8 ways to party and keep it paleo socalising christmas

8 Ways to Party – and Keep it Paleo

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It’s that time of year again where the party season is in full flow. It’s a time where everyone should be in good spirits, surrounding themselves with great food, music, and most importantly, great company. It can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to stay on track with your Paleo lifestyle at this time of the year, especially if your family and friends aren’t as conscious about their health as you are. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways that you can stay on your path to better health, whilst not missing out on any of the enjoyment of the holiday season.

8 ways to party and keep it paleo socalising christmas

1. Be careful at the buffet

This one is self explanatory, but if you’re at a social event hosted by a non Paleo friend or family, the chances are the buffet table will be laden with gluten, sugar, and countless additives. If you’re hungry and don’t want to miss out on the social connection of eating with friends, head straight for the crudités. Filling your plate with crunchy raw vegetables will help you stay sociable and have a full plate at the same time. You may be lucky and find some nice meats, hardboiled eggs, and maybe even some salted nuts. Just watch out for anything swimming in sauce, as its most probably ‘enhanced’ with sugar and some kind of thickening agent.

Sometimes it can come across rude asking ‘can you check the ingredients in that?’ or ‘are those sausages gluten free?’ – so it’s best to stick to the food you know will be safe. If you’re really concerned there will be nothing for you to eat, tip number 2 is something worth bearing in mind.

2.    Eat before you leave

If you don’t want to risk being gluten bombed at the buffet, I’d recommend eating a good meal before you leave. It might mean changing around your meal times slightly, but it’s much better to leave the house knowing you have eaten well, rather than fret about the lack of healthy options when you arrive. If there is anything suitable for you, then hey, it’s a bonus!

3.    Experiment with IF

If you’ve never tried Intermittent Fasting before, now could be as good a time as ever. If you’re going to be travelling to visit relatives, or at long events where there may be a lack of good food options, why not try incorporating a 12 – 24 hour fast into your day?

4.    Paleo cocktails

If you’re at a social event where the drinks are flowing, you may be presented with a lack of options. If you want to stay alcohol free, there are plenty of great non alcoholic cocktails you can make. Equally, a sparkling water with some ice and a wedge of lime is refreshing and looks sociable.

If you want to treat yourself to a drink or two, do so. You deserve it. Just stay away from the beer and high sugar mixers if you can. Your best choices would be red or white wine, but if you’re in the mood for spirits, look towards cocktails made with tequila or rum. Try and mix them with low sugar options like sparkling water or vegetable based juices to avoid blood sugar crashes. Dark rum and coconut water is incredibly refreshing, and the electrolytes in the coconut water will counteract the dehydrating effect of the alcohol.

5.    Throw your own

If you really can’t face a non Paleo party, why not throw your own instead? You don’t have to make a big fuss about the health benefits of your food – simply serve up lots of tasty meat, veggies, and Paleo friendly drinks and nibbles. You’ll be able to spend good quality time with your friends and family, whilst being able to enjoy clean, wholesome food at the same time. Chances are, they’ll be none the wiser either!

6.    Take advantage of the extra free time with long walks

We know how important it is to move often, so try and incorporate a good amount of movement into your day where you can. If you can’t get to a gym, you can’t beat a long walk with friends or family. Alternatively, head to your local park in the morning for a few sprints and pull ups using tree branches. You’ll have some extra free time (hopefully!) so put it to good use with a bit of exercise every day.

7.    Sleep well

Again, take advantage of the extra free time and focus on getting some good quality sleep. Aim for at least 8 hours a night, and as you have no work to set an alarm for, wake up when the sun wakes up to reset your circadian rhythm.

8.    Don’t worry too much!

Last but not least, if you do fall off track, don’t beat yourself up about it. Wake up the next morning, and get back on the Paleo wagon. After all, you have eaten healthily for the other 364 days of the year – we’re all entitled to ‘off’ days every now and then. Simply put it to the back of your mind and move on. The most important thing about this time of the year is the people you spend it with, and a bit of a slip up every now and then won’t hurt you.

Paleo school lunches dinners UK healthy government free-min

Paleo school lunches – dream on!

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I'm recently back from the UK, where a lot of my friends have young children. I was interested to learn about a new rule in the England, where children aged between four and seven (reception, year one and year two) are now all eligible for a free school lunch.

Paleo school lunches dinners UK healthy government free-min

The idea behind this, is a great one. I gather a significant number of young children were sent to school with a lunch box of processed junk. The same children aren’t likely to go home to a good meal either. By giving all children a hot school dinner, at least we can be certain they are getting at least one good meal a day.

There has been a lot of research on the issue, which has shown children getting a regular “healthy” meal concentrate better and perform better academically.

Whilst packed lunches are still allowed, obviously for financial and social reasons, children taking that option are likely to be in the minority.

Free School Lunches Dinners Policy UK

It all sounds great

Well yes, it does all sound like a great idea. Until one of my friends showed me the kinds of food on the “healthy” school dinner menus. Of course (and how could I have expected it to be any different) the offerings are based on conventional wisdom and the good old food pyramid.

That’s right, make sure children get their six (SIX!) daily serves of grains (especially wholegrains) – and watch out for those bad saturated fats!

Here are some of the meal plans for the free school lunches:

Paleo-Free-UK-School-Dinner-Lunches-Healthy-Menu-Plans

So whilst there’s a balance of lots of different types of food – aren’t they carb heavy? With options like pizza AND potatoes, pasta bake AND garlic bread and even Macaroni cheese and bread – there seems to be quite a lack protein and fat.

What’s the answer?

Clearly nothing is going to change until the government see sense on the food pyramid. And when almost all of the school children will be eating the free school dinners, I’m sure it would be very difficult to go against the flow and insist your child takes in a homemade packed lunch.

If you’ve got children, I’d love to know what their school lunch policy is and what you do about it. Please share in the comments, below.

In case you couldn't read the photo, here are the main course school lunch options in full:

• Loaded vegetable pizza with new potatoes and garden peas
• Lentil pasta layer with mixed vegetables
• Spaghetti Bolognese with sweetcorn
• Sweet potato & cheddar cheese whirls with country style potatoes & broccoli florets
• Roast chicken with gravy, stuffing, roast potatoes and spring cabbage
• Quorn fillet with roast potatoes and carrots
• Tempura fish goujons with crispy herb and baked beans
• Cheese and potato pie with green beans
• Cumberland sausages with gravy mashed potatoes and sweetcorn
• Roasted vegetable filled Yorkshire pudding with mashed potato and baked tomatoes
• Mediterranean vegetable pasta bake with garlic bread and vegetable medley
• Jacket potato filled with Boston beans and broccoli florets
• Savoury pork pies with crispy herb potatoes and baked beans
• Frittata with crispy herb potatoes and vegetable medley
• British roast beef with gravy, roast potatoes and cauliflower
• Vegetable crumble with roast potatoes and green beans
• Salmon fish fingers with lemon mayonnaise, potato wedges and garden peas
• Cheese ploughmans with carrot and orange salad
• Chicken fajita wrap with potato salad and mixed salad
• Quorn sausage and tomato roll with potato salad and sweetcorn salsa
• Quorn balls in tomato sauce with spaghetti and garden peas
• Cheese and onion pasty with mashed potatoes, homemade tomato sauce and roasted summer vegetables
• Reggae Reggae chicken with cous cous and sweetcorn
• Margherita pizza with coleslaw
• Roast pork with gravy, apple sauce, roast potatoes and cabbage
• Country bake with roast potatoes and carrots
• Chilli beef with rice and mixed vegetables
• Macaroni cheese with herby bread and broccoli
• Baked fish with country style potatoes and garden peas
• Vegetarian stack with country style potatoes and green beans

9 ways to keep it paleo at Christmas holiday diet health-min

9 Ways to Keep it Paleo This Christmas

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With all of the festivities at this time of year, you might be worried about keeping it Paleo? Well, with a bit of planning and organisation, there’s no need to worry about foregoing your health this Christmas.

  • Remember how you feel after you eat gluten/ drink alcohol/ eat something that doesn't agree with you.
  • Organise to host your own party/ dinner, early, to ensure you have control over the menu. You’ll be surprised how many friends will ask you for the recipes!
  • If you’re going out of Christmas events try eating before you leave, as when hunger strikes it’s harder to avoid the bad options
  • Call the venue ahead to check on the menu options, and see how they can accommodate you. You’ll find many places happy to tweak their Christmas menu to accommodate.
  • If you’re going to a friend's event, bring your own dishes to ensure there will be some good options you can have
  • Don’t let anyone pressure you into eating badly – often people seem keen to sabotage the good efforts of others (perhaps because it makes them feel better about their own bad choices) – so be prepared!
  • Don’t be afraid to lie – sometimes it’s just easier to say you have an allergy or intolerance instead of explaining why you eat this way (have you ever done this?)
  • If you have the chance to organise a Christmas event yourself, choose a venue with more paleo options – or better still arrange an event that isn't based around food.

And finally:

  • If you do fall off the wagon, tomorrow is another day. Don’t beat yourself up over it – but don’t let the slip justify more bad eating! Move on and eat well again.

How do you find sticking to a Paleo diet at this time of year? What are your top tips for success?

9 ways to keep it paleo at Christmas holiday diet health-min

Do You Really Know What You've Been Eating horse meat scandal paleo diet-min

Do You Really Know What You’ve Been Eating?

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Have you read about the horsemeat scandal in the UK? It seems that many products being sold as containing beef, have actually contained horsemeat. More and more products are being discovered across many brands as well as the supermarkets own brands. Most of the products are processed ready meals, with things like lasagne and spaghetti bolognese having been added to the scandal so far. Initially it was claimed “some” of the meat was horsemeat, but now it appears in some cases 100% of the meat has been found to be horsemeat.

Paleo Diet Horsemeat Scandal

One of the French food companies involved in the scandal, bought the frozen meat from a Cypriot food trader, who had bought it from a Dutch food trader, who had purchased the meat from two slaughterhouses in Romania. The French company then sold the horsemeat to a factory in Luxembourg, which was then sold under the Swedish brand Findus. This meat appears to be making it’s way into countless brands and products – with Findus just being the tip of the iceberg.

There is also concern that the horses may have been given the horse drug bute (phenylbutazone), which depending on the source you read, could be very harmful to humans if it gets into the food chain.

What ARE You Eating?

Most of the outrage so far seems to be at the fact that people have been eating horsemeat. Which yes, is outrageous and completely unacceptable (can you imagine if a similar scandal happened with pork?) But isn’t the biggest issue here that no one knows exactly what is in these processed food products? If they didn’t even know (and tell the consumers) that a frozen lasagne contains 100% horsemeat and 0% beef, how can we have any confidence about the other ingredients in the meal?

Even if the “beef” label is right on a product, with so much trading and smoke and mirrors masking the origin of the meat, I think we can be fairly confident a frozen ready meal is never going to contain grass-fed organic meat. In fact, I wonder how many different animals have contributed to the meat found in one ready meal? I guess it could be hundreds.

And what about the other ingredients? Is the tomato base of the spaghetti bolognese mainly tomatoes?  Or is it bulked out with cheaper chemicals? Are the tomatoes that are used organic, or rather grown in glass houses with chemicals to help them grow as quickly as possible. Can we even be certain the tomatoes aren’t genetically modified?

Paleo Diet GMO Tomatoes Ingredients

How Can You Get Confidence About Your Food?

The only way to be certain about what you’re eating is to make it yourself. However busy you are, I don’t think there is ever a good reason to by ready made instant meals. It’s just not worth it. It’s also very important that as well as making your own food, you’re careful about the ingredients you use, particularly meat. It really is worth buying organic, grass-fed, pasture raised meat, from as close to the farm as you can get it (perhaps you can order from the farm directly, or use a local butcher who does). Always ask your butcher where the meat is from and how it was raised – and if he doesn’t know, it’s probably time to find a new butcher.

For most people reading this, ready meals aren’t likely to be an issue. But eating out probably is. It always bothers me that when you eat at a restaurant, or in a food court, the same issues apply. Where do they get their ingredients from? If they don’t make a big thing about their meat being grass-fed and organic, well, it probably isn’t. In the long term, the best thing is to ask in the restaurant. Hopefully this way the message will get through that people care, and want to eat good quality ingredients. There are some good restaurants who pride themselves on their local, seasonal organic produce – you just have to find them.

Isn’t it ironic that the sale of raw dairy, from a small farm with well raised animals, is illegal in many places; yet it seems to be common practice to sell food products without even being able to trace what the contents is, or where it comes from?

What are your thoughts on the food industry and the ingredients they use? And what about the horsemeat scandal? I’d love to hear where you stand, so please share your comments below.

Do You Really Know What You've Been Eating horse meat scandal paleo diet-min

Following A Paleo Diet Is So Much Harder In Some Places meal food court eating out options-min

Following A Paleo Diet Is So Much Harder In Some Places!

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I live in Sydney and have always found it very easy to follow my Paleo Diet. In fact, I don’t really have to think about it, eating Paleo just naturally happens. Even when I have to find lunch in the city. Great quality food and ingredients are everywhere. Similarly I find Melbourne fantastic for good Paleo friendly food options.

I'm often not organised enough to bring my lunch in from home, but in Sydney, it isn't a problem. I'm spoilt for choice with a huge range of lunch options. The other thing I love about lunch in Sydney is that, even in a food court, it’s generally freshly prepared as you order it. Every food court seems to have some great create-your-own salad options and a roast dinner option when you can choose your meat and have it with your choice of fresh vegetables.

Paleo lunch in the city

 This is a very easy lunch to find in Sydney; Roast meat and vegetables. Simple.

Eating dinner out in Sydney is even easier, with almost every restaurant offering meals that are fairly Paleo, but the flexibility to tweak the menu slightly, making sure you get exactly what you want.

So spoilt have I been by the food options I'm used to, that now I am working in another city for a few days a week, I'm surprised by how much harder it is to stick to my Paleo diet.

A lot of this is due to not having the local knowledge about the best places to go, but having explored the CBD, I'm fairly convinced that Brisbane just does not have the range of healthy options I find in Sydney. I have found a couple of food courts which offer a roast dinner – but sadly the “vegetable” sides are all beige. Processed potato croquettes, potato wedges or hot chips. Not quite what I had in mind. I have found some restaurants which offer meals that are more suitable, but these are far too substantial for lunchtime.

Breakfast at my hotel looks great on paper, but the colour and taste of the bacon and eggs makes it clear that these are very poor quality. Definitely not organic and probably not even free-range eggs. For the $29 they charge for breakfast, I could cook something amazing with incredible ingredients – which makes the hotel breakfast even harder to swallow.

I'm sure there are lots of great restaurants I should be making use of in the evenings, so I will have to make sure I research this better.

Fortunately I've managed to find somewhere new to stay for the coming weeks, that will hopefully help solve some of these difficulties. I've found a serviced apartment that is the same price as the hotel, but offers a kitchen! This means I’ll be able to buy my own, good quality, ingredients and cook my own Paleo meals. I’ll also be able to take my lunch in (or perhaps even pop back to eat, as it is so close).

My other observation is that overall, people in the CBD look a lot less healthy than they do in Sydney. Is this because it is harder to eat good food; or is there no good food because people don’t want it? I generally find the hotter it is the easier it is to eat well – it’s hotter here, so I'm surprised how many junk food outlets there are?

Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love Brisbane (I’ll be up for the Brisbane leg of the Low Carb Down Under Seminar Series), I just wish there were more Paleo friendly food options!

Have you noticed following a Paleo diet is harder in certain places? Do you have any tips and tricks for staying Paleo whilst working away? And if anyone has any Brisbane specific Paleo tips, I would LOVE to hear them!

Following A Paleo Diet Is So Much Harder In Some Places meal food court eating out options-min

 

Free food office workers paleo diet-min

Free Food?

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Over the last few years, every company I have worked for has supplied some kind of food. Most commonly free fruit for all employees on a weekly, but usually a daily basis.

Most companies have also supplied unlimited free soft drinks (i.e. cans of coke and other fizzy drinks) and a few offices have even offered free breakfasts in every kitchen. Free breakfast usually consists of a huge range of different types of bread, “healthy” margarines, spreads and jam. There is also typically a wide choice of breakfast cereals and of course, skim milk to pour over the cereal.

Free-Fruit-Cereal-Bread-Corporate-min

Paleo Food?

Whilst it’s nice to have things provided for free, unfortunately, on a Paleo Diet, nothing typically provided in an office environment is “proper food!” The fruit tends to be the fruit highest in fructose (and also cheapest), such as apples and bananas – never berries, which would be a good on occasion.

The breakfast foods on offer are all very high in refined carbohydrates, which cause a big spike in blood sugar levels – and then a crash soon after eating; making a rapid return to the refined carbs very likely. On top of the effect on blood sugars, bread and cereals are all grain based. This means an inflammatory reaction in the gut as well as having an acidic effect on the body. Not an ideal choice.

Unfortunately the typical office food on offer needs to be easy to store and prepare; bread and cereals couldn't be any easier to store – and are ready to eat as they are. These types of foods are also very cheap for a company to provide and popular with the low-fat-healthy-whole-grains conventional wisdom crowd.

Paleo food would be a lot harder for a company to provide in a work place environment. Most of the Paleo options would need to be freshly made and made with good quality ingredients; not very realistic in an office setting.

Until beef jerky, kombucha and bacon are common place in the office, I’d rather go without the free food and bring in my own.

Does your employer supply any food or drinks? What do they provide – is anything Paleo?

Free food office workers paleo diet-min

Paleo diet primal weekly planning meal planning recipes-min

What Sundays Are All About

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With a bit of planning and organisation at the weekend, the entire week of Paleo meals can be planned, ingredients bought and almost all of the cooking done, leaving your weekdays easy and stress free.

Being organised like this is not only a far cheaper way of following your Paleo diet, but it also ensures you won’t come unstuck in the week – when a lack of time and imagination would otherwise make it far harder to make the right food choices.

Step One: The Weekly Planner

Are you going to be home every evening? Do you have friends over? Have you been invited out to dinner? Write out a plan of the upcoming week and work out how many breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks you will need.

Now it’s time to hit the recipe books for inspiration and decide what you would like to eat everyday! Bear in mind if you cook a large portion of a dinner recipe, you can either freeze the remainder to enjoy another day, or you can use it for lunch, or breakfast the following day.

If you have cooking facilities at lunchtimes, it’s a great idea to do some batch cooking, so you can have a quick, hot Paleo meal every lunchtime – with no cooking required

Paleo diet primal weekly planning meal planning recipes-min

Step Two: The Ingredients

Once you’ve decided on your weekly Paleo meal planner, you can make a list of all of the ingredients you need to buy and head to your local farmers market, butchers and grocery store/ supermarket to buy everything you need. No more shopping required for another week or two! It’s good to be flexible and prepared to swap ingredients, for example where certain vegetables are in season or on sale.

Step Three: Cooking & Preparation

Once you have your Paleo ingredients, recipes and weekly planner on hand, it’s time to get cooking! You can cook up big batches of one-pot recipes, such as soups, stews, casseroles and curries as these will freeze easily, ready to be reheated when you need them for lunches or dinners.

Many breakfasts, such as egg muffins can be cooked in advance and stored in the fridge for a quick grab and go breakfast.

You can also prepare vegetables in advance, ready to blanch, eat raw or throw in the steamer for the week’s dinners.

Step Four: Overcoming Potential Difficulties

This is also a good opportunity to call ahead any restaurants you may be visiting next week – or looking up their menu online. This way you can work out which Paleo options are available, or contact the restaurant directly and see how they can help.

What is your weekly routine? Do you spend time at the weekend planning for the week ahead?

Paleo Diet Primal Restaurant Options Choices Best Worst-min

The Best (and Worst) Paleo Restaurants

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It’s nice to eat out at a restaurant occasionally. Sticking to your Paleo Diet shouldn't be a reason to avoid eating out!

If you’re going out with a group of friends, try to have some influence over the restaurant you go to. Some restaurants offer so many more Paleo friendly options than others.

The Menu

It’s also a good idea to check out the menu in advance – most restaurants will have this on their website. If you’re unsure, call ahead to check on specific ingredients. It’s definitely worth making the restaurant aware that you need something gluten, dairy and legume free before you arrive. Most places seem to be extremely accommodating with this, often to the extent of suggesting dishes that aren't even on the menu!

Mix & Match Paleo Options

When looking through the menu be prepared to mix and match. There’s almost always no problem with asking for the meat from one dish to go with the vegetable side from another dish. Dishes often come with a side of fries, some other type of potato, rice or pasta – ask to swap this for more vegetables or a salad.

Paleo Diet Primal Restaurant Options Choices Best Worst-min

Un-Paleo Sauces

Sauces, gravy and dressings are often places where gluten, soy and all sorts of undesirables are hiding. It’s best to ask for no sauce, or ask for it on the side, rather than take the risk that your beef will arrive swimming in gluten!

Ask, Ask and Ask Again!

Don’t be afraid to ask exactly what is in your dish – it’s your health – it’s important. It’s also worth asking if the meat is grass-fed. Perhaps it isn't, but hopefully the more people who ask, the sooner restaurants will start stocking it.

Which Types of Restaurant Are The Best For a Paleo Diet?

Some restaurants types are a lot more Paleo than others – but of course, you may find lots of local exceptions to this. Look at the menu and ask about the ingredients!

Korean BBQ/ Mongolian BBQ/ Brazilian BBQ

It doesn't get much more Paleo than cooking a pile of meat at your table barbecue. Sides are usually salads and vegetables and it’s often a great chance to try cuts of meat you don’t usually have.

Steakhouses

Steak and vegetables – even better if they offer grass-fed meat.

Indian

Whilst there are a lot of dishes to avoid, there are also dishes cooked in coconut milk, or dry cooked (like tandoori) in herbs which represent great Paleo choices. Check they cook with ghee or coconut oil rather than vegetable oil

Burgers

Lots of “real food” burger restaurants seem to be appearing – good news as these can be a good Paleo option if you order without the bun!

Thai

Thai can be a great Paleo dining solution when coconut oil and milk are used.

Mexican

Most options like tacos or fajitas work well within a Paleo Diet – just order without the tortilla

Japanese

A wide variety of fish makes dishes like sashimi a great choice

Seafood Restaurants

If there are any wild or line caught options, these are likely to be a good bet

And the Worst Restaurant Type For Paleo Options?

Sadly, some restaurants are a lot harder to navigate for Paleo choices. If you’re going somewhere that you know will be challenging, consider eating before you leave, so you won’t be tempted.

Chinese

With a few notable exceptions, Chinese restaurants are often associated with their use of MSG and soy. Finding a Paleo option can be very difficult.

Do you agree with the best and worst types of restaurants? I’d love to see which restaurants you've found good Paleo options in – and which ones you've found difficult too. Please let me know in the comments, below.

Paleo Alternatives to Bread friendly recipes no flour-min

Paleo Alternatives to Bread

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Bread. On a Paleo diet – it is one of the first things to go; whereas on a SAD diet it is a staple. It’s no wonder giving up bread is such a shock to people considering a Paleo Diet.

“I couldn't live without bread”

“I’d never be able to give up bread”

“What do you eat if you don’t have bread?”

Paleo Alternatives to Bread friendly recipes no flour-min

I'm sure you've heard these comments before too. Perhaps you found giving up bread to be the hardest thing about transitioning to a Paleo diet – or the one thing that is preventing you from going fully Paleo?

The longer you abstain from bread, the less you’ll miss it. There are some great recipes for Paleo Breads made with coconut flour or almond meal; but instead of trying to substitute one type of flour for another – how about some of these alternatives to your favourite SAD bread meals?!

Paleo Sandwiches

Sandwiches are one of the most popular lunch options, mainly because they are convenient to eat on the go, without getting your hands covered in food! They’re filling and you can prepare them ahead of time. Perhaps you’re missing sandwiches, filled rolls or wraps? Instead – why not try these Paleo sandwich options instead: –

  • Make wraps with lettuce (try romaine leaves) to hold the filling in place
  • Use cooked cabbage leaves to encase your filling
  • For an iodine boast and great flavour make your wraps with Nori (or other seaweed) wraps
  • You can also make (or buy – but check the ingredients) coconut wraps
  • Cut a large capsicum (bell pepper) into two flat pieces for a Paleo alternative to sandwich bread
  • Use a knife and fork! I often order a sandwich in a café – without the bread. Shop bought and restaurant sandwiches often hide very small fillings – but when you order it without the bread you usually get a far more generous portion of the filling!

Paleo Burger Buns

The best think about a burger is the meat – never the bun. So go bun-less, or try these: –

  • Chop the stalk of two large flat or Portobello mushrooms – the perfect size for a burger bun
  • Encase your burger patty with the top and bottom of a large tomato

Peanut Butter Sandwiches

White bread filled with peanut butter seems to be a popular pre-Paleo combination. But let’s face it – it’s the peanut butter that’s popular – not the bread in this snack. Clearly peanut butter is out as it’s a legume – so try

  • Nut butter (almond butter, macadamia nut butter, cashew nut butter – or make your own) and use as a dip for crunchy raw vegetables like carrots, celery, capsicum (bell peppers) and cucumber.
  • Or slice some eggplant and layer on the nut butter!

Egg and Soldiers

Missing dipping slices of toast into soft boiled eggs? Once you try dipping in roasted vegetables, you’ll wish you’d always done it!

Lasagne & Garlic Bread

Once you've gone to the effort of making a Paleo lasagne, roast some zucchini sticks and garlic as a far more enjoyable accompaniment.

Breadcrumbs

Try using a nut flour as a Paleo alternative

Croutons

If you’re used to a crunch with your soup, try some pork crackling (rinds) as a Primal alternative!

Which bread meals or snacks do you miss the most? I’d love to hear what your favourite bread substitutes are!

21 Paleo Diet Lunch Ideas Primal Paleo Network recipes-min

21 Paleo Lunch Ideas

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I've had a few emails in the last couple of weeks asking for Paleo lunch ideas, so I thought I’d make some suggestions in this blog post. I've also written the “Paleo Lunch Recipe Book“, so take a look if you'd like lots of lunch recipes to brighten up your lunchtimes!

21 Paleo Diet Lunch Ideas Primal Paleo Network-min

Here are 21 suggestions that you can mix and match to come up with an unlimited variety of Paleo lunches:

1.  Make kebabs with your choice of meat and vegetables on sticks. Easy finger food and delicious cold.

2.  Take in cold meat and veggies – and pour over a hot bone broth from a thermos just before serving.

3.  A big salad with your favourite meat, avocado, eggs, leaves, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Keep the dressing and “crunchy” ingredients separate and mix them together just before you eat. Try extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice or mashed up avocado for the dressing.

4.  Olives

5.  Lettuce wraps – instead of bread, use lettuce to wrap your sandwich filling

6.  Invest in a good thermos/ flask and bring in a hot, ready to eat soup, chilli or stew

7.  Bag up last nights leftovers

8.  Make up a crustless quiche or fritella

9.  Blanch some veggies

10. Make up nori wraps with your favourite meats and vegetables

11. Raw veggies with a almond butter or guacamole dip

12. Breadless sandwiches using cold meat or flat capsicum (bell pepper) for the “bread”

13. Hard boiled eggs

The Paleo Recipe Book
14. An avocado and a spoon

15. Beef – or even kangaroo jerky (make your own to make sure it’s Paleo)

16. Cold cuts of roast meat

17. Mashed sweet potato, pumpkin or parsnip

18. Make a batch of egg muffins with your favourite ingredients

19. Make a trail mix with nuts, shredded coconut and jerky

20. Take in frozen prawns/ shrimps, which should be nicely chilled by the time lunch comes round

21. Or you could take it as an opportunity to Intermittently Fast…

Try buying a bento box with lots of small compartments to encourage lots of variety in your lunch.

Reheat?

If you've got access to a fridge and microwave as a minimum, your options are numerous. You can make batches of stews, soups, Paleo chilli or casseroles, freeze them and simply reheat at lunchtimes. A microwave enables you to reheat last nights leftovers – or even cook a sweet potato.

Buying Lunch

Food courts, café's and restaurants all provide Paleo options, especially where you’re able to make a few substitutions. All day breakfasts are a good choice (think bacon, eggs, avocados or omelettes), roast dinners, salad bars; at a pinch I've even ordered a sandwich – without the bread (but with a few confused looks). The problem with buying lunch is the price – and you can’t always be entirely sure about all of the ingredients.

Emergency Paleo Food Stash

Despite your best intentions, there’s always that day you forget to bring in lunch – or worse still your money – so it makes sense to have an emergency Paleo stash at work. This way when there are no good options around, you can always put together a Paleo snack. Things like tinned mackerel, sardines, salmon and tuna, jars of olives, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and jerky will store for a long time and could be good options.

Brown-Bag Lunches

For a lot of people kitchen facilities aren't available and eating out isn't an option at lunchtime. Which leads to the question, what can you put in a Paleo Packed Lunch? Just because you can’t heat food, definitely doesn't meant you can’t keep it Paleo.

What’s your favourite Paleo lunch? I’d love to hear any tips and Paleo Lunch Ideas that you have – particularly for quick and easy Paleo lunches!