Anybody eat paleo/grain-free?

[Dianne-TX]

I've been encouraged by my chiropractor to eat this way due to some health issues, old and new. I know about Primal Blueprint, Mark Sisson's blog and get the gist of what it's all about. I would like a real-life, day by day experience as well as what your grocery list looks like, what are your easy go-to foods, etc. I'm trying to get a grasp of reality because this is, of course, not our lifestyle or habit (we eat everything and have never had food issues to worry about). This needs to be our new lifestyle/habit. I can do it, but I also like to hear other experiences.

[Soror]

Day to day=

 

Bfast options- eggs- scrambled or fried, bacon, sausage, veggies, yogurt smoothies(homemade plain, berries and honey), coconut flour or almond flour- pancake or muffins

 

lunch- often leftovers or homemade soup- salmon patties(use almond flour for binding)

 

supper-

hamburger- spaghetti- I put mine over veggies- like mushrooms, peppers, onions, zucchini

meatloaf(binder almond flour)

burgers- sans the buns- sauted veggies- potatoes if I want the carbs

sloppy joes- no buns- homemade coleslaw, sweet potato

taco salad

 

roast- various flavors w/ various veggies(use the Crockpot365 blog a lot)

 

pork roast/loin- cajun, cajun rubbed ribs, cajun w/ pintos, garlic w/ veggies, bar-b-q- good sauce or homemade

 

chicken - chicken paprikash, roast chicken, caccitore, curry, african peanut, 40 cloves, sweet potato and black bean- mexican chicken

 

I make a ton more things but that is off the top of my head- I use the sites;

simplyrecipes.com

crockpot365blogspot.com

 

A lot of grain free options there or easily modifiable.

 

groceries;

protein-

chicken(by the year from the local farm)

beef- by the half or 1/4 local farm

pork- by the half or quarter local farm

fish- just at Aldi's(no good options here)- I use canned wild salmon, fresh wild salmon and tilipia

beans- buy in bulk from Co-Op(Azure)

Eggs- from the farm(hope to get my own chickens soon!)

 

veggies/fruits-

green beans, strawberries, blueberries and peas (frozen in 5 lb bags bags from co-op)

cauliflower, lettuce, kale, beets, broccoli, carrots, onions, potatoes, celery- fresh from store- usually Aldi's

 

fat-

olive and extra virgin olive oil- from Sam's club

extra virgin coconut oil- bought in 4- 5 gallons at a time online

lard or tallow(rendered myself from the fat of animals we buy)

 

spices-

bulk online (mt. rose herbs) or through Co-op(we have delivery of Azure Co-Op)

 

dairy-

just started doing some again

raw milk, cream and butter from Mennonite farm

raw cheese from co-op

 

Misc canned goods, co-op, discount store, Aldi's etc- like canned tomatoes, coconut milk, chiles etc .

 

nuts-

aldis , grocery store, co-op

 

coconut and almond flour-

bulk online or co-op(wherever I can get it cheaper)

 

I think that is the bulk of what we eat here.

 

I do eat tubers and beans, although at times I haven't. I feel fine with them, when trying to lose weight I cut them back or out.

Edited August 12, 2011 by soror

[AuntPol]

I eat Primal Blueprint version of paleo

 

Breakfast

Coffee w/ cream and stevia

Eggs w/ a choice of nitrate-free bacon or other leftover meat and peppers and onions or other veggies that can throw in; If no veggies -a V-8; occasionally eggplant hash browns

On the run: Sausage Patty* and piece of fruit

Occasionally: Cottage Cheese w/stevia, cinnamon and pecans; Greek Yogurt w/berries

 

I try to avoid sausages as they are processed and I'm too lazy to make my own but I keep some on hand to avoid making toast on the run (I'd do hard boiled eggs but can't eats eggs that way)

 

Lunch:

Salad w/ some meat (I really like Chicken Salad)

Leftovers

Stirfry of some sort

On the GO: Deli rolls and a big veggie tray

 

Dinner

Spaghetti Squash w/meat sauce (regular pasta for kids)

Taco Salad (kids have tacos)

Roast beef or Pork Loin, green veggies or cabbage and bacon

Haitian Voodoo Beef kabobs (all recipes); roasted/grilled veggies

Paleo Chili

Hamburger Patties in lettuce wraps for me and buns for others; sweet potato fries

Chicken in a variety of ways (garlic, buffalo strips, roasted sticky; etc)

Fajitas (hold tortilla for me)

Porkchops w/apples and onions

Emergency: Pick up rotisserie chicken and bag salad

 

Favorite Sides

Sweet potato fries

Broccoli, Grape, and bacon salad

Roasted Zuchhni/Squash medley w/onion and tomatoes

Cabbage and bacon

Green beans cooked w/ butter and bacon

Aspagargus

 

Cook w/

Butter

Coconut Oil

Bacon Grease

Olive oil

 

Snacks (rarely need them)

nuts

celery w/almond butter

veggie sticks w/baba ghanoush

 

Stuck on the road:

Service Station: nuts, beef jerkey, fruit, water

Fast Food: Salad w/chicken, water

Restaurants: Salad or meat and veggie side

[Soror]

re sausage: I make my own, very easy! I get my pork ground plain and put it in the frig the

day before to thaw, next morning I take it out add seasonings and mix it up, less than 5 minutes, my b-fast sausage recipe;

per pound-

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper(white is good)

2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp ground mustard

dash of ground cloves

dash of crush red pepper(to your taste)

[AuntPol]

Thanks Soror. I will try that.

[shalom22]

Check out www.everydaypaleo.com she has some great quick and easy recipes.

 

If you haven't read Robb Wolf's book, The Paleo Solution, I would give it a try. I like Sisson's book, but Robb explains it to where I can understand it.

 

The previous posts give you some great meal ideas. We have stopped trying to 'paleo' meals that we used to eat. When we would try to make pancakes, cookies, etc., we were always disappointed. Coconut and almond flour do not perform like wheat flour, so those baked good will not look or taste like what you expect. We have just learned to eat differently. It really is simple, just eat meat and veggies, throw in some fruit and nuts, include good fats like avocado, coconut oil, etc. It does get boring if you don't eat a wide variety of veggies. You will have to get used to cooking more food since you won't have a filler like rice or potatoes.

 

We buy 1/2 cow and bacon from a rancher in west Texas, so our meat cost isn't as high as when we had to buy from the store.

 

I get some veggies from an organic coop, the rest I buy from the store.

 

My grocery bill has been high. But I have been buying snacks for the kids that were rather expensive. We are going to be cutting those out. They will be expected to just eat leftovers or make them something to eat when they get hungry instead of relying on snack type foods.

 

This is not a cheap way to eat, but the improved health in our family is worth it.

[Dianne-TX]

Thanks everyone, this was very helpful! I just have to walk in this way everyday and not think of it as a "temporary" change as I have before when we change how we eat and then just go back to "normal".

[AuntPol]

If you want to do this as a lifestyle change, ease into it.

 

I recommend Kurt Harris's 12 step program:

 

http://www.archevore.com/get-started/

[Just Robyn]

I've been doing the Whole 30 which is basically paleo (no grains, no dairy, no alcohol, no sugar and no sugar substitutes for 30 days). I'm on day 24. I do plan to do it for more than 30 days, but I plan to add alcohol back in after 30 days. I'm not much of a drinker anyway.

 

For breakfast I usually eat one hard boiled egg and one or two pieces of fruit.

 

Lunches and dinner vary slightly. Often it's been chicken or shrimp sauteed with whatever veggies I have in the fridge.

An avocado with some tomatoes or salsa, lemon juice, and shrimp (and pepper or whatever spices) makes a simple meal.

A can of tuna with some tomatoes and lemon juice and pepper or other spices is another easy meal.

Sometimes I just cook up some meat and mix it up with a bowl of spinach or other salad greens.

 

I do wish I had more meal ideas and more easy grab-and-go ideas. I picked up a book on the paleo diet from the library and have made some recipes from it. I'll be reading this thread for more ideas though. I love that someone mentioned making their own sausage! Before the diet I was thinking I could eat lots of sausages with veggies, then I noticed they put sugar and/or grains in almost all sausages. :cursing:

 

I like that I don't have to count calories and weigh all my food.

I like that I don't have to schedule what I plan to eat for the day.

I like that I don't see a brownie and think about how much I want it, and wonder if I can make room for it in my allotted calories, and think about it some more, and finally eat it (or not, the point is all the thinking). I know the second I see something that I can't eat it and I move on.

I like that I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full without trying. When my food is not packed with sugar I just naturally stop when I'm full. It stops tasting good.

 

I don't like that it's day 24 and I feel that I am still addicted to sugar. Watching my children eat the chocolate zucchini cake my mother brought over was torture.

 

My standard grocery list would usually be:

 

eggs (the kind with extra omega 3)

lots of veggies

lots of fruit

chicken breast

shrimp

tuna

olive oil

lemon juice

white wine for cooking

 

I have gotten other things: grass fed, local ground beef, sole fillets, salmon, etc., but the above is what I buy more of every week.

[Just Robyn]

Wanted to add that I suggest taking supplements - at minimum a calcium supplement and a pro-biotic. I know you can get calcium from greens and other non-dairy foods. Based on the amounts in most of them, I think you would have to eat more than most people actually do in order to get all the calcium you need. (Or, I don't realize just how much spinach, etc. most people eat. If you know you're eating enough, ignore me.) I personally am taking a daily multivitamin and alfalfa on top of the calcium and pro-biotic.

[Tammy (TX)]

I do! I did it strictly for a month or two - now I cheat a little with some rice and treats but I'm still gluten/dairy/soy free. I feel great when I eat this way, but I mostly do it for autoimmune issues.

 

I also recommend Everyday Paleo! The only thing I have to be careful about is using too many nuts/nut flours. I learned that it's just too much for my stomach.

[Soror]

real life samples:

yesterday-

bfast- green juice(1 bunch kale, 2 celery, 1/2 beet, 3 carot, 1 in ginger, 1 lemon), scrambled eggs- 3 lrg(cooked in lard) w/ red pepper, tomato, and onion- Emergen-C drink- homemade sausage- 4 oz

 

lunch- hamburger- 1 patty 2-3 oz, veggie soup in beef broth(very small amt of beef in there from bones), lots of tomatoes, green beans(garden fresh)

 

supper- pork neck bone meat w/ bbq(store bought- gluten/dairy/soy free w/ no pres, dyes or hfcs but yes on sugar), potatoes(cooked w/ butter and spices- maybe 1/2 potato), smoothie w/ homemade yogurt, strawberries, coco milk, and raw honey

 

(I was famished after I got home and loaded the carbs- I had spent an hr walking in the heat then we went swimming for an hr and didn't get supper until 7:45- plus I like to save carbs until evening- it helps me sleep better)

 

 

Today:

breakfast- scrambled eggs- peppers, onions and tomatoes in lard- Emergen- C

 

lunch- Salmon patties(wild alaskan canned w/ oil, skin and bones mashed up- almond flour, eggs, various spices), carrots, some ketchup organic no hfcs

 

supper- BIG salad(romaine, carrot, cabbage, red onions, tomatoes), maple pepper salmon(lots of pepper, small amount maple syrup(from the farm)- dressing- evoo- balsamic, sea salt and fresh pepper

 

snack- 1/2 c of coco milk strawberry icecream(coco milk full fat, raw honey, vanilla and strawberries)

 

My carbs are moderate right now. I wouldn't mind to loose a few pounds- as I have been eating too much sugar and carbs this summer. My rough goal is MDA (marksdailyapple.com) maintenance range.

[Dianne-TX]

real life samples:

yesterday-

bfast- green juice(1 bunch kale, 2 celery, 1/2 beet, 3 carot, 1 in ginger, 1 lemon), scrambled eggs- 3 lrg(cooked in lard) w/ red pepper, tomato, and onion- Emergen-C drink- homemade sausage- 4 oz

 

lunch- hamburger- 1 patty 2-3 oz, veggie soup in beef broth(very small amt of beef in there from bones), lots of tomatoes, green beans(garden fresh)

 

supper- pork neck bone meat w/ bbq(store bought- gluten/dairy/soy free w/ no pres, dyes or hfcs but yes on sugar), potatoes(cooked w/ butter and spices- maybe 1/2 potato), smoothie w/ homemade yogurt, strawberries, coco milk, and raw honey

 

(I was famished after I got home and loaded the carbs- I had spent an hr walking in the heat then we went swimming for an hr and didn't get supper until 7:45- plus I like to save carbs until evening- it helps me sleep better)

 

 

Today:

breakfast- scrambled eggs- peppers, onions and tomatoes in lard- Emergen- C

 

lunch- Salmon patties(wild alaskan canned w/ oil, skin and bones mashed up- almond flour, eggs, various spices), carrots, some ketchup organic no hfcs

 

supper- BIG salad(romaine, carrot, cabbage, red onions, tomatoes), maple pepper salmon(lots of pepper, small amount maple syrup(from the farm)- dressing- evoo- balsamic, sea salt and fresh pepper

 

snack- 1/2 c of coco milk strawberry icecream(coco milk full fat, raw honey, vanilla and strawberries)

 

My carbs are moderate right now. I wouldn't mind to loose a few pounds- as I have been eating too much sugar and carbs this summer. My rough goal is MDA (marksdailyapple.com) maintenance range.

 

Thank you. This really helped to see what a real day looks like. I'm getting my brain wrapped around this little by little. The hardest part is the habits I'm used to that are very hard to break, even when I try. Ugh.

[Soror]

Thank you. This really helped to see what a real day looks like. I'm getting my brain wrapped around this little by little. The hardest part is the habits I'm used to that are very hard to break, even when I try. Ugh.

It is an adjustment I've had years at it. You have to break snack habits, retrain palettes, give up the sugar, learn to cook meals differently. The first little bit you can feel worse instead of better. Personally, I think if your coming from a standard american diet I'd lean hard on those allowed carbs and then wean down to lower levels. It will still be enough of an adjustment. Start going through your meals that you already make and think what would still work or be easily modifiable.

 

today:

5- small-almond flour pancakes (modified from Elana's pantry- raw honey is in the batter but I do not top it with anything)- 3 slices bacon

 

2- 4 0z-hamburgers- 1 c. green beans (small amt bbq sauce for dipping- 2 T maybe)

 

chicken w/ big salad(tenatively planned- have a chicken thawing out and I've been craving salads)

 

Usually I will fix pancakes one day on the weekends for a treat. I have been make apple pancakes(shredded apples- juice extracted- w/ eggs and cinnamon- fried in coconut oil) but the kids prefer these- dh prefers the apple. It has been a few months since I had made them and even though they are relatively low carb for pancakes I noticed that it wasn't the best for my blood sugar. Too many carbs in the am leaves me draggy.

 

I'm giving amts to give you an idea, appetites vary widely. I had started to eat more sugar and had been snacking a lot more, since cutting back on that my appetite has went down and I don't feel the desire to eat between meals at all. I don't even feel ravenous at meal time except when going exceptionally long or with a lot of activity like on Thursday but even then I wasn't at the point of passing out or anything, just hungry.