Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I have been looking to start on the Paleo diet, but have run into some problems, as I am a college student living in the dorms here at K-State and have to eat at the dining halls here, since I don't have a kitchen to make my own food in. Most of the food they serve here is processed and full of grease, not to mention carb-heavy. Here's the site where they post our daily menus:

http://housing.k-state.edu/dining/derbymenu.php

Can anyone suggest some ways I can cheaply supplement this food, or better yet a way I can make the food they serve into a more Paleo-like diet?

flag	asked Sep 6 2010 at 20:16 Ryan 21●3

I feel for you, that's a painful menu. – Stephen-Aegis Sep 6 2010 at 20:20

Bread-Eating Beelzebub · Answer 1 · 2010-09-06 20:27:21Z UTC

Yeah, my sister is in the same situation. It sucks, but don't do what she did. She just gave up and went vegetarian. Wrong.

Factory farmed meat is still better than tofu. Try to chose beef and lamb since these are the least affected by factory farming. Hit up the salad bar often. Don't be afraid to have weird meals like some cold cuts + salad or bunless burgers. Supplement with fish oil and possibly K to make up for the bad food quality.

Also beware of hidden carbs/gluten. Those meatballs look mighty tasty, but I'm betting they contain bread. Fried stuff often also has gluten. If I had to eat dinner there tonight, I'd probably have a burger or two, throw out the bun, steamed carrots, and a salad.

If you are working out, don't hesitate to eat something like a baked potato afterwards.

Stephen-Aegis · Answer 2 · 2010-09-06 20:21:23Z UTC

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I'd get a camp stove and a small room fridge, that menu is painful.

answered Sep 6 2010 at 20:21

Stephen-Aegis
24k●2●33●106

	I do have a very small fridge. What food items would you recommend I use to maximize the little space I have in the fridge? – Ryan Sep 6 2010 at 21:52
	You could fill your fridge with ground beef or other cheap meats and maybe some cream,strained yogurt and/or butter. Eggs and hard cheese do not have to be refrigerated so you could store some of those in your room. Veggies don't have to be fridged if you eat them pretty quickly. You could absolutely eat healthy in your dorm room with a camp stove. Good Luck! – Hannah Sep 6 2010 at 23:13
	Check on the rules for a camp stove or heating plate in your room first. – ScottMGS Sep 7 2010 at 5:11
	If you're not allowed a camping stove, other items you can consider getting are a crockpot, electric wok, or an electric griddle. – Kat Sep 8 2010 at 16:15

Shweta · Answer 3 · 2010-09-06 21:13:53Z UTC

Canned fish (my favorite are kippers) serve as cheap, convenient, paleo-friendly snacks. Also,keep some almond / cashew butter on hand. Nuts and dried fruits like walnuts, almonds, dried blueberries, cherries are things you can store easily in your dorm room.

If you have a microwave in your room / suite and can make it to the grocery store once in a while, you can steam vegetables like broccoli, green beans, carrots, etc. Just sprinkle some salt over the vegetables and steam for 3-4 minutes in the microwave (covered). Once steamed, squeeze a lemon over it.

Eva · Answer 4 · 2010-09-08 00:38:27Z UTC

You are not going to get 100% paleo from a cafeteria menu, but there are still plenty of comparatively healthier choices. Breakfast has bacon and eggs or sausage. Or you could eat some fruit or a grapefruit. The rest of the meals usually have salad bar with some meat choices. Sure, the dressing might have some canola oil in it, or you could put some cheese on instead. For pizza, I just eat the tops but leave behind the dough. For hamburgers, I eat the middle but fling the bun. For tacos, I eat the middle parts but forgo the shell. For spaghetti, ask for meat sauce and cheese and nuke that cheese to melt in the micro. Skip the pasta part. YOu have options. Then have paleo friendly snacks in the dorm, nuts, beef jerky, cheese, fruit, etc. Like I said, you may intake a few PUFAs here and there, but overall, you can still find plenty of mostly meat and veggies and minimally crap foods and still be eating much healthier than 99% of your peers. Your mother won't be there to slap your hand if you chuck the less healthy parts or scrap off the breading from your meat before you eat it. Starting so young, you'll be in much better shape than most of us as you age.

Amy · Answer 5 · 2010-09-07 15:52:41Z UTC

I specifically got a job working at Whole Foods 5 minutes away from my campus to avoid the difficulties faced with the campus meals. Not only is there an abundance of gluten found in most cafeteria prepared foods,, I found out my favorite omelet making station in the dining commons uses the non-stick spray that is pretty much a trio of canola, vegetable, and soy oils. BUT if you can seek out your off campus opportunities. Based on your budget and availability, Stop n' Shop has the pea pod grocery delivery system which saved me until I was able to bring my car to campus in having clean foods delivered to my dorm. All you need to do is keep that mini fridge in tip-top condition! :)

College Cafeteria Paleo?

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