::: How To Eat:::

So in the world according to Paleo, all food should ideally come from local, organic and grass-fed sources.  However, in real life, not everyone has access to these quality items, nor can everyone afford it (like myself).  Should that discourage you from giving it your best shot?  Nope!  Take my household for example: we buy grass-fed beef on very rare occasion and only when its on sale, can almost never find the organic free range chicken and always buy organic grass-fed butter and cheese because it's always at our local market and reasonably priced.  I'm pretty certain that almost nobody out there is 100% Paleo 100% of the time, unless they have severe food allergies and intolerances to keep them in line.  I personally like to consider myself 100% Paleo, 80% of the time (hopefully you understand my humor in that one, if so then 10 points for you).  

With that said, I do regularly make choices to consume foods that are not considered Paleo, but are also not the worst options out there.  For example, gluten free pizza.  No matter how many times I've tried,  there hasn't (yet) been a Paleo approved recipe for gluten free pizza that quite hits the spot.  While yes, its most likely processed, with nothing organic and sometimes questionable ingredients, it allows me to indulge in an old time fav of mine without the gluten-inflammed response I get from your standard slice of pie.  

Here on this page I will give you the meat and potatoes version of what my grocery list looks like, and I'll continue to share more in future blog posts.  Keep in mind, Paleo is my lifestyle, and Low Carb/Ketogenic was my tool for losing weight, so I naturally tend to go back and forth between them.  Also, while keeping things low carb, I kept my intake of food very wholesome and real, i.e.  I didn't consume sugar free or low carb products and artificial sweeteners.  

As much as I love to eat food, I love to photograph it even more and occasionally have a recipe of mine to share.  I recommend plenty of websites here and books here that have awesome recipes I cook up weekly in my kitchen, so knock yourself out and don't be afraid to try something new!

:::Food :::

:::Just Eat Real Food:::

  • Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, fish, etc.
  • Eggs
  • Vegetables, fresh 
  • Fruit, fresh
  • Potatoes, Sweet potatoes
  • Squash
  • Ghee, tallow, lard
  • Olive, walnut, avocado, palm oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Coconut cream, canned
  • Coconut milk, unsweetened
  • Almond milk, unsweetened
  • Organic, grass fed or raw dairy 
  • Seeds
  • Nuts
  • Herbs and spices
  • Honey, maple syrup, molasses 

:::Keepin' it Low Carb:::

Realistically, a low carb approach will still look very much like this list of real food, only it will include a bit less carbs and a lot more fat.  If your goal is to reduce carbs, then you can do so by limiting tubers, starchy vegetables, fruits, some nuts and seeds and omit the honey, maple syrup and molasses.  It's also important to note that while I recommend reducing these particular foods, it does not make them "bad" foods and there is no reason to cut them out of your diet forever.  They all have their place on our plates while offering some serious nutrients, and might I add, tastiness!   

:::How to Grocery Shop:::

  • Always grocery shop on a full belly.  If you have ever gone to the grocery store for a rotisserie chicken and walked out with cinnamon rolls, cheesy crackers and fried chicken from the deli, then you, too, know how important this is!
  • Have a game plan and always leave the house with a list in hand.  It helps to check your weekly mailers so you can scope out the best deals around town.
  • Stick to the parameters of the grocery store.  Most of the time this will include the produce, meat and dairy sections.  Almost everything within the isles will contain something that your body will not recognize.  Not always though, so teach yourself how to read labels.
  • The more you educate yourself on recipes, the more you will realize the endless possibilities of options you can prepare with this list of real food.

:::How to Eat Out:::

  • Scope out the menu ahead of time
  • Explain (nicely) to the waiter of your sensitivities to certain foods
  • Stick to meat and veggie dishes, swapping out any starches for extra veggies if need be
  • 3 words: Lettuce-wrapped burgers
  • Be weary of any soups or sauces that may contain sugar, gluten or other inflammatories
  • Ask them to hold the unlimited bread basket... why torture yourself? 
  • Most restaurants have a gluten free menu, but doesn't always mean its Paleo so take note
  • Call ahead and ask, don't be shy
  • And lastly, know that unless you're dining at a high end restaurant, they are more than likely using soy and canola oil to prepare all their food.  There's no way to be squeaky clean while dining out and that's okay once in a while.  Dont beat yourself up because you were too tired to cook dinner that night, I do it more often than I'd like to right now.

All that said, eventually you will end up preferring the food you prepare at home over the food you can get dining out.  You may not believe it, but take it from someone who use to make her baked potatoes in the microwave and never made a successful batch of boxed macaroni and cheese   (and no, I'm not kidding).  You will learn.  You just have to be willing to mess up a few times before you get the hang of it.