Newbie saying hi!

pittjenn

Morning! I'm just now reading Primal Blueprint and started cutting grains/legumes/sugar from my diet a week ago. I felt SO sluggish the first couple days (seriously, I needed naps after work before I could even drum up the energy to walk the dog), but am starting to feel much better now. I am no longer getting nauseously hungry every 3 hours - whee! I've even been waking up 5-10 minutes before my alarm each morning, when I have historically been a snooze-button pusher. Hopefully the scale is the next to budge I have 10 lbs to lose - not a ton, but those pounds are stubborn and have refused to budge on a low-fat, high grain diet

What did you find easiest to eat at first? I have not cut dairy (I eat a daily dose of plain yogurt, cheese, and a splash of milk in my coffee), but feel like right now every meal is some sort of roasted meat + stemed veggie. It's easy for sure, but I think after the initial adjustment period I'm going to want some more variety!

bewitchinglife

Hi JMC413,

I was pretty strict primal last year for about six months last year and now I'm getting back to it.

Some of our favorite meals are.....

Breakfast:
Eggs and Sauteed Veggies
Eggs, with leftover meat thrown in
I just made some Paleo Chocolate granola that was tasty.

Lunch:
Leftovers

Dinner:
Turkey Cilantro Burgers
Spicy Tuna Steaks
Chicken Curry on Cauliflower Rice

I'm the only one in my house that is interested in eating grain/ refined sugar free so I usually make a paleo meal and then add grains and things for everyone else. I'm not dairy free as I won't give up cheese for anyone. My body doesn't tolerate a lot of foods, but dairy it does.. so dairy stays.

I hope you have loads of success. I haven't read the Primal Blueprint in a while, maybe I'll give it another go! The net is thick with recipes, but if you need any suggestions let me know.

pittjenn

Thanks! I look forward to trying out new recipes...and cilantro burgers sound delicious!

WIChelle

Hi! We eat lots of grilled meats and veggie meals. We fire up the grill and do 5 lbs at a time or more and freeze so we have no excuses. Stir fry is another easy option. I do crockpot full of meat and veggie soups and freeze into portions. Dh is a smoothie lover and has one for dessert daily. I haven't cut out dairy either. I might consider it when all my specialty cheese are gone.

kecarlto

I thought that eating paleo would be boring too but I was wrong. True, it is a lot of meat and veggies but there are tons of ways to prepare them that I'd never tried. Roasted broccoli is now one of my fav ways to eat broccoli (roasting is not just for potatoes!) and zucchini noodles for spaghetti are so much better tasting than pasta. I've also experimented with paleo baking and not only is it yummy and easy but some of my non-paleo friends are asking for the recipes. I've found a ton of great recipes online

nomnompaleo.com
everydaypaleo.com (also has a great cookbook)
paleoplan.com
pinterest

there are tons more...when in doubt (or having a craving for a particular food) google it and add "paleo" to your search

One of my favorite lunches is turkey rollups - raw veggies and avocado rolled up in a slice of turkey.

I hope this helps.

squishycow7

I keep a huge assortment of frozen veggies for a quick fix. I also make sure to prep a lot of food for the week every weekend - pan-fry some turkey or beef burgers, usually, or roast some chicken breasts. I also portion out my meats and put them in baggies in the freezer so I can pull them out every few days so I always have options. I've got ground turkey, ground beef, chicken breasts, sausages (though not all sausages are 100% paleo so you kinda need to search)... and I shredded some zucchini so it looks like spaghetti, portioned that out into 1 cup servings and froze it so I can have a quick fix "pasta" too.

It's all in the prep- when I don't have things readily available, that's when I cave.

pittjenn

Great idea on the weekly prep! I'm a full time professional + night student, so weeknights are tough to make time to cook (although, since I'm able to go longer between meals, there are many nights where I'm now starting dinner at 10pm, after classes. LOL).

When you freeze the zukes, does it affect their texture? I adore all types of veggies, so using them sliced or shredded in place of pasta sounds good to me

KBGirts

I do all of the above, but I also keep portabella mushrooms on hand. Toss the sliced ones them in a pan with butter and add fresh minced garlic, salt, papper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar (is that paleo/primal?) and cook 'em till soft. You can also scoop out the gills and stem from a portobella cap and fill it with tomato sauce, cheese and toppings for a pizza. Yum!!!

KBGirts

I do all of the above, but I also keep portabella mushrooms on hand. Toss the sliced ones them in a pan with butter and add fresh minced garlic, salt, papper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar (is that paleo/primal?) and cook 'em till soft. You can also scoop out the gills and stem from a portobella cap and fill it with tomato sauce, cheese and toppings for a pizza. Yum!!!

Oh and spaghetti squash!!! I keep that too.

MamaDee2

I do all of the above, but I also keep portabella mushrooms on hand. Toss the sliced ones them in a pan with butter and add fresh minced garlic, salt, papper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar (is that paleo/primal?) and cook 'em till soft. You can also scoop out the gills and stem from a portobella cap and fill it with tomato sauce, cheese and toppings for a pizza. Yum!!!

Oh and spaghetti squash!!! I keep that too.

I have heard you can use portobellas as buns for burgers

pittjenn

I love spaghetti squash! But not all my local grocers carry it year round (it's always around in the fall - how long can it be stored if I were to stock up?).

YUM to the mushroom pizza! I will absolutely be trying that soon

KBGirts

I do all of the above, but I also keep portabella mushrooms on hand. Toss the sliced ones them in a pan with butter and add fresh minced garlic, salt, papper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar (is that paleo/primal?) and cook 'em till soft. You can also scoop out the gills and stem from a portobella cap and fill it with tomato sauce, cheese and toppings for a pizza. Yum!!!

Oh and spaghetti squash!!! I keep that too.

I have heard you can use portobellas as buns for burgers

I have heard this too. Never done it though.... Mostly likely they should be cooked a little to soften them up and give them some flavor. I should try this sometime.

pittjenn

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I have heard this too. Never done it though.... Mostly likely they should be cooked a little to soften them up and give them some flavor. I should try this sometime.
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Grilled 'bellas are delicious! And they take on a steak-like flavor when grilled, so I'm sure they are awesome with a burger.