Okay… it’s game time. The NEW-trition Challenge starts Monday and I’m committed to eat well for the next 28 days so that I can see how nutrition, when coupled with CrossFit, impacts my mind and my body. But now what do I do? What do I buy? What do I cook? When do I cook? How do I handle cravings?

These are the most frequently discussed questions when we do a nutrition challenge, so rather than focusing on what you can’t eat, let’s focus on what we CAN eat.

After numerous challenges and loads of member feedback, we’ve assembled a few tried-and-true recipes to help you through this challenge. We also suggest prepping  your meals on Sundays and Wednesdays.

VEGETABLE RECIPES

Brussel Sprouts and Bacon

  • Pan cook sugar-free bacon until crisp. Remove from pan.
  • Place brussel sprouts in bacon fat. Cook until soft.
  • Serve brussels with bacon sprinkled over them. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Carrots (and Brussels or Broccoli)

  • Preheat oven to 450F
  • Coat carrots (and brussels) with coconut, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
  • Roast until fork tender

Green Beans

  • Steam then serve with grassfed butter and salt

Baked French Fries

  • Preheat oven to 450F
  • Cut red, white or purple potatoes into thin strips. Place in a container with 1-2 tbsp coconut oil, salt and pepper, and shake.
  • Spread out on baking sheet. Bake until crispy (20-25 min)

Smashed Mini Potatoes

  • Preheat oven to 450F
  • Place in a container with 1-2 tbsp coconut oil, salt, pepper and paprika and shake.
  • Place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Smash flat. Bake again for 15-20 minutes or until golden/crisp

MEAT/PROTEIN RECIPES

Frank’s Red Hot Chicken Thighs

  • Marinate chicken in Frank’s hot sauce (15 min-1 day)
  • Grill, bake, roast
    *Not very spicy. Our girls love these!

Balsamic Mustard Chicken

  • Marinate chicken in a container with 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp mustard, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
  • Grill, bake or roast

Spaghetti Squash and Ground Beef

  • Preheat oven to 375F
  • Halve spaghetti squash. Place facedown on cooking sheet with 1/4 inch water. Cook until soft (35-45min)
  • While squash bakes, pan cook the ground beef until brown. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Add 1 can of tomato sauce once fully cooked.
  • Scrape inside of squash with a fork. Fork squash onto a plate. Serve with ground beef

Prosciutto Egg Cups

  • Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tin
  • Wrap each slice of prosciutto in the muffin tin. Crack an egg in each muffin. Season with salt and pepper
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes until eggs are set

Tuna Lettuce Wraps

  • Mix can of tuna with mustard, olive oil mayonnaise and spices
  • Place in lettuce leaf with sliced tomato, broccoli slaw, olives and strips of bell pepper

SWEET & FILLING RECIPES

Rap’s Sweet Tooth Shake

  • In a blender, combine extra ripe banana, cup of almond milk, 2 tbsp (heaping) almond butter, handful ice cubes, splash of vanilla extract, 1/2 cup coconut shreds. Blend and enjoy

Overnight Oats

  • In a jar, combine 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup almond milk, splash vanilla extract, 1 tsp chia seeds and berries (optional). Let sit overnight in the refrigerator

MEAL IDEAS

Breakfast
– 2 prosciutto egg cups
– Overnight oats

OR

– 1 egg + 1/2 cup egg whites
– Brussel sprouts and bacon
– Baked french fries

Lunch
– Frank’s chicken
– Broccoli
– Smashed potatoes

OR

– Cucumber sticks wrapped in Applegate deli turkey and cheese. Dunk into mustard.
– Apple

OR

– Tuna lettuce wraps

Dinner

– Spaghetti squash and beef
– brussel sprouts

OR

– 2 balsamic mustard chicken thighs
– roasted carrots and green beans
– Rap’s shake

Add to plate for more volume (stay full)

  • Mini cucumbers, apples and snap peas