Going The Primal Route....

[AmyNColorado]

Does anyone else feel like they eat ALOT compared to others? I think its maybe my activity level but I feel like my plates of veggies are huge!! I don't mind at all but people look at me funny sometimes!

[eatmeat4good]

Paleo/primal sure sounds interesting, although right now I am starting on the Eat-Clean diet, which allows some grains and starchy carbs.

Can any of you share what you eat in a day, ie. your menu plan? I'm curious how people apply this to their real lives. Thanks in advance!

Breakfast is bacon and eggs or steak and eggs or just steak. Unless I have no time...then it's last night's leftover meat and veg.

Lunch is Roasted Turkey Breast or Roast chicken. With a salad if I feel like it.

Dinner is a big serving of cooked veggies and usually Steak, Roast Beef, Chicken, or Turkey.

We always keep a pizza made with meat for the crust rolled out thin like dough and baked then loaded with tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, veggies, mushrooms and more cheese. Then we nuke a slice for a snack.

The menu doesn't change much but we don't get tired of it either.

[eatmeat4good]

Does anyone else feel like they eat ALOT compared to others? I think its maybe my activity level but I feel like my plates of veggies are huge!! I don't mind at all but people look at me funny sometimes!

I eat way more than I used to that is for sure! I do believe I could eat a whole chicken by myself without too much work! :lol:

[ChristineWas]

Can any of you share what you eat in a day, ie. your menu plan?

Breakfast: This meal is tricky, because I can't handle eggs right now and vegetables are hard to eat in the morning when they aren't in an omlet or other egg dish. Our normal breakfast is...

- 1.5-2 high quality chicken sausages (no nitrates, no sweeteners except a little fruit juice, etc.)

- blueberries and pecans

- whatever vegetable I can make myself eat in the morning

Lunch: leftovers or...

- burger (just the meat) or chicken

- salad (we prepare a huge salad every few days to use for meals) or cooked vegetables

Dinner: we are currently experimenting with various paleo recipes that incorporate meat and a lot of vegetables. My current favorite is spaghetti squash with a homemade meaty, vegetable-loaded marinara sauce. We've also been eating slow cooker recipes that involve plenty of meat and vegetables.

Does anyone else feel like they eat ALOT compared to others?

Definitely.

[LauraB0927]

Paleo/primal sure sounds interesting, although right now I am starting on the Eat-Clean diet, which allows some grains and starchy carbs.

Can any of you share what you eat in a day, ie. your menu plan? I'm curious how people apply this to their real lives. Thanks in advance!

For breakfast I make this incredibly yummy crust-less quiche that consists of eggs, cheese, canadian bacon, and spinach cooked in olive oil. I'll make a huge tin of it on a Sunday (takes no more than 30 mins to make) and then I take pieces to eat at work all though the week. Or I'll make a batch of hard boiled eggs, bring a few of those, a cheese stick and eat that. Some apples and almond butter makes a great snack too...

For lunch I'm always having leftovers from dinner the night before. Or I'll cook half of a ham steak and bring that in to work. But I'll also bring baby carrots with hummus, or bell peppers to snack on..tuna makes a good lunch for me too

I try to rotate dinners now as much as possible so I dont get sick of it. I will have any of the following -

Grilled chicken

Grass-fed steak

Pork Loin with sauerkraut (not sure if sauerkraut is completely primal, but I figured its cabbage so it cant be that bad and I need those bacteria to help digest food)

Since I have a little bit of a hard time with veggies, I boil cauliflower and then whip it in a food processor - I'll add garlic and butter to make a replacement of mashed potatoes

Baby arugula salad

Since I dont have a huge palate for veggies it does get a bit boring at times, but feeling much better combined with losing weight keeps me so motivated!!! How is the Eat Clean diet??

[Darn210]

We always keep a pizza made with meat for the crust rolled out thin like dough and baked then loaded with tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, veggies, mushrooms and more cheese. Then we nuke a slice for a snack.

OK . . . I read this yesterday and I've been thinking about it all day long and I just have to ask . . . "meat for the crust"?? Such as? I'm envisioning flattened/pounded chicken breast or ground beef pressed into the bottom of the pan . . . what do you do exactly, here?

Gives new meaning to a "meat lover's pizza", huh?

[gatita]

For breakfast I make this incredibly yummy crust-less quiche that consists of eggs, cheese, canadian bacon, and spinach cooked in olive oil. I'll make a huge tin of it on a Sunday (takes no more than 30 mins to make) and then I take pieces to eat at work all though the week. Or I'll make a batch of hard boiled eggs, bring a few of those, a cheese stick and eat that. Some apples and almond butter makes a great snack too...

For lunch I'm always having leftovers from dinner the night before. Or I'll cook half of a ham steak and bring that in to work. But I'll also bring baby carrots with hummus, or bell peppers to snack on..tuna makes a good lunch for me too

I try to rotate dinners now as much as possible so I dont get sick of it. I will have any of the following -

Grilled chicken

Grass-fed steak

Pork Loin with sauerkraut (not sure if sauerkraut is completely primal, but I figured its cabbage so it cant be that bad and I need those bacteria to help digest food)

Since I have a little bit of a hard time with veggies, I boil cauliflower and then whip it in a food processor - I'll add garlic and butter to make a replacement of mashed potatoes

Baby arugula salad

Since I dont have a huge palate for veggies it does get a bit boring at times, but feeling much better combined with losing weight keeps me so motivated!!! How is the Eat Clean diet??

Thanks everyone for your replies, they give me lots of ideas!

I'm liking Eat-Clean so far, in some ways it's not that different except you can have 2-4 servings of grains if you want, so I do have some corn tortillas, quinoa, or brown rice. It's heavy on the veggies, fruit and nuts, with very little dairy.

Basically you combine lean protein with complex carbs (mostly veggies, some fruit or grains) every time you eat.

[jerseyangel]

OK . . . I read this yesterday and I've been thinking about it all day long and I just have to ask . . . "meat for the crust"?? Such as? I'm envisioning flattened/pounded chicken breast or ground beef pressed into the bottom of the pan . . . what do you do exactly, here?

Gives new meaning to a "meat lover's pizza", huh?

When I was still healing I was off grains for a while. I (and still do sometimes because we like the taste) would make pizza with a meat crust, or a zucchini crust.

For the meat crust, I would use ground beef and mix with shredded mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper. Press it onto a pizza pan (should be on the thin side) and bake until browned. Pour off any grease and top as you like and put back in the oven until done.

For the zucchini, the same idea. Shredded zucchini (squeeze out moisture well), shredded cheese, an egg or 2, salt and pepper. Spread onto the bottom of a pizza pan and bake for 20 minutes, add toppings and bake another 30 minutes.

[Lisa]

When I was still healing I was off grains for a while. I (and still do sometimes because we like the taste) would make pizza with a meat crust, or a zucchini crust.

For the meat crust, I would use ground beef and mix with shredded mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper. Press it onto a pizza pan (should be on the thin side) and bake until browned. Pour off any grease and top as you like and put back in the oven until done.

For the zucchini, the same idea. Shredded zucchini (squeeze out moisture well), shredded cheese, an egg or 2, salt and pepper. Spread onto the bottom of a pizza pan and bake for 20 minutes, add toppings and bake another 30 minutes.

That sounds wonderful Patti!

[jerseyangel]

That sounds wonderful Patti!

The zucchini one, especially, Lisa. I now make it extra thick in a 13x9" pan, load it up with sausage, olives, more cheese, pepperoni, etc. and we just call it "Pizza Casserole".

Both of them are very forgiving and you can play with them to suit your taste.

[eatmeat4good]

OK . . . I read this yesterday and I've been thinking about it all day long and I just have to ask . . . "meat for the crust"?? Such as? I'm envisioning flattened/pounded chicken breast or ground beef pressed into the bottom of the pan . . . what do you do exactly, here?

Gives new meaning to a "meat lover's pizza", huh?

Haha!

I just saw this!

I forgot to say ground beef!

I roll it as thin as I can in a ziplock bag and freeze it then bake it off as a crust as we need it.

Yum!

[eatmeat4good]

When I was still healing I was off grains for a while. I (and still do sometimes because we like the taste) would make pizza with a meat crust, or a zucchini crust.

For the meat crust, I would use ground beef and mix with shredded mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper. Press it onto a pizza pan (should be on the thin side) and bake until browned. Pour off any grease and top as you like and put back in the oven until done.

For the zucchini, the same idea. Shredded zucchini (squeeze out moisture well), shredded cheese, an egg or 2, salt and pepper. Spread onto the bottom of a pizza pan and bake for 20 minutes, add toppings and bake another 30 minutes.

Oh my god! That sounds way better than my crust!

I'm trying this one! Thanks!

[jerseyangel]

T-- I think you will like it. The leftovers are even better:)

[LauraB0927]

When I was still healing I was off grains for a while. I (and still do sometimes because we like the taste) would make pizza with a meat crust, or a zucchini crust.

For the meat crust, I would use ground beef and mix with shredded mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper. Press it onto a pizza pan (should be on the thin side) and bake until browned. Pour off any grease and top as you like and put back in the oven until done.

For the zucchini, the same idea. Shredded zucchini (squeeze out moisture well), shredded cheese, an egg or 2, salt and pepper. Spread onto the bottom of a pizza pan and bake for 20 minutes, add toppings and bake another 30 minutes.

I think I'm stealing this recipe too!!!! Sounds delicious!!! Thanks!!!

[Lisa]

The zucchini one, especially, Lisa. I now make it extra thick in a 13x9" pan, load it up with sausage, olives, more cheese, pepperoni, etc. and we just call it "Pizza Casserole".

Both of them are very forgiving and you can play with them to suit your taste.

YUM!

[luvrdeo]

How do you survive with no carbs? And is that healthy?! I think I'd go crazy!

[eatmeat4good]

How do you survive with no carbs? And is that healthy?! I think I'd go crazy!

It's very healthy. There are plenty of carbs in vegetables and fruits. It's not a total carnivore diet, we do eat nuts, fruits and vegetables, and good fats. From my experience when I don't get enough protein I crave grain carbs bad..and when I eat grain carbs ...I crave them even more. What you are saying is a very common reaction for people to have before they understand the Paleo/Primal way of eating for health. There is a big difference between carbs from fruits and vegetables and carbs from grains.

[srall]

I mean to go back and read everyone's responses when I have some more time. I'm a huge fan of paleo/primal. I'm actually probably a little more on the primal side. I'm not super strict. I've mostly used paleo when I feel like I need to reset the system and recharge so I'll eat paleo for 30 days. I'm in the middle of a paleo 30 day diet right now and honestly I feel like superwoman. I need to stay on this diet forever. I've been doing lots of yoga and being strict with my diet and my body is transforming daily. It's amazing (I'm 44 btw). Last night I was in a huge rush and ate a big bowl of rice and beans and felt like a gluten reaction for about an hour. Today I was crashed and took a two hour nap. I think it makes a HUGE difference in energy levels, how you feel mentally and how you look physically. I plan to just stay on this diet forever.

[luvrdeo]

It's very healthy. There are plenty of carbs in vegetables and fruits. It's not a total carnivore diet, we do eat nuts, fruits and vegetables, and good fats. From my experience when I don't get enough protein I crave grain carbs bad..and when I eat grain carbs ...I crave them even more. What you are saying is a very common reaction for people to have before they understand the Paleo/Primal way of eating for health. There is a big difference between carbs from fruits and vegetables and carbs from grains.

Oh I know vegetables and fruits have plenty of carbs in a different way, I just didn't know how healthy it was to eliminate the grains and what not. My personal trainer has always told me that's a big no-no! I've still thought about trying though as I am feeling quite crappy having gone gluten free This was interesting to read and almost has me convinved!!

[eatmeat4good]

Yeah conventional wisdom isn't with us yet. It's still SAD (Standard American Diet) that has people believing they can't survive without grain. I know the drill -plenty of whole grains. Yeah,um... not for all of us. I feel like crap on plenty of whole grains and I need naps too. Tell your personal trainer to check out Mark's Daily Apple and you will see many who are not Celiac eat this way too. Some fitness trainers and coaches are starting to tell their athletes not to eat grain and especially not gluten grains.

My son is in wrestling but his coach still tells the kids to eat plenty of whole grains. My son can't because I cook Paleo and have for almost a year now. I told him if he wanted to eat grains he has to get his own job because I won't waste my money on them except for treats. I do allow chocolate for the indulgences and a rare loaf of gluten free bread for a splurge and he gets to eat rice once in a while, but no way would we be eating them every day...or even every week.

Guess what happened? This year my son's muscle mass has grown tremendously and his strength has increased so much that he is now at the front of the pack when they are working out and running. That never happened before he went Paleo (not by his choice). He has a perfect male physique now and admires himself in the mirror. He is absolutely shocked at the change. He still "doesn't believe" in the Paleo diet...and he still wants to believe what the coach tells them, but he can't argue with the results he is getting. I'm the cook round here...so he thrives on it anyway! I just tell him it works whether you believe in it or not.

[pricklypear1971]

Yeah conventional wisdom isn't with us yet. It's still SAD (Standard American Diet) that has people believing they can't survive without grain. I know the drill -plenty of whole grains. Yeah,um... not for all of us. I feel like crap on plenty of whole grains and I need naps too. Tell your personal trainer to check out Mark's Daily Apple and you will see many who are not Celiac eat this way too. Some fitness trainers and coaches are starting to tell their athletes not to eat grain and especially not gluten grains.

My son is in wrestling but his coach still tells the kids to eat plenty of whole grains. My son can't because I cook Paleo and have for almost a year now. I told him if he wanted to eat grains he has to get his own job because I won't waste my money on them except for treats. I do allow chocolate for the indulgences and a rare loaf of gluten free bread for a splurge and he gets to eat rice once in a while, but no way would we be eating them every day...or even every week.

Guess what happened? This year my son's muscle mass has grown tremendously and his strength has increased so much that he is now at the front of the pack when they are working out and running. That never happened before he went Paleo (not by his choice). He has a perfect male physique now and admires himself in the mirror. He is absolutely shocked at the change. He still "doesn't believe" in the Paleo diet...and he still wants to believe what the coach tells them, but he can't argue with the results he is getting. I'm the cook round here...so he thrives on it anyway! I just tell him it works whether you believe in it or not.

Funny enough, while I make no claims to primal/paleo I eat few grains (except when I hit the Tostitos crack)...I've found I highly prefer baking (when I do it anymore) with coconut flour and almond flour. Or no flour (chocolate needs no help).

My main grain consumption was in sweets...and now that I've changed those...I rarely eat grains. And I don't miss them. Come to think of it, I had to force myself to eat most of them before gluten-free...wonder if my body's way of discouraging gluten was to not develop a taste for grains?

[LauraB0927]

Oh I know vegetables and fruits have plenty of carbs in a different way, I just didn't know how healthy it was to eliminate the grains and what not. My personal trainer has always told me that's a big no-no! I've still thought about trying though as I am feeling quite crappy having gone gluten free This was interesting to read and almost has me convinved!!

I thought I needed carbs too (and I loved them so much) but I cant tell you how much better I feel when I dont have them in my system. I was feeling so crappy after about 2 months of going gluten free and its amazing to go more than several hours without a gurgle or cramp or gas. My family saw how much better I was doing and started Primal themselves. If you're almost convinced, I'd say give it a try!!!

[ChristineWas]

I cant tell you how much better I feel when I dont have them in my system. I was feeling so crappy after about 2 months of going gluten free and its amazing to go more than several hours without a gurgle or cramp or gas.

This has been my experience, as well. I haven't been off grains for long, but I have felt MUCH better without them.

[luvrdeo]

I thought I needed carbs too (and I loved them so much) but I cant tell you how much better I feel when I dont have them in my system. I was feeling so crappy after about 2 months of going gluten free and its amazing to go more than several hours without a gurgle or cramp or gas. My family saw how much better I was doing and started Primal themselves. If you're almost convinced, I'd say give it a try!!!

Well after my weekend of barely being able to get off the couch from being so sick, I will probably be headed that direction asap!!

[LauraB0927]

Well after my weekend of barely being able to get off the couch from being so sick, I will probably be headed that direction asap!!

It definitely makes you feel "lighter" if that makes sense. I didnt feel weighed down like I did after eating a bowl of brown rice or rice pasta. I hope it works for you! Let us know how you're doing and if it helps!!!