Bacon Archives - Page 2 of 2 - The Paleo Network

What do you think are the top ten Paleo foods, and why? Here is my list…

1. Grass fed beef

Good quality grass-fed beef is a great source of protein, omega 3 and many other nutrients. It’s also extremely versatile; grill it, barbeque it, make it into jerky or grind it into mince beef to use in lots of different meals –using the leftover bones to make a nourishing bone broth.

2. Pastured Chicken

Pastured chicken is delicious as the centre of a roast dinner – and the leftovers make beautiful chicken stock. A great protein source, left over chicken is great to snack on, or turn into curries and soup.

3. Bacon

What list of Paleo foods is complete without bacon? You can even use the remaining fat to cook with.

4. Coconut Oil

As well as being a great oil to cook pretty much anything in, this saturated fat is great on it’s own by the spoonful! Coconut oil is also believed to be a great help with dementia and can even be used on your skin.

5. Avocado

Avocado is a perfect fat source and goes with almost anything. You can even cook it, or use it to make a dessert!

6. Eggs

Not only are eggs a great protein source, they are great for making paleo egg fried rice, filling for breakfast – and easy to hard boil in advance to keep peeled in the fridge as a ready snack.

7. Berries

Berries are relatively low in fructose and a great source of antioxidants.

8. Kale

Kale is a true superfood, as it is packed with magnesium, calcium, vitamins A, C and K, lutein, iron and antioxidants. You can even turn it into kale chips!

9. Onions

Onions are a sulphur rich vegetable (which Dr. Terry Walhs considers important enough to eat three cupfuls worth a day) – and just so incredibly versatile. Whether you’re making a stew – or even an omelette, onions will be a great addition.

10. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a great base for lots of meals – such as beanless chilli – as they lend themselves so readily to sauce.

How to Make the Most of Your Paleo Staples

Now that you’ve seen a solid list of the top 10 Paleo foods, you might be wondering how to incorporate them regularly into your routine without getting stuck in a food rut. The truth is, Paleo is only as repetitive or difficult as you make it. With a bit of planning and creativity, these staple ingredients can easily form the basis of countless meals that are simple, nourishing, and anything but boring.

Batch Cooking and Meal Prep

One of the best ways to stay consistent with your Paleo lifestyle is by embracing batch cooking. Take a few hours at the start of the week to prepare multiple components using your top 10 foods. Grill several portions of grass-fed beef, roast a whole pastured chicken, boil a dozen eggs, and slice a few avocados with lemon juice to slow browning. These elements can then be quickly assembled into lunches and dinners throughout the week.

For instance, grass-fed beef mince can become burgers one night, taco bowls another, and be added to a frittata or soup later in the week. The more you plan, the easier it becomes to avoid relying on off-plan convenience foods when life gets busy.

Pairing Flavours and Textures

The secret to keeping meals exciting lies in pairing contrasting textures and bold flavours. Think crispy bacon crumbled over soft avocado, or juicy roast tomatoes paired with sautéed kale and garlic. Balancing crunchy with creamy, and savoury with sweet (like berries tossed with a squeeze of lime), keeps your meals satisfying and well-rounded.

You can also play around with different cooking methods. Raw kale might not appeal to everyone, but when massaged with olive oil and lemon, or turned into crispy chips, it becomes a completely different experience. Similarly, roasting onions with herbs transforms them into caramelised, flavour-packed additions to any meal.

Smart Paleo Pantry Staples

Keeping a few smart pantry staples on hand makes Paleo cooking faster and easier. Alongside your fresh top 10 ingredients, try to stock:

Good quality fats: ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, tallow
Herbs and spices: turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon
Vinegars and condiments: apple cider vinegar, fish sauce, coconut aminos
Broths and stocks (ideally homemade or preservative-free)

With these basics, you can transform even the simplest ingredients into exciting, flavourful dishes in under 30 minutes.

Making Paleo Affordable

While high-quality ingredients are always the goal, eating Paleo doesn’t have to break the bank. Buying meat in bulk from a butcher or farm co-op, choosing whole chickens over individual cuts, and opting for in-season produce are all great ways to reduce your food spend without compromising on quality. Offal like liver is not only one of the most nutrient-dense foods available, it’s also incredibly affordable.

Frozen berries and vegetables can also be a budget-conscious choice, especially outside of peak season. Just make sure you read the ingredients—there should be no added sugar, salt, or preservatives.

Eating Paleo On the Go

Staying Paleo when you’re out and about can be challenging if you’re unprepared, but it’s definitely doable. Keep boiled eggs, avocado, and pre-cooked chicken in your fridge to build quick lunchboxes. Carry small portions of nuts or jerky (with no additives) for emergency snacks. If you’re heading to a barbecue or party, bring a salad with avocado and grilled chicken so you know there’s at least one dish you can enjoy without compromise.

When dining out, most restaurants will allow you to substitute sides for a salad or extra vegetables. Choose grilled meats over anything battered or fried, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about cooking oils and hidden sauces.

Beyond Food: The Paleo Lifestyle

While diet is at the core of the Paleo diet, the philosophy extends beyond what you eat. It’s about returning to the lifestyle habits that better support human health—sleep, movement, sunlight, and stress reduction. Prioritising these areas alongside your diet will amplify your results and help you feel your best every day.

Daily walks, getting natural sunlight in the morning, minimising blue light at night, and spending time in nature are all simple Paleo-aligned habits that can improve everything from digestion to mood to sleep quality. Food is just one piece of the picture—but a very powerful one.

Try It Yourself

If you're new to Paleo, start with a few of the top 10 foods listed above and build your meals around them. Focus on simplicity: a few quality ingredients cooked well can be far more satisfying than an elaborate recipe full of substitutes and workarounds. As you become more comfortable, you’ll discover which foods and combinations work best for your body and lifestyle.

There’s no need to overcomplicate things—Paleo is about getting back to basics, enjoying real food, and listening to your body. Whether it’s a sizzling steak, a bowl of chicken soup, or a handful of berries on a hot day, each meal is an opportunity to nourish yourself in the most natural way possible.

So, which of the top 10 Paleo foods do you find yourself using most often? And how do you keep things interesting week after week? I’d love to hear your go-to tips and meal ideas in the comments below.

Do you agree with my list? What would be on your top ten list of Paleo foods?

I've had Julie and Charles Mayfield’s “Paleo Comfort Foods” cookbook for some time. Despite reading it from cover to cover, I had not actually got round to cooking from it, until earlier this week.

I was limited for time, but wanted to make a Paleo friendly appetizer/ hors d'œuvre to take along to a Primal dinner I was going. The bacon wrapped dates recipe looked perfect. I usually try to steer away from dried fruit as it is so high in sugar, but in serving something like this before dinner each person only has two or three, so the sugar impact is minimised.

These are so many different variants of this meat wrapped dish – angels on horseback (oysters wrapped in bacon), devils on horseback (prunes of figs wrapped in bacon) and even the British favourite pigs in blankets – cocktail sausages wrapped in bacon. The version in Paleo Comfort Foods is very simple, using just dates, bacon and almonds inside.

I quite simply pitted the dates, replacing the stone with a couple of raw almonds. I then cut some organic bacon to size and wrapped it around the date, holding it in place with a cocktail stick (actually, several cocktail sticks!). I put these in the oven to crisp the bacon, turning a couple of times.

I find Australian bacon seems to contain a lot less fat than American bacon (I'm always surprised American’s get enough bacon grease left over to be able to use it for other things). This makes it harder to mould the bacon around the date, but using more cocktail sticks did the job!

I also made the Carrot & Fennel salad (again!) from the Everyday Paleo Cookbook, which is fast becoming a favourite! Why have a boring salad, when you can have something a bit different?

I love to take time cooking, but sometimes it’s nice to have Paleo dishes that can be made quickly and simply.

My Paleo Comfort Foods book is full of paper markers on all of the recipes I intend to try – hopefully I'll get a chance to try some of the sauces – Mayonnaise, Ketchup, Gravy and Barbecue sauce this weekend – handy recipes to have up my sleeve as they can go with so many meals. I'm also interested in the Paleo bread recipe – I wonder whether this would be a good alternative to offer to those friends who find bread to hard to give up?

Have you tried any of the recipes from Paleo Comfort Foods yet? Which is your favourite cookbook?

Expanding Your Paleo Repertoire

Once you’ve mastered the simpler starters and salads, the real fun begins with exploring heartier comfort food classics. Recipes such as meatloaf, shepherd’s pie, and even fried chicken can all be adapted to be Paleo-friendly. Instead of breadcrumbs, almond meal or coconut flour can provide a suitable crunch, and ghee or animal fats can take the place of butter for that perfect texture and taste.

Planning for Everyday Paleo

It’s one thing to cook Paleo on a weekend when you’ve got the time – but what about weekday dinners or lunch prep? The best thing about the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook is that many of the recipes scale well. You can make a big batch of meatballs, patties, or vegetable bakes on a Sunday and eat well all week. Pairing dishes with a zesty side salad or roasted root veg keeps things interesting and ensures you’re not relying on nuts or fruit to fill you up.

Entertaining Paleo Style

One of the biggest questions I get is what to serve friends who aren’t Paleo when entertaining. Dishes like bacon-wrapped dates are perfect because they feel indulgent, but they’re actually quite simple. Add a fresh salsa, guacamole, or a nut-based dip, and you’ve got a winning platter. Many of the dishes from Paleo Comfort Foods work well as shared meals – think casseroles, slow-cooked stews, and oven bakes with layered flavour and a side of roasted greens.

Making Paleo Work for Families

If you’ve got kids or a partner who’s not completely onboard with Paleo, it helps to start with the familiar. That’s why the idea of comfort food is so powerful – people love familiar textures and flavours. Paleo lasagne with zucchini ribbons, shepherd’s pie with cauliflower mash, and slow-cooked brisket are usually big wins in most households. Making a weekly meal plan from the cookbook and getting the family involved can make the transition smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.

The Importance of Good Ingredients

With any Paleo recipe, the outcome hinges on the quality of the ingredients. Organic or pastured bacon, fresh herbs, and high-quality oils make a noticeable difference. If you’re already investing the time to cook from scratch, it makes sense to source the best ingredients you can. Supporting your local butcher or farmers market not only supports your health but your community too.

Getting Creative and Adapting Recipes

Not every recipe needs to be followed to the letter. One of the strengths of Paleo Comfort Foods is that it encourages experimentation. You might swap out almonds for macadamias, add rosemary or chilli for a twist, or serve with a side of sauerkraut or kimchi. Once you become comfortable with a few go-to techniques, you'll find it's easy to modify and adapt for your own preferences and pantry.

Final Thoughts on Paleo Comfort Foods

Whether you’re just starting out on your Paleo journey or looking to expand your culinary skills, Paleo Comfort Foods is a great companion. It strikes a balance between accessible meals and the kind of indulgent food you might have thought was off-limits. With a little prep and creativity, even a busy week can be full of delicious, comforting Paleo dishes. I’ll definitely be sharing more of my favourites from this book as I try them – and I’d love to hear yours too!

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