starting paleo

A Paleo Diet Meal Plan and Menu That Can Save Your Life

February 19, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 7 Comments

[box]This is a detailed meal plan for the paleo diet. What to eat, what to avoid and a sample paleo menu for one week.[/box]

The paleo diet is based on emulating the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. It includes whole, unprocessed foods that resemble what they look like in nature.

Our ancestors were genetically the same as modern humans. They thrived eating such foods and were free of diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Several studies suggest that this diet can lead to significant weight loss (without calorie counting) and major improvements in health.

Photo by Fit Bomb.

A Paleo Diet Meal Plan

There is no one “right” way to eat for everyone and paleolithic humans thrived on a variety of diets, depending on what was available at the time.

Some ate a low-carb diet high in animal foods, others a high-carb diet with lots of plants.

Consider this as a general guideline, not something written in stone. You can adapt all of this to your own personal needs and preferences.

The Basics

Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats and oils.

Avoid: Processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, most dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine and trans fats.

This is a simplified paleo food pyramid:

Photo by Mark Sisson.

Avoid These Foods

Avoid these foods and ingredients:

Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup: Soft drinks, fruit juices, table sugar, agave nectar, candy, pastries, ice cream and many others.

Grains: Includes breads and pastas, wheat, spelt, rye, barley, etc.

Legumes: Beans, lentils and many more.

Dairy: Avoid most dairy, especially low-fat (some “versions” of paleo do include full-fat dairy like butter and cheese).

Vegetable Oils: Soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil and others.

Trans Fats: Found in margarine and various processed foods. Usually referred to as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils.

Artificial Sweeteners: Aspartame, Sucralose, Cyclamates, Saccharin, Acesulfame Potassium. Use natural sweeteners instead.
Highly Processed Foods: Everything labelled “diet” or “low-fat” or has many weird ingredients. Includes artificial meal replacements.

A simple guideline: If it looks like it was made in a factory, don’t eat it!

If you want to avoid these ingredients, then you MUST read ingredients lists, even on foods that are labelled as “health foods.”

Foods to Eat on The Paleo Diet

Base your diet on these real, unprocessed paleo foods.

Meats: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork and others.

Fish and Seafood: Salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish, etc. Choose wild-caught if you can.

Eggs: Choose free-range, pastured or Omega-3 enriched eggs.

Vegetables: Broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, etc.

Fruits: Apples, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries and more.

Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, etc.

Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and more

Healthy Fats and Oils: Lard, tallow, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil and others.
Salt and Spices: Sea salt, himalayan salt, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, etc.

Try to choose grass-fed, pasture raised and organic if you can afford it. If not, then just make sure to always go for the least processed option.

There are some things you can do to minimize cost while still eating high quality foods. Read a great article on this here.

Maybe Eat

In the past few years, the paleo community has evolved quite a bit.

There are now several different “versions” of the paleo diet. Many of them allow some modern foods that science has shown to be healthy.

This includes quality bacon from pasture raised pigs, grass-fed butter and even some non-gluten grains like rice.

Many people now think of paleo as a template to base your diet on, not necessarily as a strict set of rules that you must follow.

Sensible Indulgences

These are perfectly healthy in small amounts:

Wine: Quality red wine is high in antioxidants and beneficial nutrients.
Dark Chocolate: Choose one that has 70% or higher cocoa content. Quality dark chocolate is very nutritious and extremely healthy.

What to Drink When You’re Thirsty

When it comes to hydration, water should be your go-to beverage.

These aren’t exactly paleo, but most people drink them anyway:

Tea is very healthy and loaded with antioxidants and various beneficial compounds. Green tea is best.
Coffee is actually very high in antioxidants as well. Studies show that it has many health benefits.

You Should Watch This Video

This short video is a must-watch, it will teach you everything you need to know about the basics of paleo.

A Sample Paleo Menu For One Week

This sample menu contains a balanced amount of all the paleo foods.

Feel free to adjust this based on your own preferences.

Monday

Breakfast: Eggs and vegetables, fried in coconut oil. One piece of fruit.
Lunch: Chicken salad, with olive oil. Handful of nuts.

Dinner: Burgers (no bun), fried in butter, with vegetables and some salsa.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Bacon and eggs, with a piece of fruit.
Lunch: Leftover burgers from the night before.
Dinner: Salmon, fried in butter, with vegetables.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Meat with vegetables (leftovers from night before).
Lunch: Sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables.
Dinner: Ground beef stir fry, with vegetables. Some berries.

Thursday

Breakfast: Eggs and a fruit.
Lunch: Leftover stir fry from the night before. A handful of nuts.
Dinner: Fried pork, with vegetables.

Friday

Breakfast: Eggs and vegetables, fried in coconut oil.
Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil. Handful of nuts.
Dinner: Steak with vegetables and sweet potatoes.

Saturday

Breakfast: Bacon and eggs, with a piece of fruit.
Lunch: Leftover steak and vegetables from the night before.
Dinner: Baked salmon with vegetables and avocado.

Sunday

Breakfast: Meat with vegetables (leftovers from night before).
Lunch: Sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables.
Dinner: Grilled chicken wings, with vegetables and salsa.

There is usually no need to track calories or macronutrients (protein, carbs or fat) on the paleo diet, at least not in the beginning.

However, if you need to lose a lot of weight then it is a good idea to cut carbs somewhat and limit your intake of nuts and potatoes.

If you’re a vegetarian, then read this article for some tips on how to do paleo without meat.

How to Make Your Restaurant Meals Paleo

It is not very difficult to make most restaurant meals paleo friendly.

Order a meat or fish-based main dish.
Get extra vegetables instead of bread or rice.
Ask them to cook your food in coconut oil, lard, olive oil or butter.

There’s an excellent article on eating paleo at restaurants here.

Simple Paleo Snacks

There really is no need to eat more than 3 meals per day, but if you get hungry then here are some paleo snacks that are simple and easily portable:

Baby carrots.
Hard boiled eggs.
A piece of fruit.
A handful of nuts.
Leftovers from the night before.
Apple slices with some almond butter.
A bowl of berries with some coconut cream.
Homemade beef jerky.

Simple Paleo Shopping List

There is an incredible variety of foods you can eat on the paleo diet.

This simple shopping list should give you an idea of how to get started.

Meat (beef, lamb, pork).
Poultry (chicken, turkey, etc).
Fish (salmon, trout, mackarel).
Eggs.
Fresh vegetables: greens, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, etc.
Frozen vegetables: broccoli, spinach, various mixes, etc.
Fruits: Apples, bananas, pears, oranges, avocado.
Berries: Strawberries, blueberries.
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts.
Almond butter.
Coconut oil.
Olive oil.
Grass-fed butter.
Olives.
Sweet potatoes.
Condiments: Sea salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic, parsley, etc.

If you want a more advanced shopping guide, read this.

It is a good idea to clear all unhealthy temptations from your home, including sodas, pastries, cookies, crackers, bread, ice cream and cereals.

How to Find More Info

If you’re interested in more articles like this one, make sure to subscribe to free updates.

There is an entire world of information out there on paleo eating. Just google something like “paleo recipes” or “primal recipes” and you will find a ton of stuff.

These are some really excellent paleo recipe blogs:

*A Paleo Diet Menu Plan originally posted by Kris Gunnar and is republished with permission.*

The Paleo Survival Guide: Getting Started with Paleo

November 2, 2013 by Jackie Ritz 1 Comment

In the two years that I have been blogging about eating Paleo, the MOST asked question is, “How do I start?” It can be very overwhelming for you…I know…I have been there. Throw transitioning a family into that mix and you are so overwhelmed that you don’t even start.

You can scour the internet for hours and hours on how to start eating Paleo and you will find a lot of information. However, you won’t find it all in one spot. You will have to search:

“How do I transition my family?”
“How do I eat Paleo when I’m out of the house?”
“What kinds of foods should I eat when I’m sick?”
“What do I eat when I’m at parties?”
“What do I feel my Paleo kids?”
…and on…and on…and on.

You quit before you even started! Let me encourage you by suggesting this extremely beneficial book that Sylvie McCracken from The Hollywood Homestead has put together a brand new digital book, “The Paleo Survival Guide: Getting Started with Paleo“. Sylvie has not only written a book for you, no, she has written you a survival manual! This book is going to help you make the transition to eating Paleo so much easier.

Sylvie is a walking testimony of how Paleo has changed someone’s life completely. She has lost 65 lbs since she started eating Paleo and weight loss was not even her main goal.

You see, being overweight or underweight is often not the problem. It is a symptom of a problem. When you’re body finds health, it will most likely self-adjust on the weight front quite a bit. – Sylvie McCracken

10 Reasons Why I Love this Book?

50% of the book is information that will be extremely beneficial to your success with Paleo. Actually, 100% is beneficial, but 50% is a manual. The other 50% is recipes that will help you get started.
It starts at the bottom and addresses what Paleo, truly, is.
It talks about how Paleo is safe for kids.
It talks about how to afford eating Paleo.
It talks about reluctant spouses who don’t want to eat Paleo. I had one of those! He’s a firm believer now.
It talks about Paleo in times of sickness
It addresses how to eat Paleo On the Go and when traveling.
It addresses sleep, exercise, and managing stress.
It’s loaded with 45 recipes to get you going.
But you know what my favorite reason why I love this book? Because she is a mom just like me. She has 3 kids and she is making Paleo work for her family. You can see that health and happiness is evident in her family’s life because of Paleo.

Oh, the delicious recipes…did I mention the recipes?

Baby Broccoli Salad

Bacon Guacamole

Sneaky Green Popsicle (aren’t they adorable?)

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Hollywood Homestead is offering my readers a special discount of 20% off if you order it today!!! Coupon Code: PALEOMAMA !

CLICK HERE TO ORDER!

10 Steps to Eating Paleo and Why You Should Consider it

October 1, 2013 by Jackie Ritz 10 Comments

follow-in-the-footsteps-of-others

My family and I have been eating Paleo for two years now. I blog about new recipes I’ve created, helpful articles to get people on track, and how to raise healthy, Paleo kids. But, maybe, you’re reading this and you have heard this word, “Paleo”, pronounced “Pay – LE – O”, but you’re just not sure what it’s all about. Maybe you’re intrigued by it. Maybe you’re turned off by it. There is so much information flying around the internet, especially in the “Paleo world”. It’s extremely hard to figure out what is right and what is not, but when it comes to Paleo, I have learned that what may be right for me, is not right for you.

So, as best as I can, I am going to share with you what Paleo is and why you should consider eating Paleo:

1) Paleo is not a low fat diet. If you are eating Paleo foods, then you are, naturally, eating a diet that is high in fat. Don’t get scared away! Studies have shown that a diet high in healthy fats is the way our bodies are designed to function. Take a look at this article explaining cholesterol and fat and this article which takes the fear out of fats for you! As we start to see, saturated fat is NOT bad for you. Eating Paleo encourages you to eat saturated fats in the form of coconut oil and butter, and Ghee. These fats are great for cooking at high temperatures with. Olive oil is, also, a great fat to use in salads and to drizzle over foods, but not for cooking. It shouldn’t be heated up above it’s smokes point (which is 325degrees). When oil gets heated beyond its smoke point, it starts to break down chemically. It loses most of its antioxidants, releases toxic chemicals in the form of smoke, and becomes filled with carcinogenic free radicals. SCARY.

fats

2) Paleo encourages the consumption of generous amounts of animal protein. This includes red meat, poultry, pork, eggs, organ meat, wild caught fish and shellfish. Since I started eating Paleo 2 years ago, I have become more aware of my source for meat. Paleo encourages you to source out the best and most healthiest cuts of meats. Buying locally raised, sustainable meat from nearby farmers is the best way to ensure that the quality of your meat is good. The nutrition of your food greatly increases when you source your meat appropriately.

3) Paleo encourages the consumption of fresh vegetables either raw or cooked and served with fat. Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes are also a great source of non toxic carbohydrates.

4) Paleo encourages a moderate (to low) amount of fruits and nuts (organic is preferred) . If you have autoimmune issues, or are trying to lose weight, or have digestive issues, then you should consider cutting out fruits and nuts altogether. I really recommend this book for anyone suffering with an autoimmune disease. It has over 100 recipes that are egg, dairy, wheat, nightshade, and nut free. If you suffer from an autoimmune disease, you, definitely, want to avoid these foods.

5) Paleo encourages you to cut out all grains, beans, and legumes from your diet. This includes, wheat, oats, corn, rice, soy, beans, and barley. This is the hard one for most people to overcome. But after 2 years of eliminating them from my diet, I, honestly, don’t even miss this stuff. The reason why Paleo encourages you to eliminate these foods is because these foods are toxic to our bodies…especially the modern forms of them. The wheat of today is not the wheat that was consumed thousands of years ago. We are eating a genetically modified form of wheat that has absolutely no nutrition in it for our body. Beans should be excluded because they are also toxic, unless properely prepared. Beans (and wheat) should be soaked for hours, even days, in water to release the phytic acid (an anti-nutrient) in them. Beans are even toxic in their raw form; a defense mechanism to protect themselves from birds chowing down on them. And even after soaking them for hours and days, they still don’t compare nutritionally to a steamy pile of vegetables cooked in a healthy oil. So, best to leave the beans (and the gas!) and choose something your body can handle a little bit better.

paleo-diet-flowchart_50ef4b0aa8a02

6) Paleo encourages you to cut out all vegetable and hydrogenated oils including margarines, crisco, peanut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, and safflower oil. These oils are terrible for you because they are taken out of their raw state and are injected with a catalyst. This catalyst is usually a metal of nickel, platinum, or aluminum. The oil now resembles something that is “plastic” not oil and your body, especially your blood, starts to become thicker along with it. Your heart has to work harder to pump your thicker blood through your system.

7) Paleo encourages you to eliminate white sugar, soft drinks and processed foods. We all know that these foods are subpar to the foods we get on the “outside” of the grocery store (meat and veggies). Processed foods are loaded with things like high fructose corn syrup, artificial colorings and flavors, and other forms of chemicals that are terrible for our body.

8) Paleo encourages you to eliminate dairy (other than butter) for a month and to see how your body does without it. Some people are unaware that they may have a dairy allergy, or they just feel better without it. If you can’t live without dairy, then you should consider raw dairy, full-fat, and/or fermented dairy. We consume raw dairy in our house. We have our own dairy goats and we drink their fresh, raw milk. Read here why raw milk is good for you and why my Paleo family drinks it.

9) Paleo encourages you to eat only when you’re hungry and not to stress if you skip a meal. You don’t have to eat 3 square meals a day. The reason behind this is because this is what how our ancestors used to eat. They would have to wait for the hunt and kill to eat or when food/harvest was available to them.

10) Paleo encourages you to enjoy life, exercise by doing something you enjoy, and to eliminate external stress. It stresses the importance of sleep.

Personally, Paleo has liberated me! I don’t have to count calories. I don’t have to starve myself. I eat when I’m hungry, but I make sure I grab something that is going to nourish my body. I have lost 65lbs eating Paleo. My husband has been able to come off his statin drugs. My kids are growing strong and are rarely sick. Not only has Paleo changed my life physically, but mentally as well. I have more clarity when I am eating Paleo because I don’t go through having sugar cravings, sugar crashes, or out of control binges.

Why not give Paleo a try? Try it for a month and see how you feel! I guarantee you at the end of the month you will feel amazing! If you are unsure what to cook or where to start to look for good Paleo recipes, I encourage you to take a look at these Paleo Meal Plans.

Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and my blog for more Paleo suggestions and recipes!