header image from the Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook by Mickey Trescott
We’re all gearing up for the site-wide August Whole30 (sponsored by the newly updated edition of It Starts With Food, available Tuesday, July 29th).
As we outline in our “get me going” track, one of the most important steps in ensuring Whole30 success is planning your meals—so you’re not tempted to call the pizza delivery guy after a long, hard day at the office. Maybe this means writing down 30 days worth of dinners, or creating your first week’s meal plan in detail. At the minimum, it means having a wide selection of delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes at your fingertips.
We’ve generally got you covered on that front, with this plethora of Whole30 meal plans from around the web. But what if you had just a few more recipes to keep you motivated, inspired, and happy? What if these recipes came with bonuses like meal planning tips, no-cook meal ideas, shopping guides, and grocery shopping tips? What if they were available right this very second, via digital download?
That would be cool.
The Paleo Recipe Book
The first thing that caught our attention when we reviewed The Paleo Recipe Book is that almost all of the everyday meals are Whole30 approved, with easy substitutions for those that aren’t. (For example, the author recommends substituting chicken broth or beef stock for wine when cooking during your Whole30). Recipes even use the generic term “cooking fat” to allow you to make your own healthy fat choices—select clarifie butter or ghee, extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or an animal fat of your choosing. The treat/dessert section is short (just 13 pages), so just save those recipes for life after your Whole30.
The second thing we liked is that his recipes will get you out of your cooking comfort zones and encourage you to try new foods. While the cookbook does include some of the old Paleo stand-bys like meatloaf, chili and chicken fajitas, it also features fresh, exciting dishes like cocoa cinnamon baby back ribs, grilled curried mussels, and mango and salmon tartare. In addition, there are more than 40 pages dedicated to vegetables and salads—enough to get even the pickiest veggie eater excited about eating their greens.
The Paleo Recipe Book is the creation of Sébastien Noël, and features over 370 recipes. (That’s close to a new meal every day for a whole year!) The downloadable PDF also features detailed narratives designed to help you make better food choices, featuring everything from how to clarify your own butter to how to choose the best cuts of steak.
Paleo Power Lunch
Lunch: the oft under-appreciated mid-day meal. We use it to seal business deals, catch up with friends, or make unenthusiastic use of last night’s leftovers. For those of us with a Good Food focus, though, lunchtime can be a big old bummer. All too often we fall into the trap of under-preparation, assuming we’ll be able to find something acceptable in the cafeteria, restaurant, or supermarket deli counter. Then, when we come up empty—or worse, make an off-road choice that proves to be less than worth it—we’re stuck dealing with the consequences.
Utah-based food blogger Stormy Sweitzer recognized that problem, and decided that something had to be done about it. Paleo Power Lunch is packed with practical information that will take your lunch hour from zero to hero with just a few minutes of prep time. Plus, your copy includes:
- A snapshot of the power tools you’ll need to optimize your lunch construction
- An ingredient idea list to kick-start your imagination
- A printable weekly meal chart to help you visualize your plan for the week
- A step-by-step guide to strategic grocery shopping
Walk through the simple four-step process for creating your own lunch preparation game plan, learn simple and delicious ways to prepare your proteins, and get the low-down on how to store all your ingredients before jumping into 26 simple recipes for lunchtime salads that will be the envy of everyone in the break room. The best part? Almost all recipes are Whole30-compatible. (Just skip the honey mustard dressing until life after your Whole30.)
The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook
Those with autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, celiac disease, and rheumatoid arthritis are finding freedom from their symptoms via an autoimmune Paleo diet protocol (AIP). As outlined in Chapter 21 of It Starts With Food, an AIP is even more restrictive than a traditional Whole30, and can be intimidating for even experienced Paleo followers. What’s for breakfast if you can’t have eggs? How can you enjoy Mexican food without nightshades?
We recently added a new AIP shopping list to our resources, but today, we’re thrilled to introduce you to a new resource that will prove even more helpful. Mickey Trescott, author of the new Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, has crafted 110 recipes without grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, or nightshade spices. She’s finagled amazing workarounds for mayonaise, turned up the heat without nightshades, and includes some special occasion treats that don’t rely on nuts or nut flours. The recipes are inspired, delicious, and best of all, 101 of these recipes are appropriate for your AIP Whole30 program.
You’ll also learn more about the Autoimmune Protocol: what it is, how it works, and which foods you should eat and avoid while on the elimination diet. Instructions are given on how to clear your pantry of questionable ingredients and replace them with healing, nutrient-dense whole foods. Also included are sections on food quality, a shopping guide, tips and tricks to make the protocol go more smoothly, ideas for batch-cooking, a 4-week meal plan, and detailed shopping list.
Special note: If you prefer, you can also order this cookbook in hardcover format on Amazon.
Get Ready, Get Set, Whole30
So get your hands on the updated version of It Starts With Food (and see what’s new in this version here), start meal prepping with some new Whole30-friendly recipe books, register for the Whole30 Daily newsletter, and we’ll see you on August 1st, for Day 1 of your Whole30!
