Is Paleo for couples only?

Karabobarra

Hi,
I have been trying to go Paleo lately and researching books and recipes and time after time finding that the people who are successful at it have one person that doesn't work and is able to devote the time it takes to make it work.
It's alot of shopping, prepping and cooking. ...even the quick recipes take too long sometimes.


I am a single mom and work more than full time, I would like to hear from people who work full time and do all the shopping, cooking and prepping for the Paleo diet, and are still successful at getting their workouts in.

SherryTeach

I don't eat Paleo, but I live alone and cook all of my food from scratch. I work full time and do most cooking on the weekends. I portion out individual servings into Ziplock screw on lit containers and freeze some of it. In the freezer right now I have sweet sausage soup, ham and bean soup, turkey chili, chicken pesto pasta with walnuts and broccoli, spaghetti with meat sauce, pork tenderloin with rice, and sirloin steak stir fry. During the week all I need to do is prepare some veggies, eat some fruit and cheese and I'm good to go without much effort. I keep some grilled cut up chicken in the fridge too for spinach salad with chicken and walnuts.

I think the same concept would work with any food plan.

Karabobarra

This is one of my other obstacles. ...I have kids to feed and although I do have some time on the weekends to cook and freeze I don't have the room to store more than one or two meals in my freezer ....I live in an apartment with a smurf size kitchen and a small freezer. ...and no room for an individual freezer. I need to come home and cook every night....it's hard to get away from the temptation of processed foods when you're trying to save time wherever you can . lol but there has to be a way to make it all work ...There just has to

bwogilvie

Of course it's for couples: one hunts, and one gathers.

Seriously, though, you've got quite a challenge. I'm the cook in my family, and I cook from scratch (not paleo, though). My wife and I both work. But we don't have kids, which gives us a lot more time for cooking than you.

Cooking ahead and freezing is the best solution. Is there anywhere in your apartment you could put a freezer? My in-laws keep a freezer in their bedroom, because there was nowhere else to put it in their house. You could also get standard-sized, stackable containers to maximize how much food you can store in your freezer (Rubbermaid makes some good ones--the kind where the lids snap onto the bottoms of the containers for storage).

I'm not sure where you live; if you're in the US, you could get a freezer like this: http://tinyurl.com/ms9rg5p - it's small enough to sit in a corner of a bedroom or living room, and you could even cover it with fabric and use it as a table when you're not getting things out or putting them in.

If that's not possible, is there a grocery store near you that sells ingredients that have been prepped, such as shredded or chopped carrots, diced peppers, peeled and cubed squash, etc.? You'd pay more, but you'd save a lot of time.

Po0p3rTro0p3r

I am a full time working mother of two amazing boys, and have a husband that works full time as well. I am in charge of all cooking, and grocery shopping, lunch making, etc. My family eats Paleo! We have found numerous health benefits, and even ways to shop that don't kill our tight budget. I am a teacher and honestly at times struggle to make ends meet. I also have celiac disease and have had numerous health issues as a result, instead of taking expensive medicine I eat Paleo, strict 100% of the time (minus the Reese's peanut butter cup I just consumed...opps:)

I have created a blog to share recipes, that are family friendly and to show ways to shop for Paleo goods that won't cause you to find a second job! My best advice is to plan ahead, I usually create a menu during the weekend and go to the grocery store, purchasing just what I need and cannot get at the local farmers market. On Wednesdays the boys and I leave for school early so we can stop by the local farmers market and pick up a weeks worth of fruits and veggies for $40. The meat supplies and additional baking goods such as almond flour, etc. is what I purchase at the grocery store, using coupons, and sales to help make my menu. I pack the boys a lunch each day of the week, and I usually eat left overs from the night before.

We have found our boys behavior, attention, and sleep patterns have improved greatly.

Check out my blog for recipes, meal plans, etc. http://escapingcrazy.wordpress.com

Good Luck! Enjoy!

littlegem65

My sister does Paleo and she has a husband and 4 boys who don't eat this way. Hardboiled eggs, avocado, almonds, chicken breast, fish, greens, cauliflower, broccoli make up much of her daily menus. She makes dinner for her family and eats her way. The foods on the Paleo diet are simple to make….I am confused as to why you think this needs to be a couples' diet. She also is a full time working person. That said…you have to preplan your meals… Good luck.

Karabobarra

Thankyou for the website. ....will definitely check it out ! It is nice to hear that someone who is working full time and has children to take care of is able to do the shopping cooking and preparing it takes to make Paleo work and I commend you on getting your kids stsrted in the Paleo lifestyle. I so wish I I would have come across this when my children were little.

Microfiber

I would love to do Paleo (whatever it is) but I don't like cooking sigh.

wilsoje74

I don't know a ton about paleo, but isn't it food close to its natural state, meats and raw fruits and veggies? I would think it would be very little food prep and cooking???

darrensurrey

I would love to do Paleo (whatever it is) but I don't like cooking sigh.

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=263392915

FP4HSharon

My sister does Paleo and she has a husband and 4 boys who don't eat this way. Hardboiled eggs, avocado, almonds, chicken breast, fish, greens, cauliflower, broccoli make up much of her daily menus. She makes dinner for her family and eats her way. The foods on the Paleo diet are simple to make….I am confused as to why you think this needs to be a couples' diet. She also is a full time working person. That said…you have to preplan your meals… Good luck.

The OP definitely has a valid question. The number one challenge you hear about from most people doing Paleo is the shopping/prep/cook time needed. In most cases you can also talk to anyone who's observed someone preparing Paleo, for confirmation of that. So not sure why you'd be "confused" by her question. Just because some people can manage it, doesn't mean it isn't challenging. With its reliance on fresh foods, & most recommend organic, that requires more trips to the grocery store & often a specialty grocery store that has more organic choices. I have one friend who did it for a month, really didn't see any huge health benefits over "normal" healthy eating, & quit. Another friend is into her 2nd month, but does talk about how much time it takes. My daughter & her husband try to stick w/it, but both work very long hours, so they aren't militant about sticking w/it.

TriLifter

I work 50+ hours/ week, am in grad school, have a 3yo, just trained for and ran a marathon, and cook both paleo (for me) and SAD food (for my husband and son). It takes no more work than "regular" food.

Microfiber

I would love to do Paleo (whatever it is) but I don't like cooking sigh.

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=263392915

That's Paleo? Then I'm doing Paleo without even realising it :laugh:

FP4HSharon

My son-in-law just told me about this company that will ship premade Paleo meals anywhere in the USA. Men's Fitness magazine also recommended them. In case you want to take a short cut & just order them, or ask a CrossFit gym near you if there's a local business that does it.

PALEO MEALS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR...if you're doing a Paleo diet & need some quick meals for busy times, OR if you've always wanted to try Paleo, but didn't know where to start, have them delivered to your door. This company ships Paleo meals anywhere in the country. You could also call your local CrossFit gym to find out if any local delivery companies offer a better deal.

www.premadepaleo.com

hstoblish

Hi,
I have been trying to go Paleo lately and researching books and recipes and time after time finding that the people who are successful at it have one person that doesn't work and is able to devote the time it takes to make it work.
It's alot of shopping, prepping and cooking. ...even the quick recipes take too long sometimes.


I am a single mom and work more than full time, I would like to hear from people who work full time and do all the shopping, cooking and prepping for the Paleo diet, and are still successful at getting their workouts in.

I can't really answer your question, but I can tell you that my husband is always asked about this lunches at work. He usually eats leftovers from whatever he made us for dinner the night before and people are constantly asking him about how he eats such nice food. There aren't really any recipes involved at all. Consistently, we eat some meat like steaks or chicken breast roasted with some seasoning salt or fried sausage. For a side, we do something like kale and some raw veggies. Sometimes we add a salad and/or steamed veggies. It's all delicious. Key things are: coconut oil for frying or anything else, using a meat thermometer to make sure everything is cooked perfectly, and make friends with your butcher. Sometimes, he'll add in baked potatoes with butter (yes, we cheat) and chives or something else if he needs more carbs (I run on significantly less carbs than he needs).

Basically, it's clean, simple and really really yummy. Try a nice rib-eye steak with a side of asparagus. You shouldn't need a lot of time, though we do spend money on the basics.

You don't need special recipes or marketed foods to eat paleo. You just need to eat meats and veggies and high carb veggies (like sweet potatoes or yams).

Good luck!! If you want any specific advice, feel free to add me. You'll notice that I cheat. I eat natural peanut butter every day because it's my favourite food and without it, there is no way I could stick to a diet. I also occasionally eat dairy or a burger with a bun.

Sabine_Stroehm

I have a friend. Single. She considers herself pale. I don't know how she eats at home, but she definitely uses paleo principles as a guideline when eating out.

It can be done. just done a bit differently than you're reading on the web. You'll decide if it's worth it and works for you (it's definitely not a bad idea, nor is it a harmful way to approach things).

NOTE: I'm not interested in the usual silly arguments about cavemen etc. I'm simply answering the OP's question.

Rawfoodsho

Uh what? As far as I know, its just eating fresh fruit, veggies and lean meats, with some other random rules thrown in there. Its easy to make paleo meals on the go and it doesn't take a dedicated at home person to make it work. There are tons of simple paleo recipes.

Its not really this huge drastic thing everyone treats it like, ok no dairy like milk or cheese, no processed sugars and white carbs. Its almost like a common sense diet.. Like really, lean meats and fresh veggies daily! STONE the paleo and their crazy ideas

maggiewithfins

There will be a way. Frozen veg are good, nuts are easy to keep in the pantry, root vegetables keep for a long time, slow-cookers are amazing.
I cook a massive roast with vegetables, then eat the meat and veg all week in different ways, add the veg to a fritatta and have that for breakfast, snack on nuts. I buy some ready made salad mix and add roast meat to it, put an oil dressing on, add some fruit or root veg. I roast a big batch of chicken drumstics and portion them in zip lock bags and pack them for lunch.

I'm curious, what is an easy/normal meal for you now?
Maybe instead of looking at obstacles, look at what you can do and just do that. Maybe learn a couple of easy Paleo meals and cook them often, then build up to being completely paleo if you decide.

Rawfoodsho

My sister does Paleo and she has a husband and 4 boys who don't eat this way. Hardboiled eggs, avocado, almonds, chicken breast, fish, greens, cauliflower, broccoli make up much of her daily menus. She makes dinner for her family and eats her way. The foods on the Paleo diet are simple to make….I am confused as to why you think this needs to be a couples' diet. She also is a full time working person. That said…you have to preplan your meals… Good luck.

The OP definitely has a valid question. The number one challenge you hear about from most people doing Paleo is the shopping/prep/cook time needed. In most cases you can also talk to anyone who's observed someone preparing Paleo, for confirmation of that. So not sure why you'd be "confused" by her question. Just because some people can manage it, doesn't mean it isn't challenging. With its reliance on fresh foods, & most recommend organic, that requires more trips to the grocery store & often a specialty grocery store that has more organic choices. I have one friend who did it for a month, really didn't see any huge health benefits over "normal" healthy eating, & quit. Another friend is into her 2nd month, but does talk about how much time it takes. My daughter & her husband try to stick w/it, but both work very long hours, so they aren't militant about sticking w/it.

What "prep" time? Its just normal foods? If you bring you lunch to work you are generally going to be prepping food anyways. How hard is it to eat veggies and meat? Or grab a piece of fruit for a snack or a small portion of nuts over a carb loaded snack? I dont see how this diet takes tons of time to prep when its just normal foods. Plus lots of people on diets portion control there foods, some even label foods for a week at a time, its normal for people to prep food. But paleo can be simple.

http://ultimatepaleoguide.com/paleo-diet-food-list/

Sabine_Stroehm

What "prep" time? Its just normal foods? If you bring you lunch to work you are generally going to be prepping food anyways. How hard is it to eat veggies and meat? Or grab a piece of fruit for a snack or a small portion of nuts over a carb loaded snack? I dont see how this diet takes tons of time to prep when its just normal foods. Plus lots of people on diets portion control there foods, some even label foods for a week at a time, its normal for people to prep food. But paleo can be simple.

http://ultimatepaleoguide.com/paleo-diet-food-list/

This. Paleo is just food. Sure it's not a frozen "hot pocket" or some such food like product. But it doesn't take a ton of prep.

angrodriguez92

I'm a paleo college student in a house with people that don't eat the same way I do. I just have go to recipes that I cycle through and I eat left overs a ton.