The title of this note is something I get asked regularly, so I thought I'd answer the question right here! You might be thinking "oh, here Vanessa is on another fad diet, wasn't she just on Atkins?". Well, for me, it's not a fad, it's something I'll be sticking with. I did Atkins for 10 months and realized that I needed to consume more natural foods and cut out artificial sweeteners among other things, so I decided to stay low carb, but follow something more strict, but more rewarding. I started Paleo on Jan 3rd 2012 and i've lost 11.3lbs and that wasn't even the goal of switching. Here's what paleo eating pretty much consists of:
beverages: water, coconut water (beware of the ones with added sugars) and herbal tea.
proteins: look for grass fed meats, pasture raised eggs, free range chicken and wild caught fish. Eggs, pork (including bacon and sausage, as long as it's uncured w/o preservatives) poultry (including eggs), beef, veal, lamb, game meats (elk, bison, venison), fish and shellfish. Jerky and sardines are great for snacks. If you can't find/afford grass fed/free range, the next best option is organic fed beef and then the 3rd option is whatever you can find at the supermarket. Keep in mind though, quality matters!
cooking fats: coconut oil, ghee, butter, lard and tallow. forget about canola and olive oil isn't the best choice for cooking, better for salads.
veggies:First of all, organic (no pesticides) is best when at all times possible. It's easier to list what you can't have and then pretty much all the rest is fair game, here's the restricted list: Potatoes (you may have sweet potatoes, just not everyday), corn, green beans, peas. Everything else is fair game.
fruits: again, organic is best. If you can't find organic, then go visit your local farmers for fresher selections. Go easy on fruits and focus on low sugar berries (strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries). Avocados, tomatoes, limes, and lemons are great any time and are often forgotten.
Nuts: While they are super yummy, go easy. The best choices are macadamias, cashews, almonds and hazelnuts. Stay away from peanuts, they are legumes as are green beans. For your nut butter, stick to almond butter. When possible, find raw nuts that haven't been blanched nor roasted.
Herbs and spices: always a great way to liven up your food, but be careful of the premixed ones, many times they contain sugar, weird starches, among other things that you wouldn't think would be in there. checking the ingredients is one of the most important things. Using fresh spices when possible is great. Switch your table salt to the Sea salt grinders, if you can find the gray or pink varieties, even better.
Other random items: coconut milk (canned is easier, just don't get the 'light' versions), chicken and beef broth (steer away from the ones with tons of additives and if possible, choose those w/o sugars and soy), canned tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce (NOT spaghetti/marinara sauces), capers, olives, artichokes hearts, roasted red peppers, canned tuna (i go for the ones that are packed in just olive oil and salt, many varieties contain weird ingredients and the fat in the olive oil is very good for you), mustard, homemade paleo mayo and bbq sauce, vinegars, curry paste, coconut amines, almond and coconut flour, honey (don't get the store brand, if possible, find a local brand), pure maple syrup for occasional use.
Snacks: nuts, dried meat (it's hard to find, but there is locally made jerky here that is actually dried up meat that is seasoned, vs the processed stuff u buy at the store), Lara bars (the ones w/o added sugar), hard boiled eggs, paleo muffins, fruit, veggie sticks.
You made it to the bottom now and you might be scratching your head and thinking "no oatmeal, bread, grains, corn, cereal, rice, pasta". Nope. I completely understand your frusteration, it's been less than a year for me since i've given up these items. Don't rely on the food pyramid and government to keep you healthy, it's more profitable for them to have you eat in a manner that will make you sick down the road. Its up to us to take care of ourselves and what we put in our mouths. Keep in mind, Google is your friend. Search for "paleo bread" (there's a flax version you can make), "paleo desserts", "paleo condiments", and search for whatever else you are trying to find a replacement for. While you are switching your kids over, get rid of things that have high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors. my boys still eat some grains, but we are slowly making the switch for them (it's harder than for adults).
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