Well, let me first tell you that no, you don’t have to eat raw meat.

I personally had no clue what Paleo even was before I started researching it. However, my attitude toward it drastically changed as I realized all it requires. While I’m not ready by any means to jump in and become a full fledge Paleo dieter (I’d have to give up my addiction to cheese, peanut butter, brownies, ice cream, and well…sweets), I do feel a desire to be a bit more conscious about what I put into my body.

Hopefully after reading this, you can nod along with your friends and actually understand what they mean when they say, “I’m going Paelo.” Whether or not you decide to join them is your choice.

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So What Is The Paleo Diet?

To put it simply, the Paleo diet includes eating foods that our hunter gatherer ancestors who lived in the Paleolithic era consumed. It’s all about taking it back to the basics.

According to Wikipedia, the main concepts of this diet have been around for some time (well obviously back to the stone age!), but it was Loren Cordain, Ph.D., who started the Paleo movement and popularized the diet with his published book, The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy By Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat.

Many athletes stick to this diet and it is even sometimes called the CrossFit diet. There are also many with Celiac Disease or a gluten allergy who prefer to eat Paleo. Others choose to go Paleo because of the health benefits associated with the diet.

Paleo followers may enjoy some of these health benefits:

• Weight loss
• Improvement in mental outlook
• Better cardiovascular and metabolic health
• More energy and better sleep

Other health benefits can be found here. The ultimate purpose of the Paleo diet is to enjoy a healthier, longer life.

However, there is the risk of calcium and vitamin D deficiency, as well as, a risk of toxins from consuming too much fish. Most people report experiencing a period of feeling sick for the first couple of weeks as their body adjusts to a new diet, but sometimes it is just a couple days.

So when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of it all, what can and can’t you eat? Now, not all experts agree on the same guidelines of what qualifies as Paleo and what doesn’t, but here is the general consensus from my research.

What Can You Eat?

Following this hunter-gather-diet can be a bit expensive – both in the money and time department. It takes planning, dedication, and creativity! So what’s ok to have on your Paleo menu?

• Lean meat
• Seafood
• Eggs
• Fruit
• Vegetables (non-starchy and roots)
• Nuts
• Seeds

Just so you could get a taste of what to expect in a day, I included this awesome example for a Paleo-delicious meal plan curtious of the folks over at Paleo Plan.

Breakfast
-Eggs, sausage, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and kale
-Sauteed and scrambled in coconut oil
-Avocado to top it off

Lunch
-Tossed green salad with tons of veggies (spinach, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.)
-Grilled chicken/beef/pork
-Olive oil, herb, and lemon juice dressing
-Cantaloupe, blackberries, and pecans

Snack
Leftover baked salmon and red peppers

Dinner
-Venison steak
-Steamed summer squash with lemon juice, coconut milk, and cinnamon
-Sauteed asparagus 

Dessert
-1 or 2 dates

Now, whether you are for or against diets similar to the Paleo diet, you have to give props to those who do follow them. It takes a lot of planning and preparation.

If you want to try some other great Paleo dishes, click on these recipes below.

*Disclaimer: There are some ingredients found in these recipes that don’t fully qualify as Paleo. So you can either take them out, find a replacement, or use them as part of your transitional recipe stage!

Baked Egg Tomato Cups

Roasted Squash Tacos

What Should You Avoid Eating?

Because the basic pretense of the Paleo diet originates from our great great great great great…well you get the picture…great ancestors in the Paleolithic era and what they would have eaten, there are quite a few foods we eat without thinking that are off limits.

So here is the low down on the no-nos:

• Grains
• Cereals
• Legumes
• Dairy products
• Processed foods
• Refined sugars

Obviously, this is a lot to cut out of your diet immediately. Those over at CrossFit Paradox explain nicely the idea behind this type of eating,

“It causes you to burn fat for fuel decreasing body fat, avoids storing excess glucose as fat, helps maintain hormonal balance and decreases inflammation in the body.”

So if you are trying to decide if this diet is for you, I’d highly recommend doing your own research before jumping on the Paleo bandwagon. I particularly loved reading about people’s experiences! Here is one of my favorite articles I found from Women’s Health Magazine, 7 Things No One Tells You About Going Paleo.

So now can you answer the question, “What is the Paleo diet?” Hopefully! I know I understand it a whole lot better! At least now I know what I could cook for my friends and family who are following the diet.

The Paleo diet is similar to clean eating. To learn more about the clean eating and how it differs from the Paleo diet click here.

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Hi, my name is Jen from Bakerette and I’m currently crushing on this Quinoa Salad that is packed with lots of healthy ingredients so you can eat it without the guilt.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, and Cucumber

Eat this Quinoa Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, and Cucumber without the guilt. A powerhouse salad that is utterly delicious and nutritious.

Quinoa is a super food! It is packed with B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, vitamin E, fiber, and all essential amino acids making it a complete protein. I’m sure there are so many other nutrients packed into this powerhouse grain that I’m not aware of.

First, this tabouleh-like salad is simmered in orange juice giving it a hint of citrus. The taste is awesome!

Second, it has roasted red peppers! Have you had roasted red peppers? Incredibly delicious as they cook under a broiler until blistered and charred. The flavors are completely and utterly revealed when roasted.

Thirdly, add tomatoes, cucumber, tofu, mint, basil, and if desired, pine nuts for a crunchy texture. Serve it over a bed of spinach. You’ll love it!

This quinoa salad is:

Moist

Delicious

Satisfying

Filling

Crunchy

Nutritious

Very high in magnesium

Very high in phosphorous

Very high in vitamin B6

Very high in vitamin C

Very high in iron

Very high in fiber

Has no cholesterol

High in protein

If you like this Quinoa Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, and Cucumber, you will love these other salads at Bakerette.com

Try this Couscous Tabouleh Salad

Or how about this perfect summer salad: Italian Pasta with Vinaigrette Dressing

Enjoy your salad and I’ll see you around at Bakerette!

xoxo Jen

Print

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Peppers, Tomatoes and Cucumber

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10

Calories 279kcal

Author Bakerette.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups quinoa rinsed and drained
• 2 cups fresh orange juice
• 2 cups water
• Generous pinch of salt
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup pine nuts optional
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 medium cucumber peeled, halved, seeded and finely diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes whole or halved
• 1/4 cup finely chopped basil
• 6 to 8 ounces tofu drained, pressed, and cubed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Spinach optional

Instructions

• Over medium heat, warm olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add quinoa and stir constantly until quinoa is lightly brown (about 4 minutes). Increase heat to medium high, stir in orange juice, water, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes).
• Fluff quinoa with a fork and spread over a baking sheet to cool.
• Place whole red bell peppers on a baking sheet under the broiler on high, turning occasionally until bell peppers' skin blisters and turns black. Remove from oven and immediately cover with foil tightly. Set aside for 30 minutes or until peppers are cool enough to handle. Remove stems and slice into quarters. Remove peels and seeds and discard.
• If adding pine nuts, toast pine nuts in a medium skillet over medium heat stirring occasionally until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a plate to cool
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil and vinegar. Transfer quinoa, peppers, pine nuts, cucumber, tomato, basil, mint and tofu and toss until thoroughly combined. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve over a bed of spinach.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 279kcal | Protein: 8.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Sugar: 7g

Jen

Sole Proprietor, Bakerette.com

Connect With Me:
Bakerette.com | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | StumbleUpon

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I’m not the kind of person that enjoys spending all morning making breakfast just for it to be devoured in a matter of minutes. I’d rather cook once and eat for a week.

You don’t need me to explain the convenience of cereal to you. We all know it’s fast, delicious, and the kids love it! So today I thought I’d share with you a healthy alternative to everyone’s favorite breakfast.

The things you’ll need to make this Cinnamon Blueberry Almond Granola Cereal are:

• Old-fashioned oats
• Slivered or chopped almonds
• Ground cinnamon
• Flax seeds
• Maple syrup
• Coconut oil
• Vanilla extract
• Freeze-dried or dried blueberries

Super simple, healthy ingredients. Check.

I’m not even kidding you guys, this is one of the simplest recipes ever. It only takes a couple of minutes to mix all of the ingredients together and then you just pop it in the oven, stirring halfway through baking and boom! You’ve got yourself some of the tastiest granola cereal ever.

You can use either freeze-dried blueberries or dried blueberries for this Cinnamon Blueberry Almond Granola. I chose to use freeze-dried, simply because that’s all I had. Although I imagine it would taste just as amazing with regular dried blueberries.

If you’re not a fan of almonds, feel free to switch it up and use the nut of your choice. Pecans or walnuts would make a great substitute.

This cinnamon blueberry almond granola cereal is toddler approved. Ahem, pickiest-toddler-in-the-world approved.

So, I mean if that doesn’t tell ya you need to make this simple recipe ASAP, I don’t know what will…

Sweet, nutty, toasty granola in less than an hour. Trust me when I say you need to add this to your breakfast rotation.

Here’s the recipe for the best Cinnamon Blueberry Almond Granola Cereal you will taste!

Print

Cinnamon Blueberry Almond Granola Cereal

Author Margaret Anne @ Natural Chow

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon golden flax seeds
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup freeze-dried blueberries or dried blueberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, cinnamon, and flax seeds and stir. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to combine.
• Spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let cool completely before serving or storing. Store granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three weeks.

Looking for more granola inspiration?

Skinny Dark Chocolate Chia Granola

Cardamom Almond Coconut Granola Cereal

The post Cinnamon Blueberry Almond Granola Cereal appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.