For the next 30 days, many members of Crossfit Minnesota are embarking an a new journey: The Whole 30 Challenge.   30 days of better nutrition. 30 days of relearning how good food can be.  Armed with shopping lists from Dallas and Melissa from Whole 9, our nouveau hunter-gathers are heading out to Lund’s, Byerley’s, & Cub Foods in search of quality meats, Vegetables, fruits, and fats.  Congratulations to all who are taking up the Whole 30 Challenge!

The Whole 30 Challenge is about finding quality food and eliminating the foods that make us less healthy.  Making this change means learning more about your food, where it comes from, be prepared, and maybe learning some new cooking techniques.  This is a fun journey. Okay, I actually like grocery shopping. Weird, huh? But I like making good food even more (a good excuse to use knives).  So, the process of cutting things out of your diet and creating new habits will help you build a new food culture in your home.  Remember, you are making new Food Principles by which to live.

However, finding & preparing great food on a budget (both Time & $$$) can be hard. For everyone who is part of the Challenge or is looking to eat better while still enjoying tasty food, here are some resources I have found to be wonderful for both solutions.

First, Everydaypaleo.com : A great site written by a Crossfitting Mother of 3.  Recipes with preparation tips, pictures and helpful advice making Paleo work for busy people. Oh, and she works for Robb Wolf.

Eat this! : This is a blog that spans a Paleo and Zone ideas.  Easy to use blog with ingredient lists and great comments from many readers.

Performance Menu : This is the recipe page for Catalyst Athletics, (where alot of your Olympic workouts come from!) They are big proponents of the Paleo diet for Athletes.  They also publish several e-cookbooks available from the site. Whole 9 gave out a discount their e-books.  I recommend them highly.

Whole 9-Steal this Meal : Don’t forgot Melissa & Dallas!  Their blog features their meals from their readers.

Sunshine Harvest Farm : Here is where I get my meat.  Local, grassfed Beef, lamb, and chicken(eggs, too).  The Braucher Family produce great meat  at a great price. And they will deliver!  I am working on having Crossfit Minnesota be a drop site.  So you can pick up a sackful of meat at the gym once a month. I have been buying from them for over a year and it is wonderful!  C0ntact me or leave a comment if you are interested in the meat drop.

Mark’s Daily Apple : Mark Sisson is the author of The Primal Blueprint, a good resource for the modern hunter-gather.  His web site has lots of helpful ideas of how to live more “tribally.” and I don’t mean you have to live in a wigwam this winter.  Check the readers’ Grokfest stories and you understand what I mean.

Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, as well as local stores: Lakewinds Natural Foods, The Wedge Co-op will be good stores to try out your new found knowledge.

Go forth and eat well, my friends!  Coffee is still okay, just no dairy.  Drink lots of water.

And remember the Sweet Potatoes!!!