Paleo Potpourri

So, we're midway through week 1 of our 30-Day Paleo Challenge and we're getting questions about where to find certain items and about tricks of the Paleo trade for people on the go. Here's a rundown of what's in our pantry, fridge, and freezer at home:

Pantry:

•  Kettle Brand Almond and/or Cashew Butter. No sugar added. If you're local, these are located in the health foods/organic section of Hy-Vee with the organic peanut butter and other nut butters for about $5-6 a jar (about $0.54/ounce). Wal-Mart also has MaraNatha Almond Butter for about $6 bucks. I think it's the aisle next to all the snack crap (of course).
• Raw almonds, pecans, walnuts, or other nuts. Great for mixing with sugar-free, sulfite-free dried fruit like raisins.
• No sugar-added marinara sauce. I found ONE brand at Hy-Vee in the regular grocery section - Classico Tomato & Basil. I checked the label about 10 times before I put it in my cart, just to be sure I read it right!
• Canned diced tomatoes (even though these have been in the news for being one of the worst foods you can eat because the resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A (BPA), a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food.)
• Balsamic vinegar (including vanilla spiced), olive oil (including chipotle spiced olive oil), and apple cider vinegar. Great for jazzing up salads and meats.
• Olives! Great for snacking or tossing in salads.
• Lara Bars. Found in the health food section at Hy-Vee and in boxes of bite sizes at Target, we use these as emergency, on-the-go, help-I'm-stuck-in-a-Paleo-desert situations. You can OD on these because of the sugar content.
• Canned coconut milk for cooking and sauces.
• Coffee!!
• Jars of roasted red peppers. Great on salads or in eggs.
• Spectrum Brand Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil. I use this just like butter - grease up my cast iron skillet, slather it on a roaster chicken with spices, drop it on top of veggies, melt it and put it in soups (to add fat and fullness). You can find this at Hy-Vee in the health food section with the other oils (grapeseed, olive, and safflower).

Fridge:

• Eggs. Lots of eggs. Hard boil a bunch for easy, portable protein sources to keep you going during the week, or crumble a couple on top of salad greens for the start of a great salad. Make some egg cupcakes for another easy and portable breakfast that you can eat hot or cold.
• Unsweetened almond milk. Great on top of sliced bananas with cinnamon and pecans for a "dessert" or for breakfast. Try some in your coffee if you're not diggin' the black coffee.
• Lots of fresh fruits and veggies! Apples and tangerines for snacks. Lemons and limes for making water and tea more flavorful. Onions for adding flavor to meats. Green peppers for snacking straight up, on top of salads, and adding to meats or eggs.
• Sugar-free salsa (Hy-Vee brand in the big jug) for use on top of salads, on eggs, on top of ground beef, or with avocados.
• Meat that's defrosted and ready to cook, or meat that's been cooked and ready to go.

Freezer:

• Meat.
• Veggies. Frozen veggies are an easy route to dinner after a long day, and an easy route to lunch (if you have a microwave handy). Drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper (or garlic salt), pop 'em in the microwave, or on the Foreman, or in the piping hot cast iron skillet and BAM! Throw some protein on top, and you're good to go.

Alrighty. Those are our tips for getting through this Challenge. Give it your best shot, and remember: beer is not only alcohol, but a grain, too. Cake is not only sugar, but bad butter (or worse, shortening), and grain! 2 strikes per item!!