Paleo: Do I Have to Eat All That Meat?

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

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.

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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

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

you can always go out and catch your own meat like palaeolithic people did.

Paleo is more a way of eating, than a diet. Like going 'clean' (not trying to get into what that means, just saying).

To the OP, eat veggies, fruits, eggs, meats at meals, but if you want to skip meat a meal it won't kill you. The biggest problem is getting enough protein without meat. I do dairy, which is helpful, but you can also get protein from eggs, as mentioned. Legumes aren't really paleo, but it's your life so feel free to add them back if you like. Ditto Dairy (I eat cheese). A lot of people advise you eliminate these things for a month and then add them back to see how it affects you, but that's totally up to you.

If your concern is primarily finances, rather than a dislike for meat, eggs, ground beef, stuff like canned tuna/salmon, tinned sardines, organ meats, chicken thighs...these things can all be very reasonable. Also, a lot of people think you need less meat if you eat some bone broth/gelatine. So really look at the prices on these things and think about the things you like to eat and enjoy!

I just prefer to go with a more traditional method where I get to eat a variety of different foods

Eh, when you are eating meats, fruits, veggies your variety is pretty huge. You can be crazy hard core, but I don't think most people eliminate sugar/bread completely, they just see it as a treat.

the way most do paleono is completely incorrect...one f the worst diets ever

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

Sarcasm?

The first month or so of Paleo I ate a lot of eggs. I do love meat and could easily eat it at every meal, but it does get expensive when you are buying grass fed meat. Though I have found that I can buy a 1 lb. grass fed flank steak and get 3 meals out of that, 1 lb. of grass fed ground beef, mixed with ground chicken makes a meat sauce that lasts me a week (I eat in in lettuce cups, over spaghetti squash).