Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I'm dying to give Paleo our best effort. My husband has always been a super healthy, very active guy but lately has been sidelined by allergies, sinus problems, tendinitis, sore back etc etc. Mostly I want to try eating Paleo for his benefit in hopes that he'll be able to return to a more active lifestyle that he loves. I've been reading up on the internet but have ordered Robb's book to get a better understanding of how it all works.

Question: My husband works construction and needs easy foods he can grab on the go as snacks -- something he can stick in his pocket for later or eat as he works. His usual lunch and snacks include: Sandwich, yogurt, string cheese, granola bars, fruit, and sometimes Cliff bars and beef jerky. Any suggestions on things to pack since most of his usual foods are off limits with Paleo?

Also, we have a newborn and a 3 yr old so I'm a little intimidated by the amount of prep it'll take as we're already adjusting to life with a new little person. So quick easily prepared foods to get us started would be great. I'm anxious to get started (I think about making the transition constantly) but am a little hesitant to start now when I'm so tired from waking with baby several times a night. But then again, if I started eating Paleo maybe I'd have more energy??

Thanks for chiming in. :)

flag	asked Jun 22 at 4:47 Amber 65●1●5

	Welcome to PaleoHacks! Some suggestions from a past post: paleohacks.com/questions/103730/… – Sol Jun 22 at 5:17
	Carefully selected beef jerky can definitely be paleo-friendly! – goodgravymissmaisy Jun 23 at 0:34

staceychev · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-22 13:55:11Z UTC

Hi Amber--

Welcome to Paleohacks. Anyway, a couple of things.

First, definitely do a little bit of reading (don't worry about books if you don't want to yet--I get reading and kids--I'm an English teacher with a two year old!). Check out some blogs. There are different flavors of paleo, and depending on your needs and desires, you'll lean towards one more than the other. For example, if you're doing a Whole 30, you'll want to avoid the sugars in most beef jerky, so you can make your own or order from someplace like US Wellness Meats. But, if you're more in the Mark Sisson primal camp, you can be a little more flexible with smaller amounts of sugar or with things like very good quality cheese in small amounts.

My kids (2 and 7) aren't paleo, but I do push in the direction of whole foods and we talk about healthy food choices all the time. Packing lunch for my first grader used to be really rough--think writer's block in the kitchen. One of the best things I think you can do for packing lunches for anyone is to invest in good lunch containers. Sounds bizarre I know, but when looking at a container, you think "how can I best fill this?" rather than "what can I feed my family?" Bento-style containers that are divided work great. If you are on Facebooks, "like" lunchbots--they're constantly posting ideas for filling their containers, and many of them are paleo-friendly. My husband and I also really like the To-Go Wear stacked containers.

So, back to flavors of paleo: I think that, in your family's situation, and given that your husband already feels lousy and has a huge energy requirement at work, I'd probably focus on one thing at a time and ease into it. Personally, I'd take his grains away. Focus on lots of meat and healthy fat in the earlier part of the day. Big breakfast of meat and eggs (I like grassfed ground beef with over easy eggs mixed in) will set him up to not need as much during the day. Get some good quality jerky for him, do hardboiled eggs, give him a spoon to scoop out an avocado, or give him veggie sticks to dig into guacamole. Don't stress the cheese just yet--if that's a staple, switch to a good cheese, raw and organic if you can afford it. Get bibb lettuce to do lettuce wraps with some awesome roast beef--and once again, pay attention to the quality of your ingredients if you can.

OK--really long post. Hope it helps!

LiveFabuLESS · Answer 2 · 2012-06-22 11:19:26Z UTC

Make "sandwiches" using lettuce to wrap the contents instead of bread. That will open you up to packing whatever leftovers you have from dinner for lunch. You are already using some of my favorite 'to-go' foods: hardboiled eggs and beef jerky. :)

I have three young kids and what works for me is oven roasting just about everything-- and I make 2-3 times more than we need for dinner each night: i.e. I'll roast 3 chickens at once-- we'll have chicken and roasted veggies for dinner one night-- then we'll have chicken (lettuce) wraps and/or a salad topped with shredded or diced chicken the next day for lunch and dinner. My leftover veggies get repuposed into an omelet or frittata, etc. I always have some cooked protein and either chopped and/or cooked veg in my fridge so I can make a stir fry in no time flat (use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce)-- I use tons of shredded cabbage and grated cauliflower (they mimic noodles and rice!) so I have those already prepped (as well as minced onion) in my fridge at all times.

I make my own roast beef-- simply season up a top or bottom round roast (preferably grassfed) with garlic, salt, pepper and place it in a 500* oven for 10-15 minutes to sear it, then drop to 275*--- cook until the meat hits an internal temp of about 120* then remove, tent with foil and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes. Slice using an electric knife or, better yet, get a deli slicer (LOVE mine!) and you'll have a slew of roast beef for lettuce wraps or just to snack on.

It's not as difficult at you might think-- just prep when you can, cook more than you need, and have extras ready to go in your fridge (or freezer!)

Good luck!

Julia · Answer 3 · 2012-06-22 05:05:17Z UTC

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On Sunday night I cook up a huge batch of bolognaise that I can have for lunch all week. I add heaps of veggies like zucchini, cauliflower, carrot and tomatoes and I make my own sauce for it

This could be great for you as all you'll need to do is reheat it, though sometimes I just eat mine cold

Good luck with it all :D

answered Jun 22 at 5:05

Julia
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	Thanks for the suggestion. That sounds good for me at home but I also need ideas for a brown bag lunch. Hubby works in the dirt all day with no access to a kitchen. Anything he takes for lunch goes in his coleman cooler which is why we usually do sandwiches etc. I think currently the only paleo friendly thing in his lunch is hard boiled eggs. Haha. Thanks for the suggestion! – Amber Jun 22 at 5:10
	Would cold BBQ chicken drumsticks be any easier for him? – Julia Jun 22 at 5:16
	yes! great idea, thanks. – Amber Jun 22 at 5:26
	Buy a thermos that keeps food hot for 5 hours - check these out on amazon (even though they look kid like - they still work great): amazon.com/… – Want2BHealthyGirl Jun 22 at 5:43

Chinaeskimo · Answer 4 · 2012-06-22 05:19:31Z UTC

I like eggsalad with lettuce and tomato and pickles. Like an eggsalad sandwich without the bread. You can make it yourself, or (like me) buy it at a deli, since I can't cook.

The last time I tried to boil eggs, I forgot about them and 6 hours later I found them on the stov3e :-/

baba · Answer 5 · 2012-06-22 05:34:31Z UTC

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Your husband may have to switch from brown bags to foil and maybe even pack a fork, but here goes:

boiled beef (mustard and pickles would be nice)

burgers

cold chicken

tinned sardines/salmon/tuna

cold quiche without crust

For sides I would rather take some cooked vegetables in a tupper dish (simply because I prefer it), but raw stuff is of course easier to transport. And an avocado just needs a knife and a spoon.

answered Jun 22 at 5:34

baba
1,265●2●5

	thanks! What about snacks? He typically eats 4 (yes 4!!) granola bars throughout the day. Are Lara bars or something similar ok or too much sugar?? Any other ideas for easy portable snacks? – Amber Jun 22 at 5:44
	Ahem, the idea is not to snack at all... but until he is at that stage, I personally find nuts and/or cheese much better than granola bars! – baba Jun 22 at 7:08
	oh, hadn't read about the no snacking...still new to the whole idea and haven't read the books with all the science yet. Purchased a book and waiting for delivery. Interesting though. – Amber Jun 22 at 13:36
	I thought cheese was not recommended though. ?? – Amber Jun 22 at 13:36
	Some do and some don't. I do, preferring aged sheep and goat cheese. But then I drink wine, too and I'm sure it's not recommended... – baba Jun 22 at 14:04

Divrgurl13 · Answer 6 · 2012-06-22 10:44:07Z UTC

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http://paleohacks.com/questions/127839/how-to-eat-paleo-and-make-the-roads-black-smooth#axzz1yM2zIbxJ

I just asked this question last week. Check out the responses I got...

answered Jun 22 at 10:44

Divrgurl13
2,548●2●6●25

EF · Answer 7 · 2012-06-22 11:13:28Z UTC

I make a big roast (following Mark Sisson's recipe for roast beef), put it in the fridge, and then I just cut off a chunk for breakfast or lunch throughout the week. It's incredibly simple and time efficient. The roast is really easy to make tastes GREAT. A chunk of roast beef coupled with some fruit is a simple, tasty and healthy meal. You can add a couple hard boiled eggs if you want a little more fat in the meal, since the roasts are usually pretty lean.

desi · Answer 8 · 2012-06-22 16:00:18Z UTC

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You can make paleo bread for sandwiches or pizza with sauce and meats and eat it cold,it won't spoil till lunch.For somebody transitioning into Paleo I think bread substitutes are OK.It keeps you full for a long time and is very easy to make

answered Jun 22 at 16:00

desi
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	I just found a paleo bread recipe last night on elanaspantry.com and was going to try that. Do you have any favorite recipes? – Amber Jun 22 at 16:41
	Elanas pantry is the site I go to.Never fails.Her stuff is delicious – desi Jun 22 at 19:00

Newbie needs lunch ideas

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