Lunch Archives - Page 2 of 2 - The Paleo Network

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

25 Comments/in Blog Posts, Eating Out, Ex, Food, Paleo/by PaleoGirl

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.

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!

Moroccan Pork & Dressing paleo lunch recipe-min

Delight in a Flavorful Paleo Moroccan Pork & Dressing Recipe

1 Comment/in Cooking, Food, Lunch, Pork, Recipe/by PaleoGirl

Further to her guest post yesterday, Stormy Sweitzer, owner of Maoomba, the Real Food for Active Lives blog, and author of Paleo Power Lunch: Easy, Filling & Delicious Workday Meal Strategies, has very kindly shared a Moroccan recipe with us from her book.

This is the lunch that started it all. In the dead of winter, wanting something colorful to go with a leftover pork chop, I threw it together with a handful of berries, seeds, and avocado. It’s earthy, but light. Add a handful of raw mushrooms for more vegetables.

This recipe is perfect for those who are looking for a quick, nutritious, and delicious meal to take to work or enjoy at home. The combination of flavours and textures makes it a standout dish that’s both satisfying and refreshing.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Lunch Recipe: Moroccan Pork & Dressing

This Moroccan Pork & Dressing recipe is a colourful and flavourful paleo lunch option, combining pan-fried pork loin chop with fresh spinach, blackberries, avocado, and raw pepitas, topped with a creamy lemon chive dressing. Perfect for a light yet satisfying meal.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Moroccan, Paleo

Keyword: Easy recipe, Lemon Chive Dressing, Moroccan pork, Paleo Lunch, Spinach Salad

Servings: 2

Calories: 400kcal

Cost: 12

Equipment

Blender
Saute Pan

Ingredients

Pork

2 cups Spinach
3 ounces Pork loin chop Sliced, pan-fried
1/2 Avocado Cut into chunks
1/2 cup Blackberries Fresh
2 Tbsp Pepitas Raw

Dressing

1/3 cup Lemon juice fresh-squeezed
2 tbsp Water
1 Green onion chopped
1 clove Garlic chopped
1 tsp Dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp Salt
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Avocado oil or Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp Chives chopped

Instructions

Pork

First, layer all ingredients in a lunch-sized food storage container.
Next, pack 3 tablespoons of Creamy Lemon Chive Dressing in a separate container.

Dressing

Combine all ingredients in a blender, except the oil and chives.
Slowly drizzle in the oil while the blender is running.
Finally, stir in the chives when done.

This Moroccan Pork & Dressing recipe not only provides a vibrant and delicious lunch option but also packs a punch with its nutritious ingredients. The fresh spinach offers a base full of vitamins and minerals, while the blackberries add a burst of sweetness and antioxidants. Avocado provides healthy fats and creaminess, and the pepitas give a satisfying crunch.

The creamy lemon chive dressing ties everything together with its tangy and fresh flavour. It’s simple to make and can be stored in the fridge, making it convenient for multiple uses. Drizzle it over the salad just before eating to keep the ingredients fresh and crisp.

For more Paleo lunch recipes and strategies, check out the Paleo Power Lunch book.

It’s filled with easy, filling, and delicious workday meal ideas that are perfect for those on the go.

Exploring different flavours and ingredients in your lunch can make a significant difference in your overall enjoyment and satisfaction with your meals. This Moroccan Pork & Dressing recipe is a great example of how simple ingredients can come together to create something truly special.

Moroccan Pork & Dressing paleo lunch recipe-min

What’s For Lunch?

4 Comments/in Blog Posts, Ex, Food, Paleo/by PaleoGirl

If you work outside the home and struggle with eating foods that support your dietary needs and goals, the question “what’s for lunch” borders on obsession: What is easy to make? Healthy? Fast? Isn't boring? Saves money? Stormy Sweitzer, owner of Maoomba.com, the Real Food for Active Lives blog, and author of Paleo Power Lunch: Easy, Filling & Delicious Workday Meal Strategies, has some suggestions for you.

Back when I first discovered my numerous food sensitivities – it’s been about 6 years now – I went through what everyone seems to go through when they suddenly can’t or choose not to have food they’re accustomed to eating. Things like disorientation in my kitchen and at the store, frustration with having to learn how to cook all over again, spending hours cooking, and having cravings followed by discomfort and guilt if I ate something I knew I shouldn't.

My biggest struggle, though, was how to eat well away from home during the work day.

I often worked 50-60 hours a week. I always had some running or cycling event I was training for. And, of course, I wanted to spend time with my husband, family and friends enjoying the things we love to do. So food – especially the lunches and snacks I packed – had to be simple, not take a lot of time to prepare, and keep me going throughout the day.

Lunch: No Longer the Forgotten Meal

Planning is essential: At the start of the week, think about what you would like to eat each day. This will not only help you prepare for your meals, it will also help you shop more easily and cook things in a way that allows you to more efficient in the kitchen.

Favourite go-to meal: A Paleo Power Lunch salad. I prepare all of the major ingredients – meat and crudités over the weekend. That means washing the greens, dicing celery, carrots, peppers, and even cooking starchier vegetables like pumpkin and beets. Roasting or grilling meat ahead of time is essential to pulling lunch together quickly – whether you cook it all on one day or have a planned leftovers approach during the week. And, getting creative with salad dressing can make all the difference in how salads taste. Easy to make, flavourful, and less expensive than buying grocery store brands (which of course can have ingredients like sugars, gums, and soy), home-made dressings can add variety to workday meals.

Go-to snacks: Beet or zucchini hummus with raw veggies, whole fruit, a banana with almond butter, hard-boiled eggs, fruit and nut bars, even a can of sardines or tuna are all great options. Keep a stash of non-perishable snacks on hand for emergencies,

Batch it up – crock pot and casserole cooking: Boredom is the enemy of consistency. Eating salad all week, while good for you, can take its toll on your taste buds. To keep things interesting, make batches of foods like soups, stews, and casseroles that you can eat throughout the week. A great strategy is to make enough to freeze lunch-size portions for later. After a few bulk cooking sessions you’ll have a few weeks’ supply of lunches your co-workers will envy.

Not ready to take on batch cooking? Planned leftovers are great options. Just add a little extra food to the pan and then pack it for the next day’s lunch.

Tomorrow Stormy Sweitzer shares a lunch recipe with use from Paleo Power Lunch for a Moroccan lunch and dressing

What’s your favourite workday meal or kitchen strategy for making sure you take lunch each day?

7-Day Paleo Diet Menu Plan

9 Comments/in Blog Posts, Cooking, Food, Paleo/by PaleoGirl

I've got a friend coming to stay next week, so I've planned a 7-day Paleo Menu Plan to showcase my Paleo diet. It’s all too easy to eat similar meals over and over, so I'm looking forward to a week of lots of variety. I'm going to over-make everything, so I have lots of left-overs to freeze and enjoy again later.

I've just written my first recipe book on Paleo Breakfasts, so will be showcasing some fantastic, but also quick and easy breakfast recipes on my menu plan!

So this is my Menu Plan for my week of Paleo meals:

Monday

Breakfast:

Paleo Salmon Burgers

Lunch:

Blanched veggies with guacamole and nut butter dips

Dinner:

Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

Snack:

Macadamia Nuts

Tuesday

Breakfast:

NoOatmeal

Lunch:

Big Salad with tuna, eggs, nuts, leaves, tomatos, olives, avocado, capsicum and extra virgin olive oil

Dinner:

Lamb-chops, Roasted Parsnips, Onions and pumpkin

Wednesday

Breakfast:

Bacon, Eggs and Avocado

Lunch:

Turkey Nori-wraps

Dinner:

Porterhouse Steak, Egg, Mushrooms and greens

Dessert:

Paleo Ice Cream

Thursday

Breakfast:

Egg Muffins

Lunch:

Capsicum ham sandwiches (using flat-cut capsicum for the “bread”)

Dinner:

Tuna, Asparagus and Cauliflower Rice

Snack:

Jerky

Friday

Breakfast:

Red onion, ham and mushroom omelette

Lunch:

Paleo chilli with zucchini noodles

Dinner:

Paleo Pizza

Dessert:

Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate

Saturday

Breakfast:

Paleo Pancakes with Berry Sauce

Lunch:

Chicken Soup with side salad

Dinner:

Barbecue with selection of meats and salads

Drink:

Glass of red wine

Sunday

Brunch:

Full English Breakfast (eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, sautéed sweet potato, home-made tomato relish, Paleo sausages)

Dinner:

Sunday Roast; Roast beef, sweet potatoes, home-made gravy, broccoli and carrots

Dessert:

Coconut Yoghurt

What do you think of my proposed Menu Plan? I’d love to hear your favourite Paleo dishes! Do you create a weekly Paleo meal Plan?

21 Paleo Diet Lunch Ideas Primal Paleo Network recipes-min

21 Paleo Lunch Ideas

21 Comments/in Blog Posts, Cooking, Eating Out, Food/by PaleoGirl

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!

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

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!

Does Your Child Have Paleo School Dinners?

4 Comments/in Blog Posts, Children, Food/by PaleoGirl

I was really interested to discover a fantastic blog, by a nine year old British schoolgirl, Neverseconds. She’s been taking photos of her school dinners and posting them onto her blog. As someone with a passionate interest in nutrition, but no children, this is such an interesting insight. The blog obviously isn't written from a Paleo standpoint, but it is very interesting to gauge just how far away school dinners are from (what I would deem) optimal.

Images from NeverSeconds

For young children, good nutrition is absolutely crucial; they are growing and more importantly their brains are still developing. It’s becoming accepted that fat is extremely important in the nutrition of children; yet these lunches are clearly following the outdated low-fat “wisdom”. I find it concerning that young children eat their dinner staring at a big “LOW FAT” label, such as on the yoghurt. Even subconsciously this will lead to a long, deep held belief that fat must be avoided. As well as fat, the dinners look to be very low in protein too.

I also find the amount of refined carbohydrates concerning. After lunch the children will have grossly elevated blood sugar levels – leading to a crash probably during their next lesson. A crash in blood sugar levels isn't conducive to concentration and alertness!

There are so many processed foods, very little looks entirely home-made (perhaps just reheated). When cooking for large numbers as in a school setting, it should be perfectly possible to cook nutritious lunches from scratch, using local produce, on a budget.

Surely good nutrition should be easy with children? They don’t have a choice and aren't in the position to research and understand about nutrition in the same way adults are. What they eat as a child is likely to set their eating behaviours for life. It is so sad to see how these children are fed, by the very people who should be setting them up with good nutrition.

Do you have school aged children? I’d love to hear what the rules are at their schools – and what they are served. Are you able to insist your child eats Paleo at lunchtimes? How do you navigate a Paleo child and a conventional wisdom school lunch menu?

Paleo Lunch

23 Comments/in Blog Posts, Cooking, Eating Out/by PaleoGirl

Last year I got pretty bad about bringing my Paleo Lunch in from home. This meant, most days, I went to one of the many food courts near my office. Whilst I always went for the Paleo, gluten-free options – roast meat and vegetables or salad for instance, it really wasn't the best option. I'm careful with the ingredients I use and how I cook things. If I make it, I know exactly what’s in it. When I eat out, it’s probably a fair bet that the meat isn’t organic/ free range/ grass fed. The meal could even have been cooked with seed oils – if not it’s likely to have come close to foods that have. Food I buy in the city is always served in far too large portions – this is either a waste of food, or leads to me eating far more than I should! The other issue with buying lunch in the city is the cost – I’d usually end up spending $10 a day on a not completely Paleo Lunch.

I therefore decided to start bringing pre-prepared lunches into work every day. I'm normally really busy during the week, so need minimal effort each day. As good as a salad would be I know I’d run out of time to make it – and end up having to buy lunch. I have a fridge and microwave at work (I don’t even own a microwave at home, but in the absence of a gas stove, a microwave will have to do) – this means home made frozen lunches are a good lunchtime solution.

Last Sunday I had a huge cooking session where I made soup, beef hash and bean-less chilli, giving me a few different options to pick from each day. I used the largest pots I had to ensure I was making as much as possible. Once finished, I separated the dishes out into individual sized potions and froze them. I managed to make enough for 20 lunches in just a couple of hours of cooking. I take lunch out of the freezer in the morning, run to work – and by lunchtime it’s just about defrosted.

Other than microwaving my lunch, the only thing I'm not happy about is freezing the food in plastic bags. Whilst the bags I use contain no phthalates, polycarbonate or use Bisphenol A (BPA) – it’s still plastic. Glass or metal containers would be an option, but might result in freezer burn. I’d also be concerned about my lunch leaking over my suit as I run into work – not to mention the fact my tiny running bag wouldn't have space for a bulky container.

This solution is working well for me – but perhaps you have an even better lunchtime routine? How do you keep your work/ school/ home lunch paleo?

Making a Non-Paleo Lunch Menu Paleo

6 Comments/in Blog Posts, Eating Out/by PaleoGirl

I went out for a farewell lunch with my team today. We went to a bar in the city centre, with a fairly typical bar menu. So – a Paleo Lunch?

I'm quite happy to go almost anywhere to eat, with the knowledge that on most menus, with a bit of staff interaction, a Paleo meal can be put together.

I start by ruling out any predominately grain based meals, such as pasta, pizza, pies and sandwiches. Of the remaining dishes I'm usually left with a few meaty options, of which I’ll try to identify the least likely to be fried (typically in vegetable oil), processed, coated (gluten), or marinated (often in sauces containing ingredients like gluten and sugar). Unless the menu is extremely limited I also rule out salads and vegetable based options, as I don’t find them filling and they often have many ingredients I wouldn't eat (like dressings, sauces, cheese and croutons).

At this stage today I was left with these options: –

Slow braised lamb shanks served with minted rich gravy & mash
Surf & Turf. 200g rump steak, prawns sautéed in garlic served with chive butter, fries and salad.
Grilled Barramundi fillet with creamy mash & asparagus served with a hollandise sauce.
Lamb Cutlets served with creamy mash, olive pesto & wholegrain mustard cream

I generally look at all of the menu options and mix and match my chosen meat with the vegetable and salad sides on offer with other meals. I've not yet been to a restaurant unable to accommodate my Paleo mix and match requests. Had there not been so many good options, I would have also considered things like the burger (without the bun, fries or sauces).

My Mix and Match Paleo Lunch

I went for the lamb shanks, as I knew they should be unprocessed and not fried. I asked for the lamb to come without the mash and sauce, but with plain vegetables instead. It arrived with roasted eggplant, capsicum, zucchini & mushroom (luckily I've not started my nightshade elimination experiment yet), which was a perfect Paleo meal.

I find pubs, bars and steak houses the easiest places in which to eat out, where there is usually a lot of reasonable options to choose from. A good Indian restaurant is often a surprisingly good choice too. I always ask the staff exactly what is in each dish, and there are often tomato based sauces or dry cooked meats, which are a great Paleo option. In my experience Chinese and Japanese can be a bit more testing. Quite often I actually find it easier to say I'm allergic to soy and gluten and ask for the staff to help me find a suitable option.

One of the things I enjoy about going off-menu, is the inevitable discussions it provokes from my pasta-eating dining companions – an excuse to talk Paleo is always welcomed.

How do you get a Paleo meal from a non-Paleo option? Do you find some types of restaurant better than others? I’d love to find out what tricks I'm missing!

A Typical Day in Paleo Meals

6 Comments/in Blog Posts, Eating Out, Food, Paleo/by PaleoGirl

Despite trying not going overboard talking about my Paleo diet, it often comes out, especially when I'm out in a group, quizzing waiting staff about exactly what is in each dish and how it’s cooked. It also becomes quite obvious when I'm the only person tucking into fish and vegetables – instead of eating pizza! I'm always asked (in disbelief) what a Typical Day in Paleo meals looks like.

I explain what I eat and why I don’t eat grains. This stage often seems to happen whilst the person asking the questions, is tucking into their grain based meal. Once they've got their head round the impossible – life without grains – they’ll almost always ask me what I actually eat.

So I thought I’d show some photos of a fairly typical working weekday, in Paleo meals.

Breakfast.

A Paleo breakfast of bacon, eggs & avocado

On this particular day I had bacon, eggs and avocado. I avoid supermarket bacon as it’s often very heavily processed with all sorts of ingredients I don’t want to eat. My local organic butcher makes the best bacon I've had since I've been in Australia. It’s fresh, made in store, with minimal ingredients. It comes from organic, non factory farmed pigs. And the taste really is testament to this. I cook this in coconut oil (I'm currently using organic, virgin cold pressed, unrefined Melrose Coconut Oil). Once the bacon is almost ready I cook the eggs in the same pan. I always use organic, free range eggs – and where I can find them I’ll also often get Omega-3 enriched eggs. I complete the meal with a few slices of avocado. This breakfast is a great source of great fats and protein. At the moment I'm trying to eat within 30 minutes of waking up and it really does seem to be making such a significant difference. You can read my Paleo breakfast post for more breakfast ideas.

Lunch.

Paleo Lunch in the City; Roast Beef & Vegetables

Lunch should be something bought in from home so I know I'm eating the best possible ingredients. However, in the real world I invariably don’t get round to making lunch every day. This was one such day, where I had to find the best possible Paleo meal in the city. In this situation, I often choose a roast dinner, on this occasion with roast beef and seasonal vegetables.

Dinner.

Paleo Dinner, Stuffed Capsicum

Dinner is the meal where all the effort, creativity and amazing ingredients go! I usually plan the week’s dinners at the weekend, then shop to make sure I have all the required ingredients. This dinner was stuffed capsicum (bell peppers) with a filling of minced beef and lots of veg, herbs and spices. I have something different most days as I enjoy trying different recipes, cooking and introducing a lot of variety to my diet.

And to Drink?

I drink water all day long with the occasional cup of tea, or hot water with a slice of lemon or lime thrown in for good measure.

How does a typical day in food look for you? Do you tend to repeat the same meals or go for maximum variety in your diet?

Finding a Paleo Lunch in the City

12 Comments/in Blog Posts, Food, Paleo, Where to Find/by PaleoGirl

I always have good intentions of bringing a Paleo Lunch in to work with me. When I do, lunch is great. I take in leftovers from the previous evening, and reheat them at work. Or I take in slices of meat that I roasted at home and eat it with vegetables. But, there are often times when I don’t get round to making my lunch – or even more annoying, leave my lunch at home! I often catch up with friends over lunch – another occasion when I venture away from home cooking and towards the food courts.

I work in Sydney CBD, so there are literally hundreds of food outlets within minutes of my office. The choices however, often leave a lot to be desired, sadly they're are many that are not what I would class a Paleo Lunch! There are the usual fast food joints like McDonalds , Hungry Jacks (Burger King to the rest of the world), Oportos (Australia fast food chain specialising in chicken burgers) & KFC. Then there are Mexican chains like Mad Mex and Guzman y Gomez. There are pancake outlets, salad outlets, fruit juice outlets, Thai, Chinese, Japanese… the list goes on. There is a wholefoods chain, Iku, in Sydney, which should be amazing, but sadly they seem to have a vegan agenda – most of their foods contain grains and legumes – and soy seems to be commonly used.

Most of these options are strictly off limits for me, as they just aren't Paleo! Whilst the Mexican chains seem to use wonderful fresh ingredients, most options also include tortilla, beans, cheese and rice (grains, legumes and dairy!). Most lunch options in the city seem to serve grains, legumes and dairy. I'm also very mindful of the fact that these outlets don’t care about our health – they just want maximum profits, so are likely to use ingredients that I won’t – to improve the taste of their products to keep us going back. I can’t imagine a single outlet uses coconut oil or grass fed, organic meat! Whilst salads are a safe option, I find they tend to bulk them out with lettuce and meat is often in very small quantities; not good value for money and certainly not satiating.

The best option I've found so far, is from one of the many outlets offering roast dinner. I often have roast beef (or pork or chicken) with a serving of seasonal roasted vegetables.

I've also found a few good places that will let me get creative and go “off menu”. For example, last week I met a friend for lunch and found an organic burger joint, who were able to arrange a burger with no bun, sauces or fries. Instead they served the burger with bacon and an egg – result!

Recently I've been trying to have brunch instead of lunch. This means I can get bacon, eggs and avocado; a much better option!

Until there’s a Paleo food outlet in every major city, I’d love to hear what your Paleo choices are for a city lunch?

Posts

Share this:

Lunch Recipe: Moroccan Pork & Dressing

Equipment

Ingredients

Pork

Dressing

Instructions

Pork

Dressing

Share this:

My biggest struggle, though, was how to eat well away from home during the work day.

Lunch: No Longer the Forgotten Meal

Share this:

So this is my Menu Plan for my week of Paleo meals:

Monday

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snack:

Tuesday

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Wednesday

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Thursday

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snack:

Friday

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Saturday

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Drink:

Sunday

Brunch:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Share this:

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

Reheat?

Buying Lunch

Emergency Paleo Food Stash

Brown-Bag Lunches

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Breakfast.

Lunch.

Dinner.

And to Drink?

Share this:

Share this: