How do you prepare?

lokisadie

I really want Paleo to work for me, but am finding it hard to stick with it. Mostly because I am not prepared, and haven't prepped my meats or veggies. I try to plan my meals for the week, but with a non-paleo husband, and a picky 20 month old, it's hard to plan so many meals. What works for you? Do you pre-make your meals on the weekend, or do you have any tricks to help me out?

Zeromilediet

My husband is non-paleo but eats what I make him (mostly--he's fat-phobic). Meals are a protein (poultry/fish/meat), and multiple vegetables. He has cereal for breakfast and if he wants a sandwich or something, makes it himself. If you're the main cook in the family, consider going ahead and preparing paleo meals. Most people don't notice unless pasta and bread have been a big part of your pre-paleo eating. Even then, you could prepare pasta noodles for husband and spaghetti squash for you and kiddo.

Little kids quickly lose their recollection of things so if you're consistent and don't offer any other choices but what you want them to eat, after a while (albeit a trying time of adjustment) the kids will adapt; especially if they help with prep (see paleoparents.com) When my granddaughter comes to visit she knows there's no cookies, marshmallows, candies etc but there's fruit, nuts, and her favourite: proscuitto. As a special treat we share dark chocolate dipped crispy bacon. She accepts that's the way it is at nana's house. After a few weeks kiddos learn 'in this house, this is what we eat' end of discussion.

justaspoonfulofsugar

I have a child(he's 6)and he eats a lot of similar things but without the seasoning.
I make large batches of food and eat the same thing for days at a time.
It's not to everyones taste but it works well for me.Similar breakfast everyday,usually no lunch and similar dinners..this would be the same dinner for maybe 3 days and then cook again.

kerrylee54

I do a lot of preparation on the weekend. I pre-cook most of my protein (with the exception of seafood) and do as much prep as possible with my vegetables. I prefer salads and raw veg, so that's quite easy to prepare ahead.

I'm just finishing up a Whole 30, and I feel much of my success with that program is because I planned ahead for the work week.

I find that my children are happy to add whatever grains or dairy they desire to the meals that I prepare, so there is really no extra work.

Good luck,

Kerry

AMBlass

We definitely meal plan and grocery shop according to that plan. Make it a family affair. Hand your husband some Paleo cookbooks and go "Pick what sounds good." and then let him choose a few non-Paleo items, like sandwiches or what not, for his lunches. We buy easy things to snack on, like nuts, fruit, Larabars. It's pretty easy to make pasta and dinner rolls a side dish and not an entree, so it should be easy for you and your hubby to eat part of the meal together, and then for you to microwave a sweet potato, and give him some pasta (although hey, he might like sweet potatoes!).

I have no clue how to feed a 20 month old because I don't have kids, but I'd look up some blogs of parents with Paleo kids and see if they have any suggestions. Paleohacks.com might be a good reference.

jordanna1979

www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/wellfed - great cook book that lays out meal prep to get you through the week...she has tons of great ideas for different "hot plates" you can make to keep it varied and interesting but have a meal in under 10 minutes.

I have two toddlers and a husband that works out of town and I found Paleo to be overwhelming at times because I was always cooking but not anymore, now I have 4-6 hot plates a week, throw in a couple recipes I find online here or there and a variety of (usually) cold and or leftover type lunches and life is good!

Regarding my kids & husband I either make a grain of some sort to incorporate in to their meal (ie: I have a stir fry with no rice and add brown rice to theirs, I have eggs beni on zucchini pancakes, they have theirs on english muffins) or sometimes they just eat as I do...I find if you make a big deal about removing starch/grain from a meal then it becomes a big deal but if you just hand them the food they will just eat it.

Also for the kids I keep a variety of meats/fruits/veggies cut up for them to choose from at lunch time, we add dips etc to it to keep it fun and interesting Breakfast they have eggs & meat with mum or we even make Paleo granola that they have with milk etc...

Christie0428

I cook/prep all our food for Mon-Sat breakfast on Sunday... I make a big pan of scrambled eggs with onion and swiss chard and divide it up in to individual portions. I usually do like 16 eggs and divide it in to 8 portions so I have one for each work day and there is some in the fridge for my 18month old daughter - whole loves sauteed spinach and these eggs with swiss chard. THen I make 6 salads iwht various tyes of lettuce and veggies. I roast mushrooms and cauliflower in the oven to top the salads and I either bake a chicken for protein on the salads fo my husband grills a bunch of chicken - when its cool I put it on top of each salad. I hard boild eggs to have ready for snacks and I sautee a large pan of spinach to keep ready to use for the week for sides for dinner. I sometimes also back a few sweet potatoes so those are ready to go. COme the week nights I either steam frozen haddock in the oven (takes 15 minutes form frozen) and then re heat spinach and sweet potato for dinner.

My daughter eats every thing I listed except salad... She also eats plenty of organic yogurt - which I don't eat... I thing the poster that sad just keep offering it to your toddler is right, eventually they will forget the "other" stuff. GL - feel free to friend me if you like :-)