Want to try paleo, but it seems so BORING.

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13

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  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
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    You don't have to serve vegetables just plain steamed. That would be boring!

    You can make stews, sauces, soups, relishes, salsas, curries...anything!
  • egwene1977
    egwene1977 Posts: 69
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    Instead of going full-on paleo, why not try cutting out "white" foods? I gave up flour, rice, and starches, but I still enjoy string cheese and greek yogurt (and the occasional ice cream or gelato). Seems to be working for me :) I know that I have a LOT more energy since giving up the simple carbs. It really doesn't have to be "all or nothing".

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  • ZealousMissJJ
    ZealousMissJJ Posts: 454 Member
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    I made it less boring for myself ;). Making paleo banana bread makes my whole house smell.... of warm banana and cinnamon..


    :love:

    Edit to add: I don't eat 100% paleo. I love dairy and chocolate way too much! But I try to stay away from grains, potatoes and pasta.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
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    Rather than stick a label to something and restrict yourself from the full range of foodstuffs, why not try instead cutting out processed foods and cooking fresh seasonal meat/fish, fruit, veg etc. to create healthy dishes low in saturated fats and salt/sugar. You could also try making your own bread (you can often reduce salt that way) and pasta.

    As others have said, herbs and spices make food interesting, and a slow cooker makes cooking easy - if you experiemnt with these you won't need convenience/processed foods and will be eating a healthier diet without cutting out anything.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    Thanks for the wonderful recipe sites and suggestions, guys! Maybe I will try primal first. One of the things I was most concerned about was giving up dairy, so if primal involves dairy that may be a better fit for me. Thanks again.

    I see this ALL over the boards, so I don't mean to single you out...why does it have to be all or nothing? Why not just take the principles from Paleo and tweak it to fit your individual tastes? (80/20 principle) Rather than searching for that "named" diet that allows you what you want and are comfortable with? Even though I may not agree with the absolute strictness of certain "named" diets, I completely endorse thier premise. Anything that gets people to eat real, whole foods is a good thing. I am "mostly paleo" but I have a greek yogurt and a cheese stick with my lunch. It doesnt derail things. Maybe once a week or every other week, I have a dinner than has some beans in it. Maybe once a month I'll cook up some pasta.
    I think people set themselves up for failure when they attempt a super strict diet and can't hold it 100%. I'm a huge fan of the 80/20 principle.

    I agree!

    I think people who are new to a way of eating may feel more comfortable with a clearly delineated plan, with "rules" to follow and all that. Hopefully, as they become more confident with their choices, they will realise that the rules are meant to be guidelines to work within and around, not iron clad rules one must follow, period.

    There are far too many people who are overzealous about restrictions--and I am not JUST talking about within the paleo community, or here on MFP. This is a general statement. That sort of an attitude towards food is unhealthy and totally weird. OP, watch out for that.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    Thanks for the wonderful recipe sites and suggestions, guys! Maybe I will try primal first. One of the things I was most concerned about was giving up dairy, so if primal involves dairy that may be a better fit for me. Thanks again.

    I see this ALL over the boards, so I don't mean to single you out...why does it have to be all or nothing? Why not just take the principles from Paleo and tweak it to fit your individual tastes? (80/20 principle) Rather than searching for that "named" diet that allows you what you want and are comfortable with? Even though I may not agree with the absolute strictness of certain "named" diets, I completely endorse thier premise. Anything that gets people to eat real, whole foods is a good thing. I am "mostly paleo" but I have a greek yogurt and a cheese stick with my lunch. It doesnt derail things. Maybe once a week or every other week, I have a dinner than has some beans in it. Maybe once a month I'll cook up some pasta.
    I think people set themselves up for failure when they attempt a super strict diet and can't hold it 100%. I'm a huge fan of the 80/20 principle.

    I actually completely agree with you! I do want to start with the Whole 30 to get things started, but after that I was planning on living by the 80/20 principle. That's how I've generally been eating anyway... 80% healthy ("clean") and 20% whatever I want. Recently, however, it's become more like 50/50, which is why I want to crack down a bit.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    Instead of going full-on paleo, why not try cutting out "white" foods? I gave up flour, rice, and starches, but I still enjoy string cheese and greek yogurt (and the occasional ice cream or gelato). Seems to be working for me :) I know that I have a LOT more energy since giving up the simple carbs. It really doesn't have to be "all or nothing".

    Thanks for the tip, but I have actually already done this! I cut out white foods a long time ago. Well not completely cut out, but I eat them very rarely. I prefer complex carbs anyway because they keep me feeling fuller. I just would like to try something new.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    I just started paleo yesterday, but I'm already considering changing my mind!! I thought you couldn't have potatoes of any kind or jerky of any kind whether homemade or store bought... please correct me if I'm wrong!

    It all depends on how hardcore you want to be. Most paleo eaters I know eat sweet potatoes, jerky, and bacon regularly. Mmmm bacon...

    I basically eat paleo, but it wasn't really a conscious "I am going to eat paleo" thing, I have some metabolic issues and food sensitivities so since I don't eat breads/grains and dairy makes my skin break out, my diet is basically paleo by default. I don't like beans and I'm not a big peanut butter person, so that helped out too. You can have almond butter though, and So Delicious makes a coconut milk ice cream that is AH-MAZING! I know that I just generally feel better and see better results when I eat this way, and I've found tons of great paleo recipes on pinterest :smile:
  • frenchfacey
    frenchfacey Posts: 237 Member
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    Try mixing your proteins up throughout the day. Instead of eggs and veggies try having steak and eggs. Or making an egg white frittata with roasted garlic.

    You can make baked sweet potato fries. Don't forget to use the fat from the proteins you are eating. You can make a grilled chicken cutlet over a bed of baby spinach with an overeasy egg on top with demi glace from the chicken or beef you've cooked previously as an aus ju.

    You can roast the nuts as a snack or make beef/turkey/lamb/venison etc jerky as a snack as well or some hardboiled or deviled eggs.

    There are a million things you can do. Think of your favorite meals and cravings and attempt to recreate it paleo style. I personally am doing a hybrid of Mediterranean and Paleo bc I love having some sort of grain every once in a while but avoid processed flour products.

    If you ever have some stuff you need help with message me on here and I can give you some ideas. I have been working as a chef part time for over 6 years so I'm always willing to share some insight.



    im drooling so hard.
  • shabbychick81
    shabbychick81 Posts: 168 Member
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    I have been eating this way (paleo/primal) since November and i have not been board at all! we have made so many fun things. my whole family is eating this way (hubby, me, and 2 daughters) and we love it! once you figure out recipes you can have so much fun. If we go out to eat, just order meat and veggies. we usually eat Mexican. But we rarely eat out. It has changed my life so much! 51 lbs off and i have more energy than ever!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Why would you want to try paleo?
    Exactly.
    It's just another fad diet, and it's based on a flawed premise.

    ^this bs gets annoying after awhile. How is focusing on whole foods and limiting processed foods a "fad diet"? I do not consider my lifestyle a diet and it's interesting that so many general threads are about "diets" when Paleo/Primal people usually talk about "lifestyle" and "health" instead. Except for a few people first "trying Paleo" I do not know anyone who thinks of Paleo as a temporary diet.

    Based on a "flawed premise"... which is? Oh yeah, processed food must be so much more healthier than what we used to eat when we were hunter/gatherers cuz we died so young back then (have you studied anthropology in regards to "diseases of Civilization"?-perhaps with such a strong opinion you should)... Time to learn the difference between correlation and cause. Living in the natural world was dangerous and we didn't have surgeries and drugs to artificially prolong our lives back then, but we were NOT dying of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, etc. If I'm going to live to 90, I'm happy to now do so without being sick and obese. I was practically dead last year and now I feel like superwoman so if other people consider my lifestyle a "fad" that's their problem.

    Solid strawman, seems you don't even understand Paleo, the flawed premise is not eating mostly nutrient dense whole foods, but arbitrarily promoting eliminating grains, legumes and dairy.

    And perhaps you should do a little more research as well

    ZOMG

    http://www.healthline.com/health-news/aging-bone-tumor-found-on-ancient-neandertal-rib-060513
  • KatLifter
    KatLifter Posts: 1,314 Member
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    Why would you want to try paleo?
    Exactly.
    It's just another fad diet, and it's based on a flawed premise.

    Pretty much my opinion. Also, there are a lot of reports out there of people who lost a good amount of muscle mass while on Whole 30. Here is one, http://gabbysgfree.com/2013/02/whole30-wrap/.
    Then again, it was great for some people, hope you find what works for you.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    arbitrarily promoting eliminating grains, legumes and dairy.
    You may disagree with the reasons for this but they aren't arbitrary.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I'm confused. Why do you want to try a diet that think will be boring? Most people switch to paleo because they believe the nonsense about beans and grains being unhealthy and that they will be eating like cavemen did, or would, or what our bodies are designed to eat, blah, blah, blah. Such a restrictive diet on a whim seems doomed for failure.

    Why not just clean up your diet in general with foods you don't find boring?
  • campi_mama
    campi_mama Posts: 350 Member
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    If you are going to a Whole30, read "It Starts With Food" first.
    Next, it is as boring as you want it to be. If you have no desire to give up anything that you"normally" eat fine, don't do it. I feel best when eating this way. I reintroduced dairy and got horrible bloat after cutting it out for 30 days. Now I know.
    If you want to try, go in with an open mind and positive attitude...
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    I understand I need condiments in my life too
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    arbitrarily promoting eliminating grains, legumes and dairy.
    You may disagree with the reasons for this but they aren't arbitrary.

    Ask yourself if A) the stated reasons for doing so are exclusive to those types of foods and B) If the reasons are based in reality or paleo fantasy
  • cubsgirlinny
    cubsgirlinny Posts: 282 Member
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    bump for recipes
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    the stated reasons for doing so are exclusive to those types of foods
    Yes.
    B) If the reasons are based in reality or paleo fantasy
    They have scientific explanations for their aversion to those particular foods and there is some disagreement in the community about certain items (like dairy). Feel free to disagree, but it's not as simple as you would like to make it.

    Personally, I eat cheese and beans. I am trying to limit wheat as an experiment to see if it's helpful and so far I have been eating more vegetables and lost weight. So far so good. I'm not hardcore about it, though.
  • OkieTink
    OkieTink Posts: 285 Member
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    I absolutely love a variety of foods in my diet and I've never been one to cut out specific food groups. However, I'd like to give paleo a try, more as a personal challenge to myself than anything else. I've been eating pretty badly lately and I think really cracking down for a month or so would be good for me. Plus, I'd be trying something new, which is never a bad thing. For this reason, I've decided to try the Whole30 program by Whole9 (it's basically just really strict paleo for 30 days). After I finish that I'll probably try to keep eating mostly paleo, but allow myself treats in moderation.

    Here is the shopping list for the Whole30 program: http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Shopping-List.pdf

    Based on those foods, I just feel like I'd be so bored and go nuts after three days of this thing!! I have friends who have done Whole30 and everyone says they loved it and the results were amazing. But I just don't see how anyone could "love it." Based on the shopping list here's how I picture a day of eating:

    Breakfast: egg scramble with veggies
    Lunch: grilled chicken salad with olive oil dressing
    Dinner: steak with broccoli and sweet potato
    Snacks throughout the day: fruit and nuts

    That doesn't sound so bad for a day at all... but EVERY day? I feel like I'm going to get so bored... How do you paleo people do it?

    Sooo...knowing all of this ahead of time, why do it?

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