Paleo: Do I Have to Eat All That Meat?

thebeautifulpeacock

So on Sunday I'm officially starting the Paleo diet for a month (I'd start it now but I have a lot of dairy in the fridge to use up, and as a student I can't really afford to waste it). I'm very interested in this "diet" because the natural way of eating greatly interests me. However, the diet consists mainly of lean meats & proteins, veggies, and good fats. But they want meat at *every* meal! I'm not a big meat eater, never have been. I really enjoy it, and I'll eat a steak, a chicken or a burger, but I rarely have meat outside dinner. It's also expensive. How to I get around this? I'm all for eating meat, but every day, every meal? Any ideas?

*Edit for grammar.

neandermagnon

Why are you going on the paleo diet if you don't like meat? also, if you're on a limited budget, I've heard a lot of people say that the paleo diet is relatively expensive.

Maybe you can get the same results without going paleo and without eating so much meat. Healthy eating means giving your body all the nutrition it needs without harming it in the process. if you explain why you want to go paleo, then maybe others can suggest how you can get the same results but without fully going paleo

thebeautifulpeacock

Why did you respond to my post without reading it thoroughly? I clearly stated I *did* enjoy eating meat, but I wanted to limit my consumption to be more cost-effective. I'd like to /try/ going paleo, to experiment with what kind of eating styles suit me best. Paleo is a natural, sugarless, healthy diet that really appeals to me.

KettleCorn13

Do you like eggs? They are a great way to get protein in and still keep your food budget down. I did the Whole 30 Day challenge which is basically Paleo back in January. I ate a lot of eggs. Almonds are a good source of protein too. All natural almond butter that contains no other ingredients other than almonds is great for a snack. I would have celery and almond butter or an apple with almond butter.

One of my favorite meals during the challenge was a taco salad. I used grass fed beef, a Paleo recipe for homemade taco seasoning, organic salsa that I got from Costco that was preservative free, homemade guacamole and lettuce. It was simple to make and lasted for a few meals. Now that I think of it, I didn't have meat with every single meal. I made a butternut squash soup and had that for lunch for a few days. It was supposed to have a bacon garnish, but I ended up eating that before it had the chance to be a garnish.

eric_sg61

You better eat all the meat fast, since the smell with attract other paleo tribes and they will attack

SadFaerie

Fish, eggs, nuts, vegetables. Fry it, boil it, grill it, steam it... You don't have to eat meat all the time, in fact, you can go days without.

Acg67

So on Sunday I'm officially starting the Paleo diet for a month (I'd start it now but I have a lot of dairy in the fridge to use up, and as a student I can't really afford to waste it). I'm very interested in this "diet" because the natural way of eating greatly interests me. However, the diet consists mainly of lean meats & proteins, veggies, and good fats. But they want meat at *every* meal! I'm not a big meat eater, never have been. I really enjoy it, and I'll eat a steak, a chicken or a burger, but I rarely have meat outside dinner. It's also expensive. How to I get around this? I'm all for eating meat, but every day, every meal? Any ideas?

*Edit for grammar.

That's not the paleo diet, the paleo diet has the majority of intake in carbs

thebeautifulpeacock

I eat lots of eggs and lots of almonds. Thank you

neandermagnon

Why did you respond to my post without reading it thoroughly? I clearly stated I *did* enjoy eating meat, but I wanted to limit my consumption to be more cost-effective. I'd like to /try/ going paleo, to experiment with what kind of eating styles suit me best. Paleo is a natural, sugarless, healthy diet that really appeals to me.

what I meant was "don't like to eat much meat" - apologies for not expressing myself clearly, but what i said in the rest of the post still stands.

can you eat a diet of all natural foods while avoiding sugar, but include dairy, legumes and grains? Then you don't have to eat so much meat, it's cheaper, but you'll still be avoiding refined sugar and eating natural foods.

WendyTerry420

Don't start a diet that you will not enjoy or can't afford. Keep it simple and sustainable.

Factory_Reset

You haven't even started and you're already worried

This will not end well

*awaits future post*

zeebruhgirl

Paleo is all about the meat. I don't know if you can successfully do paleo if you can't afford the meat!

1PatientBear

I'm all for eating meat

I like you OP.

jaimrlx

Paleo is a way of eating, it's not a diet that you follow meal by meal. There are health conscious rules, but you also don't have to be 100% strictly primal. You don't have to eat meat if you want but I would highly suggest at least tuna or some sort of fish. People get turned off by red meat because it's super heavy and very filling - that's fine! Chicken, tuna and frozen fish fillets go a long way with Paleo.

For the record, I'm a college student and Paleo only cost me maybe $20 more in groceries than my normal trips did. You can do this for cheap, you just want to research your local markets/grocers first.

Sounds to me like you should not put a label on it. Eat healthy, whether it's paleo, raw, organic - whatever. Just eat how you think it's right to eat! Good luck!

FizikallyFit

I tried the paleo but realized it was more about a change in the way you eat and approach eating. I stick to lean meats, fish and vegetables and fruits it is cheaper on the wallet and allows for flexibility in my meal plans. Much luck with the paleo

I agree with the above poster. It doesn't have to be expensive and it is mostly about the change in you approach to eating.

I am also a college student and spend about $60 every two weeks on groceries. Farmers Market and Meat butchers are a girls best friend!!

rem10210

So on Sunday I'm officially starting the Paleo diet for a month (I'd start it now but I have a lot of dairy in the fridge to use up, and as a student I can't really afford to waste it). I'm very interested in this "diet" because the natural way of eating greatly interests me. However, the diet consists mainly of lean meats & proteins, veggies, and good fats. But they want meat at *every* meal! I'm not a big meat eater, never have been. I really enjoy it, and I'll eat a steak, a chicken or a burger, but I rarely have meat outside dinner. It's also expensive. How to I get around this? I'm all for eating meat, but every day, every meal? Any ideas?

*Edit for grammar.

That's not the paleo diet, the paleo diet has the majority of intake in carbs

Actually that's exactly what paleo is ...

Paleo excludes sugar, grain, and dairy.

Also, OP I just want to echo the others that there are other sources of protein you can eat. Find some that work for your budget, and you never know you might find some meat on sale that will make it more budget friendly.

Chief_Rocka

Acg67

So on Sunday I'm officially starting the Paleo diet for a month (I'd start it now but I have a lot of dairy in the fridge to use up, and as a student I can't really afford to waste it). I'm very interested in this "diet" because the natural way of eating greatly interests me. However, the diet consists mainly of lean meats & proteins, veggies, and good fats. But they want meat at *every* meal! I'm not a big meat eater, never have been. I really enjoy it, and I'll eat a steak, a chicken or a burger, but I rarely have meat outside dinner. It's also expensive. How to I get around this? I'm all for eating meat, but every day, every meal? Any ideas?

*Edit for grammar.

That's not the paleo diet, the paleo diet has the majority of intake in carbs

Actually that's exactly what paleo is ...

Paleo excludes sugar, grain, and dairy.

Also, OP I just want to echo the others that there are other sources of protein you can eat. Find some that work for your budget, and you never know you might find some meat on sale that will make it more budget friendly.

Eaton et al. Paleolithic nutrition revisited: A twelve-year retrospective on its nature and implications. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/EvolutionPaleolithic/Eaton Paleo Nutri Review EJCN.pdf

_noob_

advertising it as primal makes a product that is essentially muscle milk all good...

Wilbur_NOLA

I don't understand why people even bother going on a "diet". Do you want to lose weight and be healthy forever? Then go on a "forever lifestyle change" instead (patent pending on that term btw...lol). Find something that is practical and enjoyable enough to where you could realistically do it forever. The problem I have with "diets" is the people lose the weight they want, then turn back to "normal" eating habits and just put the weight back on.

If you think Paleo is the way to go for you, then best of luck. I just prefer to go with a more traditional rmethod where I get to eat a variety of different foods while just tracking my calories and macros.

Just my $.02

jdm_taco

I get asked this a lot. I always say, "yes, if you would like to stay the night." :laugh: