Paleolithic Diet

[BRUMI1968]

Hi. I've decided to cut out all grains and legumes for a while, to see if I feel better. I already don't eat dairy, land animals, or soy.

But...if I'm going to do this diet, I thought I would add lunch meat like organic turkey/chicken. But today at the Food Co-op I couldn't help but notice all the lunchmeat had "spices" in it. Anyone know anything about lunch meat and gluten? Anyone been on paleolithic diet or grain free diet or legume free diet and have any advice? I feel that I'm struggling with what to eat.

[Mango04]

I sometimes eat Applegate Farms organic lunch meat. It says gluten-free on the package.

[jerseyangel]

Hi--Can't help on the lunch meats, but I've cut grains and legumes (among other things--see my signature) out due to delayed food allergies. Let me know how I can help!

[corinne]

I'm on the SCD which is similar to the paleo. The applegate farms turkey (not smoked) has only turkey and salt. I also quite often boil up some chicken and use that for lunches.

[ravenwoodglass]

Hi. I've decided to cut out all grains and legumes for a while, to see if I feel better. I already don't eat dairy, land animals, or soy.

But...if I'm going to do this diet, I thought I would add lunch meat like organic turkey/chicken. But today at the Food Co-op I couldn't help but notice all the lunchmeat had "spices" in it. Anyone know anything about lunch meat and gluten? Anyone been on paleolithic diet or grain free diet or legume free diet and have any advice? I feel that I'm struggling with what to eat.

Hormel has come out with a totally gluten and preservative free line of lunch meats. They are in a brown cardboard type package and are marked gluten-free. In addition their pepperoni is also gluten-free.

[debmidge]

Please note that if you are going to eat deli meats sliced in deli or supermarket, double check that the slicer is cleaned first, otherwise it could cross contaminate your order.

[jenvan]

Hormel has come out with a totally gluten and preservative free line of lunch meats. They are in a brown cardboard type package and are marked gluten-free. In addition their pepperoni is also gluten-free.

Haven't seen these yet...sound good... They are in the regular grocery I assume?

[eKatherine]

I recommend you buy turkey breast raw and poach it to an internal temperature of 160° with an instant read thermometer if at all possible. It's much cheaper than deli meats and more reliably safe.

[Soo B]

The hormel 'Natural Choice' meats (referenced above) are excellent. They come in ham, smoked ham, honey ham, smoked turkey, regular turkey, honey turkey. They're about $3 or $4 for about a 12 oz package (I'm guessing here -- don't remember exactly). And they actually say "GLUTEN FREE" on the package. Hormel is pretty good this way. I sent them a letter thouroughly kissing their butt about this, saying that even if others jump on the gluten-free labeling bandwagon, I'd always remember that they were one of the first.

Another good option is the Wal-Mart store brand lunch meats. These also say 'GLUTEN FREE' on the package (as all wal-mart store brand stuff does now if it's gluten-free). The meat is not as good a quality as the Hormel, but it's decent and a little cheaper.

Jenny-O deli meats (made by Hormel) are mostly gluten-free (check the hormel website for a list) but as someone said, you need to worry about cross contaminaton from the meat saw.

[jenvan]

I will have to try the Hormel when I see it in the store...

I like Deli Selects--the one in the red gladware tub--very good meats, thin thin sliced.

[BRUMI1968]

I actually won't eat non-welltreated dead animals at all -- so maybe I'll find a farm near here that does turkey or chicken or something, and cook it myself. I know it may sound odd, but I think that all the negative hormones and chemicals that get released through fear and lonliness, etc. will get into the meat in some way - some energetic way - that will then get into me energetically speaking. Wow, I sound like a fruitcake. Anyway, I'll try the cooking it myself. Thanks, guys!

[Mango04]

I actually won't eat non-welltreated dead animals at all -- so maybe I'll find a farm near here that does turkey or chicken or something, and cook it myself. I know it may sound odd, but I think that all the negative hormones and chemicals that get released through fear and lonliness, etc. will get into the meat in some way - some energetic way - that will then get into me energetically speaking. Wow, I sound like a fruitcake. Anyway, I'll try the cooking it myself. Thanks, guys!

That's really interesting. I only like to eat well-treated animals too, but I never exactly thought about it in terms of energy.

[Nancym]

Ok, remind me not to try to serve you Pate fois gras.

Actually, this reminds me of a story about my brother. He and his wife raised a turkey and they didn't quite have the necessary brutality to kill it in the usual manner (whatever that is), so they gave it choloroform.

Unfortunately it tainted the meat and rendered it inedible.

[BRUMI1968]

Yeah, my hubby and I are interested in being subsistence farmers (though, that doesn't make it sound as nice as I imagine it could be to take care of critters and grow your own food), but neither of us can imagine raising an animal to slaughter it. We figure he can't hunt wild fowl and fish...I don't know why fish don't seem like animals to me - I know they are - but I eat enough salmon to choke a horse.

Does anyone else wonder why we eat salmon when many types are endangered? We don't go around eating panda bears do we? (we don't, right?)

That's really interesting. I only like to eat well-treated animals too, but I never exactly thought about it in terms of energy.

Oh yeah, this reminds me of the book "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie. It's his best book by far - and absolutely wonderful awesome book. Anyhow, this woman who makes chutney is a very bitter angry woman, and her chutney always tastes bitter. It is true, in east-Indian life, the mood of the chef is important to the food, and the life of the animal as well. Of course, LOTS of folks in India are vegetarian.

I wonder if I should start making sure my veggies are treated properly, not stepped on or talked bad to...and the moods of the folks picking them. Hmmmmm...

[mart]

lol, you guys are hilarious. I love living creatures so much, I thought I was alone in this. If I'd have to hunt for my food, I'd surely starve! I always think I'll end up vegetarian, but I'm already 40. When does one "end up?"

[BRUMI1968]

I became "one who does not eat land animals" about 15 years ago. To be honest, I think it all started with these phenomenally expensive chicken shwarma sandwiches I was eating. I was addicted. So I just quit eating animals. I mean, I also care about the health benefits - but even more care about the economics of eating meat - it is seriously a very big bad deal in this country, the way we raise meat for the supermarket. It is shocking just the amount of water it takes to grow up one cow to become a burger. Anyway, that's how I 'became', though I know lots of folks who 'became' in other ways. One 12 year old I know went to Mexico and saw all the dead chickens and stuff hanging upside down in the market - hasn't touched meat since, and is 18 now.

[Green12]

Please note that if you are going to eat deli meats sliced in deli or supermarket, double check that the slicer is cleaned first, otherwise it could cross contaminate your order.

Even if the slicer is cleaned is it a huge risk to get deli meat from the deli sliced in the slicer?

[Mango04]

Even if the slicer is cleaned is it a huge risk to get deli meat from the deli sliced in the slicer?

I used to work in a deli. It was a really upscale deli too. The slicers were disgusting. We had like one rag we would use to wipe each one down with, so the rag was contaminated, and I definitely don't think they got cleaned between each order. It would just kinda go from roast beef to cheese to turkey. yuck. I don't know if that's how it is everywhere though.

[lindalee]

I used to work in a deli. It was a really upscale deli too. The slicers were disgusting. We had like one rag we would use to wipe each one down with, so the rag was contaminated, and I definitely don't think they got cleaned between each order. It would just kinda go from roast beef to cheese to turkey. yuck. I don't know if that's how it is everywhere though.

Mango, I am glad you shared that. Another good reason to cook our own. Actually the only lunchmeat I ever bought was that genoa salami. It is packaged full of preservatives but so good in salads. Wonder if that is gluten-free?

[Green12]

I used to work in a deli. It was a really upscale deli too. The slicers were disgusting. We had like one rag we would use to wipe each one down with, so the rag was contaminated, and I definitely don't think they got cleaned between each order. It would just kinda go from roast beef to cheese to turkey. yuck. I don't know if that's how it is everywhere though.

Yuck is right Mango. No thanks for sharing

Is the general consensus stay away from deli meat that is sliced in the slicer? Is the packaged stuff any better? I am concerned about additives and I got really excited when the turkey at my Wild Oats only had water and salt, NO carageenan.

[debmidge]

From what i've heard, if you are friendly with a small deli and they are agreeable to clean their slicer thoroughly before they slice your selections, and I mean clean it with a clean "rag" then there shouldn't be a cross contam problem. Sometimes when you're the first customer of the day and they have cleaned their slicer with a clean sponge/rag you'll be in luck.

I've never had a relationship with a deli dept. to be able to do this. Delis around me are always busy

[kbtoyssni]

Oscar Meyer (owned by Kraft) lunch meat is gluten-free. Some of their meats have caramel color, but I called a few weeks ago and was told all their meats were gluten-free.

[Green12]

From what i've heard, if you are friendly with a small deli and they are agreeable to clean their slicer thoroughly before they slice your selections, and I mean clean it with a clean "rag" then there shouldn't be a cross contam problem. Sometimes when you're the first customer of the day and they have cleaned their slicer with a clean sponge/rag you'll be in luck.

I've never had a relationship with a deli dept. to be able to do this. Delis around me are always busy

Thanks debmidge for your perspective

And thanks kbtoyssni for the info about the Oscar Meyer Meats

[AndreaB]

Applegate farms is hormone, antibiotic free. I don't think they are organic but I think they are natural. We buy their stuff. I'll have to look into that. We are picky about the meat being natural or organic and preferrably free range.

[Green12]

Applegate farms is hormone, antibiotic free. I don't think they are organic but I think they are natural. We buy their stuff. I'll have to look into that. We are picky about the meat being natural or organic and preferrably free range.

Andrea,

I have seen the Applegate packaged slices before, I think I might have even tried it before a long time ago. I don't like the packages stuff as well as the stuff you get sliced in the deli or the real thing. I guess I am picky when it comes to that.