfect winter meal, with it's rustic flavors and heartiness...and, so easy!

Old but Faithful Recipes

There haven't been many new recipes to post on here lately, because I have been using my trusty old ones.  Last night was salmon patties with roasted Brussels sprouts, stir fry vegetable mix and California mixed veggies.  Quick and easy, it's been a bit of a busy week.  I did make some Salsa Verde  last night, poured it over two boneless, skinless chicken breasts and baked it for lunch today, a sprinkling of red onion and it would've been perfect.  Also enjoyed leftover roasted Brussels Sprouts and for dessert, fresh blueberries with coconut milk and shredded coconut!  YUM!

Sausage

If you haven't tried Jeanette's Breakfast Sausage, you are missing out!  It is way better than any processed, packaged sausage!  In fact I don't love sausage, but I love this!  Not being a big fan of Poultry seasoning I used the 3 spice option, and it was awesome, a little to salty for me but that might be because I cooked it in Bacon fat.  I didn't make mine into patties, just cooked it by crumbling it as it cooked in the pan.  I also used the 98% Ground Turkey from Eureka Natural Foods to make it.  This will be a go to now for me, I think I will make a big batch after Grocery day, cook it up and package it for the week.  Great Post WOD Nutrition too!!

FRIED CAULIFLOWER RICE

 This makes family size servings, to make less just 1/2 the recipe.  If I were you I would make the whole recipe, you  will want the left overs.

2 heads of cauliflower

5-6 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1 TBSP minced garlic

1 tsp grated ginger (or more if you want a stronger ginger flavor)

1 cup of diced carrots (as close to the same size as possible)

2 eggs, scrambled

6 TBSP Coconut Amino's

3 TBSP Coconut Oil

Begin by removing just the flowerets from your cauliflower, not the stems (you can save the other parts to make soup later if you would like).  Place them in a food processor a little at a time and pulse till about the size of rice.  

Place in a casserole dish covered with a lid or with plastic wrap and microwave 3-6 minutes (my microwave is weak so it took 6 minutes).  During that time take your onion, green onion, garlic and carrots and saute in about 3 TBSP Coconut oil, just a few minutes, till the onions are getting translucent.  Add your "Rice" and "stir Fry" for a few minutes, adding your coconut amino's and a good dose of salt and pepper to flavor. 

I like mine a little brown and crispy, it's all up to what you want.  If your eggs are prescrambled then just add them to the pan and mix in, if not plate your "Fried Rice" and scramble your eggs in the same pan and mix in. 

Top with a little sesame oil and/or sesame seeds if desired and enjoy!   Serve with your choice for protein, shrimp, beef, chicken, fish, take your choice.  I ate mine with some beef that had been marinated in, coconut Amino's, garlic, salt and pepper, fried in the same pan as the Fried Cauli Rice.  Plated with the rice and eaten mixed together was pure deliciousness!

1/2 way mark of the Box Wide Whole 30!!!

Well, we made it to the  half way mark of our Whole 30!  Kudos to those of you who have made it this far, way to go!  I know I have really been fighting the craving for a dessert or really the craving for some 85% dark chocolate the past couple of days.  Man resisting the urge has been difficult especailly since my daughter who loves to bake tradition goodies, was in a baking mood this weekend, and I made cupcakes for my daughters party ("real" cupcakes for this one).  Man is it ever hard not to lick that spoon after scraping out the bowl!

But I can say that I have been eating so well these last couple of days, by well I mean delicious Paleo food!  Homemade beef jerky, Carne Asada, fresh Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, and Merideth's Green Sauce (which I keep reffering to as Tomatillo Sauce)  all of which are so yummy!  For lunch today I leftover Carnitas from NICK'S CROCK POT CARNITAS RECIPE , topped with Meredith's SALSA VERDE,  and HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE, it was so yummy, I can't even describe it.  Tonight I had Fried Cauliflower Rice, with some leftover marinaded meat from making beef Jerky, ahhh, so yummy!  This coming from someone who doesn't even like Cauliflower!  It was so good! 

I also ate my fair share of unsweetened cocoa nibs, and my date and nut concoction to get me through.  Think I might be done with the cravings and can now get back on track with my portions this week.  Hope your Whole 30 is going well too, let us know what you've been eating to keep things exciting and delicious.

Carne Asada

Carne Asada Lettuce Wrap topped with homemade Guacamole and Pico de Gallo.  

Yumminess!

I had some leftover meat from making homemade beef jerky, so I used it for Carne Asada.  Just sprinkle with some lime juice salt and pepper and grill for a few minutes.  I then took a romaine lettuce leaf, placed some broccoli slaw in it topped with some meat, then some homemade guacamole and Pico de Gallo.  My 13 year old daughter and I really enjoyed these last night, so nice to look at, tasty and hit that craving for Mexican food  (no we didn't miss the rice and beans!).  Give it a try, we think you'll love it!

PIco de Gallo

PICO DE GALLO

6 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, minced (use a little less if you are going to use the green onions too)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro ( I like a lot of cilantro, you may want to start out with 1/4 cup and go up)
1/2-1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (1/2 a jalapeno will make a really mild salsa)
1/2 lime juiced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
dash of cumin
2 green onions, diced, I personally love the flavor the green onion lends (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Stir the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper together in a bowl.  Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.  Makes about 12 servings (or less if you are me!)  I love this stuff, so fresh and tasty!  Serve with your lettuce wrap tacos, meat, Carne Asada Wraps etc.

Fresh veggie deliciousness!  Enjoy!

Guacamole

3 very large ripe avocados- peeled, pitted and mashed (I found a bag of 5 on sale at Costco this week for $3.99)

juice of 1 lime

1/2-3/4 tsp sea salt (to taste)

1/4 cup  diced red onion (or 1/2 of a small red onion, diced)

3 packed tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro

2 Roma/plum tomatoes, diced (or I used one large tomato, because I was out of Romas)

1 garlic clove minced (about 1 tsp)

1 pinch of cayenne (or leave this out if you don't want your guacamole to have some kick)

In a medium size bowl combine you avocados, lime juice and salt.  Then mix in the onion, cilantro,tomatoes, minced garlic, and cayenne.  Add the pits back to the guacamole to keep from browning, cover tightly and refrigerate for about an hour to let the flavors mingle.  Remove from the refrigerator and serve!  

This was so delicious and totally hit the spot!

Salsa Verde

Homemade salsa is a great way to save money and have a ready go to for salads or meat toppers.

14-20 tomatillos peeled, rinsed , stemmed and quartered

3 large white onions peeled and quartered

10 ( or more if you like) whole garlic cloves

5 cored and halved jalapenos

season liberally with garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, turmeric, chili powder

Place all ingredients in a crock pot on hi for approx. 2 hours

remove from crock pot and put in blender, blend on lo until there are no more chunks.

peel and finely dice one more onion and one bunch of cilantro. Combine all ingredients to a large storage container or serving bowl.

Add 1 ounce of vinegar and further season or salt to taste. Allow to cool completely and will be best if left overnight, covered in the fridge. Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!

Instead of vinegar try juice of a lime! Apple cider vinegar is a good choice because its not a distilled grain vinegar. The tomatillos will make this salsa a bit sweeter than a red salsa but so yummy!

Super Saver!

Right near where all the bulk refrigerated nuts are at Co-op, I found this! It will net you a two dollar savings per 8 ounces if you use alot of coconut amino's in your cooking! Yum! Try it as a marinade too. Delish!

It's Birthday Time!

One of our daughters turned 8 this week, so cupcakes were in order.  Not wanting to stray from Paleo (why would I feed my children something I know is bad for them?) I looked for a good Paleo version, I think I found it in this one, the cake part was good, but the "frosting" didn't get rave reviews.  It's a little more like Nutella than frosting.  Oh, and I subbed coconut oil.  

When I am done with my Whole 30 I would like to tinker around and come up with a better option for the frosting.  But if you are interested or have a special occasion coming up (of a loved one if you are on your Whole 30), then give this a try.  

Here is the link:Dark Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting

My Favorite Bargains This Week

We have been focussing on ways to save money on groceries lately, but still maintian the quality of our food.  With that said here is my favorite finds this week:


North Coast Co-op

Mary's Free Range,Vegetarian Fed, NO Antibiotic, etc. chicken,  ( just opened mine and it did not have 8 pieces, it had 2 breast, 2 thighs and one drumstick) for just $2.99 per pound!  I found these in the fresh meat department directly across from the meat counter that contained the ground beef at the Co-op.  I've got plans to use mine for chicken soup, but the possibilities are endless.


Tomasos Marinara Sauce on sale for $2.99

Grocery Outlet:

Lindt Excellence 85% Cocoa 3.5 ounce Bar $1.49 (contains no soy lecithin)

Yellow Squash 2 for $1.00

Busseto Naturale Dry Salame Rolled in herbs and spices 4 ounces (no nitrates)   $1.99

Niman Ranch (Columbus) 10 oz. all natural, no antibiotics, no hormones, veg fed, no nitrates (does contain some added sugar though)  $1.99

Santa Cruz Organic Tropical Fruit Sauce 6-4 ounce pack $1.99

Wholeberry Tea $2.99

Winco:
El Pato Jalapeno  $.48 per can

HERE IS A GREAT ARTICLE TAKEN FROM WHOLE9, THEY HAVE A NEW CATEGORY TITLED PALEO POOR

Paleo Poor: Your guide to the grocery store

on 3 January, 2011

We’ve heard it a million times – how can I afford to eat like this?  (“Like this” meaning “Whole30” or a general Paleo diet.)   We can’t argue the fact that it’s cheaper to eat a McDonald’s value meal than to craft your own healthy healthy dish by hand… but then again, diabetes medication is pretty expensive too.  We’re not here to argue for all of the reasons you should eat better.  If you’re reading our site, you already know that, and are trying to do something about it.  We’re also not going to get on one of our favorite soapboxes, called, “You just spent $5 on a latte, and that’s not even food.”   Ultimately, it all comes down to making healthy eating a top financial priority, but there are plenty of ways you can make your current food budget work a little harder.

Whole9′s Guide to the Gro-Sto

For those of you who are on a budget (all of us), and trying to eat better (all of you reading), let’s talk about some really specific strategies for making your healthy eating dollar stretch just a bit further.  No, we’re not just going to say, “Buy on sale, buy in bulk!”  We’re about to walk you through our specific grocery store strategy – what we do, step by step, every time we hit the Whole Foods, Liberty Heights market or our local downtown Farmer’s Market. Because while we make food our top financial priority, right behind rent and electricity… we aren’t made of money either, and need to make our Paleo pennies work as hard as possible.  One caveat, however.  If you are truly committed to eating as healthy as possible, you may have to sacrifice some of your selfish food desires. I may want grapes in March, but at $8 a pound (and coming all the way from Chile), I just can’t afford them.  The same goes for any of your food choices – we’re going to encourage you to buy for quality first and foremost, even if you have to compromise on taste and preference.

Stop One:  Meat, Fish and Eggs

The first thing we do – and where the majority of your food budget should be spent – is on high quality animal protein sources, so head straight to the meat section (and check our still-evolving Conscientious Omnivore series for tips on buying high quality protein).   Dollar for dollar, your health-money works hardest when you buy grass-fed or pastured and organic meat as often as possible. If there’s no grass-fed ground beef, but you’ve got grass-fed lamb available, buy it and find a recipe later.  If there’s plenty of pastured chicken but no beef or pork, plan on eating chicken all week.  If there’s nothing fresh in your local food market, ask for frozen – often, that’s where you’ll find the largest supply of high quality, locally farmed meat. And if you’ve got a few extra bucks this week, buy more and freeze it for later.
If you simply can’t afford “best choice” meat, then follow this strategy. First, stick to meat from ruminants (beef, lamb, elk, bison/buffalo, goat or venison), as they tend to have access to their natural diets for at least a portion of their lives, and have a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio than either chicken or pork.  Second, buy the leanest cuts available, and trim or drain all visible fat before eating.  Our main concern with lower quality meat comes from the unhealthy things (antibiotics, hormones, environmental toxins and pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids) that “live” in the fat content.  Omit most of the fat and you mitigate some of those concerns.  Third, consume chicken only without the skin, for the same reason.  And finally, avoid ALL pork products, as commercially raised pork has the worst N6:N3 ratio of any animal protein source.  (And yes, that means no bacon.  Since when is bacon health food, anyway?)
Head to the fish counter next.  Despite the common mantra, “wild-caught” is NOT always a good option, so read our Conscientious Omnivore seafood post, and use our guide to help you make the best fish and shellfish choices. Some “best choices” are expensive (like wild-caught Pacific halibut, which usually runs upwards of $20 a pound).  Skip it and find a less expensive but similar substitute, like cod or  scallops.  Fish won’t keep for more than a day at home, so don’t over-buy here, unless you plan to freeze it for later.  And speaking of, frozen is often a good (and less expensive) option for fish and seafood.  We buy flash-frozen sea scallops for $16 a pound, compared to $20 a pound fresh.
Make one last stop at the dairy case for pastured, organic eggs.  (See our Conscientious Omnivore:  Eggs post for more guidelines.)   They’re more expensive than their “cage free” counterparts, but where else can you get four meals’  worth of protein for just $5?  Stock up and start loving eggs, because these are one of the cheapest high quality protein sources available.

Stop Two:  Produce

Now that you’ve got your protein in order, your next priorities are vegetables and fruit… in that order.  Shop with the understanding that we’d much rather you put your money into “clean” protein sources than  organic fruits and vegetables.  While pesticides aren’t delicious, eating high quality meat, fish and eggs is far more important to your health.
On to the vegetables.  First, use our Seasonal Produce Guide to help you figure out what’s fresh (or close to it) this time of year.  These choices will be the most nutritious and the least expensive.  Next, review our bolded recommendations – you’ll get more nutrition for your dollar with things like kale, spinach and cauliflower.  Finally, determine whether you can – and should - go organic.  Use the “Clean” or “Dirty” designations in our Produce Guide to help you figure out when that’s important, and when it’s not.  (Note, there are more fruits than vegetables labeled as “dirty” – yet another reason to load up on greens.)
Your most nutritious, least expensive option?  A seasonal, clean, nutrient dense choice – but ultimately, we just want you to eat your veggies, any way you can afford them.  So if you’re strapped, don’t worry about organic or local – just buy as much of the dark, leafy stuff (think “nutrient density”) as you can afford and don’t waste money on the nutritionally-sparse veggies like celery, iceberg lettuce and cucumbers.  Frozen vegetables are also a good option, and tend to be cheaper.  There are nutritional up sides and down sides to buying frozen, but in our view, the tiny amounts of nutrients lost (or gained) isn’t worth the worry – if frozen is easier or less expensive, go for it.  You can also find some vegetables canned – things like pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potato.  These are a cheap and easy source of post-workout carbs, just make sure the only ingredient is the vegetable itself.
As for fruit, that only gets a brief mention here.  If it’s summer, buy local, buy organic when you can, buy what’s on sale and enjoy!  If not, then it’s not in season and probably comes from a far-away place, which means it’s going to be expensive, not so fresh, and less than delicious.  If it’s in your budget, use the Seasonal Produce Guide to help you make good fruit choices off-season, but remember, vegetables are always your top priority.

Stop Three:  The fats

You’ve all been told to “shop the perimeter” and stay away from the aisles, but here’s where you’re going to find a lot of your healthy fat sources, so dive on in and ignore all the brightly colored boxes.  While adequate dietary fat is an important part of your healthy eating plan, fat can also be one of the more expensive items in the grocery stores – especially if you’re relying on the CrossFit dietary prescription of “nuts and seeds”.  (We’ve been explaining in workshops for the last year why those aren’t your best option for health – never mind the price!)  Here’s where you triage the rest of your money, and buy fat in the form you can afford with what’s left in your wallet. Luckily, some of your best sources are going to be the least expensive.
Coconut milk (even the organic stuff) is about $1.50 a can, and provides a full 72 grams of fat.  Cheap, delicious and at the top of our go-to list for fats, so stock up and shake well.  Next, check out the rest of the coconut products – coconut butter is going to be wickedly expensive, but shredded coconut (sulfite-free) is more reasonably priced per serving, and totally portable.  Don’t forget to check out the avocado in the produce section – they’re a year-round item, and not important to buy organic.  (Looking to mix up your avocado?  Skip the pre-made guac – pricey! – and make your own.)  Finally, canned olives (black or green) in water and salt are cheap, portable, don’t need to be refrigerated and a delicious source of fat.
If it’s in your budget, check out the nuts and seeds last, letting health and price be your determining factors.  (Refer to your Success Guide, Gym Guide or workshop materials for guidance here.)  You may want pecans, but if almonds are on sale, that’s what you buy.  (See the theme, here?)  Beware, as cheaper nuts will be roasted in low quality oil like soybean or peanut.  Those make you less healthy, so make sure you invest in raw or dry-roasted.  And the actual nuts are probably cheaper per serving – and more satiating – than their nut butter counterparts, so put the almond butter back on the shelf if you’re tight on cash.
Finally, got some extra money left over?  When you’re a little more flush (or find a good sale), stock up on things like cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), organic, pastured butter, and unrefined coconut oil.  These are all bigger ticket items, but will last you a few months and are all excellent fat sources.  And last but not least, consider slowly adding to your herb and spice collection, with either fresh or dried (depending on the season).  Seasonings can make chicken five nights a week taste exciting and different with each meal, and while they’re expensive, we’d spend an extra $5 not to be bored with our food.

The final bill

If you’ve shopped smart, you should have a cart full of things that maximize your health and minimize your expenses.  We certainly don’t expect everyone to always buy organic this or grass-fed that, but do the best you can, keeping these guidelines in mind.

For more visit http://www.whole9life.com

I dug out some of my old receipts from last month-present to pass along some pricing on certain items.  Unfortunately I didn't make it out to do grocery shopping today because we have the stomach flu passing through our house, 4 out of the 7 children are sick and I am not feeling to well myself.  Which is a whole other subject, what to eat when you are sick and doing your Whole 30.

These are just reference points, I am not necessarily saying it is the cheapest way to go, but let's you know what's out there.

Mona Loa Macadamia nuts from COSTCO $13.99 per 24 ounces

Fresh Broccoli from COSTCO $3.99 for 3 pounds

Organic vegetarian fed, cage free, Omega 3 eggs from COSTCO $4.99 per 18 pack

Kirkland Signature, cage free, veg fed eggs COSTCO are 5.99 per 24 Pack (if I am remembering correctly on the quantity)

Precut Organic squash  COSTCO is $4.99 per 2 pounds

Bear Canned Salmon Wild Alaskan Caught $10.79 for 36 ouces COSTCO

Organic Gala Apples are $6.49 per package  COSTCO

Organic frozen Blueberries at COSTCO are $10.99 for a 3 pound bag

Last week I bough fresh Mangoes that were green and are now ripe, delicious!!  A bit expensive but nice for a splurge.  COSTCO $7.99 for at least 9 of them if I am remembering right.  I also found them at the grocery outlet for .98 cents per Mango that were ripe and yummy.

Share your bargain tips, we'd love to hear what you do to save money.

These are all prices from Winco February 3, 2011

Frozen chopped spinach $ .67 for 10 ounces

zucchinni squash $ .98 a pound, ( the price went up Feb 9 to $2.29 per pound, no ore zucchini for me till the price goes back down.)

Green cabbage $ .58 per pound (mine was $1.25 for 1)

Frozen Veg Stir Fry $1.38 per 1 pound bag

El Pato $ .55

Unsweetened shredded coconut $2.36 per pound from bulk, (mine was $1.49 for a good size bag)

Sweet Potatoes are  $.98 per pound

Spaghetti squash $ .78 per pound


Eureka Natural Foods Store


Mixed bunch of Organic locally grown greens (like chard, kale, etc.) $1.69 per bunch (I've been using these a lot lately, Kale is one of the top Nutrient Dense foods you can eat)

Whats your weekly grocery bill?

I always disliked budgeting, it is time consuming and it gives you a good picture of you'r retail therapy habits gone wild. Who wants to be faced with the reality that you really didnt need that many pairs of shoes if you the electric bill got "passed over" a few extra days?
However, being inspired as to Sheilla's obvious budget savviness I decided to give it a try. Some of you members made me curious how much I was spending on food a month for a family of 3 if single people were scared of what they were spending!
So Nick and I on a perfectly normal Sunday went to the checkbook, smoke came out of our ears when we totalled up the 1900.00 we had spent on groceries for the month of January!
i am glad to report after a menu was made and shopping was done tho we are well on our way to cutting the weekly budget down from nearly 500.00 to 250.00! What a savings! Who doesnt like that these days????? Here are a few ways we got super savvy!
1.) Protein- this was a little easier for us at my house because Nick and I Zone so we knew how much protein we would need for the week. I made a menu of large dinner ideas that we could eat for the week like meatballs, an 8 lb bbq ( look for the recipe soon!) etc..The Coop has the best prices on Humbolsdt Grass Fed beef and they have 80,90 and 95% available. The 80% is 2.49 a lb if you buy ten lbs or more. The 90% is 3.49 lb which is 1.50 cheaper per pound than Eureka Natural Foods. The 95% is 3.99 a pound which is still 1.00 less than the Nat Foods 90% price. That being said, Eureka Nat Foods has the groung turkey breast that is 99% lean for 4.69 lb, Coop doesnt carry this in the meat case. That ground turkey is great for meatballs and recipes like Sheillas breakfast quiche. Add extra fat though because it is so lean. We found that the seafoods run about the same give or take so its a convenience matter at that point but I urge you to check out the Woodley Island Marina docks for fresh cheap seafood and as always Mr. Fish is a great local source. Costco has in the past carried Free Range and Organic chicken breasts but is out at the moment I am told. Chicken thighs and breasts in my opinion are the best from Eureka Nat Foods under the brans name Mary's. They are air chilled and so juicy. "Natural" will run about 6.99 lb and "Organic" 7.99 lb which is cheaper by a buck than Coop.
Eggs. We buy the Rock Island Veg Fed eggs from Winco for 2.39 a dozen. Costco has a good deal on the DHA Omega eggs. If you are going to splurge and buy Alexander Farms pastured eggs ( there is nothing like those dark yellow yolks!) then buy them from Nat Foods not Coop. They will be 5.39 doz as opposed to 6.49.
Veggies- Since in season veggies are lower and all the yummy Farmers Markets havent started up yet we have been buying bags of frozen veg from Winco for around 1.28-2.10 a pop. These are great wallet savers and time savers too! The fresh stuff we buy is generally gonna be broc slaw and brussell sprouts. In season shopping can save you import prices and reduce the environmental impact too. Sweet potatoes and hard winter squash is a go to for us right now.
Fruit- The tropical fruits like Mangos and Papayas are in season ( there is a beach somewhere with the sun and my name on it!) and pears are a good choice for cheap fruits.
Fat- Costco has cans of Macadamias and bags of pecans, walnuts, pine nuts and sliced almonds for a great price. Also jars of Maranatha Almond butter. Winco has a fresh nut grinder to buy bulk almond butter of dry roasted almonds for 1.48 lb. Winco has a pretty good selection of raw bulk nuts for cheap such as Brazil and Cashew pieces. The Grocery Outlet has the most wonderful yet random deals so dont forget to take a quick inventory next time you run in there, Sheiila mentioned the applesauce and I found huge bags of Organic frozen broc for very cheap. They often will have Organic spinach and frozen fruits.
Amazon is a great place to buy staples like coconut oil and nut flours. Coconut milk goes on sale at Nat Foods and Coop all the time so keep an eye out and stock up, the sale price even beats Wincos regular price. there is no need to spend the extra money on Organic labels of stuff that has a shell also, like coconut milk. Oh! Costco carries the Lindsay Naturals Olives in cans now as well. Hope this helps, share your shopping experiences and watch for more deals to come!
Meredith

Budget Paleo

I've been doing some thinking, and decided it's time to go back to the foundation. Originally this blog was Budget Paleo, and I've been thinking after hearing several monthly spending stories, like spending double what you would expect.  I think it's time to spend a month or two on the budget end of things.  So..I will be posting things that  find on sale for that particular week.  I have been doing my shopping weekly, but lately have been forced to do a second smaller trip mid week.  My goal is, whatever I find that saves us money, and keeps us on track with Paleo will be helpful to the rest of our Box Members.  Don't forget to check Amazon.com for great deals on food items too, shipping is free on most items so that saves too.  I order, my coconut oil, coconut flour, almond flour, etc. online.  Everything else comes from our local stores.  You would be surprised what you can find where, take for instance, last week I found Organic Raspberry Applesauce in jars at the Grocery outlet for $1.69 per bottle.  And Dark Lindt chocolate (without soy lecithin) for about the same price, and it had very minimal added sugar (4 grams). 

Tomorrow is my shopping day, so look for an update, Wednesday or Thursday.  If any of you find good deals please pass it along by commenting on a post.  I think we can all eat well and not go broke doing it!  We have plans to start a garden this spring and grow our own vegetables, the kids are really looking forward to it, and fresh homegrown veggies sound great!

Sheilla

Breakfast Acorn Squash

First you need to roast your Acorn squash, by cutting them in half and scooping out the contents.  

Then placing in a pan flesh side down. 

Add just a little water, about 1/4 inch and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of your squash).  Remove from the oven and pour off the water, and increase oven temp to 425 (mine didn't caramelize well so I ended up turning it up to 450 to get them caramelized).  Drizzle or brush with oil and place back in your baking pan flesh side down.  Bake for 20 minutes, until the flesh side is nicely brown and carmelized. 

Scoop out the contents of one half and place in a bowl.

1/2 roasted Acorn squash, pureed or mashed well

1 TBSP almond butter or nut butter of your choice

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

 maybe a little nutmeg too, haven't tried it yet but it sounds good

To your bowl add the almond butter and cinnamon, mixing well.  Makes a great breakfast served with sausage and/or eggs or post WOD nutrition, with some meat. I haven't tried this yet, but I'm thinking I might try it with some full fat coconut milk, it just sounds yummy.

STUFFED SQUASH BAKE

This is one of those really quick and easy things that you can make ahead and just reheat in the microwave for a few minutes when you are ready to eat them.  Great post workout too (especially if you use ground turkey!).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brown some ground beef (amount depends on how many you are making and the size of your acorn squash), with some finely chopped onion,sea salt and pepper until done. While the meat is browning cut the top off of your acorn squash, and scoop out the seeds and "guts", sometimes it is necessary to cut the bottom a little so it will sit flat in the pan.  Just be careful not to cut off to much of the bottom or you will make a hole in it and your contents will leak out.  When your ground beef is done spoon it into each acorn squash filling to the top.  Then pour in about 1/2 inch of water and  lay a peice of foil over the top loosely, not wrapped around, just resting on the top.  And bake for 1 hour or until done, I had so many in my pan it took longer, about 1 1/2 hours instead.  Make sure you cook it long enough that it is good and soft and browned on the peel.  It will give it a better tasting, full, roasted flavor. I have tried using other spices but I always come back to good old salt and pepper, sometimes a bit of chipotle seasoning.  Nice to have around for a quick breakfast, lunch, dinner or post WOD nutrition.  Use grass fed ground beef or ground turkey.  

Just reheated one of these for a quick dinner, and poured some El Pato on it, yummy!  Give it a try if you like spicy.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday to You All!

Jen from www.jensgonepaleo.blogspot.com has some great ideas for Super Sunday!  Check out her page titled: Are You Ready for some football?

Don't Forget To Drink Your Water

 

Water is an important part of taking care of your body, especially after a work out!  

Getting tired of drinking plain water, try throwing some lemon or lime in for flavor.

  Baked Breakfast Casserole

(New Version of Mini Quiche)

Makes a 9X13 inch pan

15 Omega 3 eggs beaten well

1/2 of a very large parsnip, or  about 2 cups, shredded

1-2 shredded carrots about 1 cup

3-4cups of organic baby spinach roughly chopped

1 bunch of green onions chopped

4 mini peppers chopped

1/2 cup coconut milk

4 chicken Apple Sausages cut in to 4ths and sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In your choice of fat, cook the sausages, spinach, and onions till tender or until sausage is browned.  While that is happening crack open your eggs and beat them well add the coconut milk and mix well.  Stir the rest of the vegetables into the sausage and spinach combo, and cook for a minute or two.  Then add it to the eggs mixing well.  Grease your 9 X 13" pan really well with coconut oil, and pour in the egg mixture.  Bake for about 30 minutes or so, depending on your oven.  Check the middle by inserting a knife to see if it comes out clean to tell if it is done or not.  This is a sweeter version of Quiche and much different than the mini quiche in as far as taste.  Baking it in a pan and cutting it into squares really saved time, for me last night.

Please post Comments and let me know what you think.