As you start to plan for your Paleo success this week, be mindful what you have available in your fridge. Let’s breakdown the hallmarks of what should be available to ensure that you are adherent and avoid the temptation to stray for your new healthy eating habits. So what’s in our fridge you ask? See below.
Protein
You don’t want to have a meal without some protein to satisfy your hunger and keep you satiated to your next meal. In the fridge today are the following protein sources:
- Eggs (Both Raw and Hardboiled)
- Rotisserie Chicken/Chicken Breasts
- Pre-made Chicken Salad
- Sausage (Lamb without preservatives or sugar)
- Crabmeat
- Scallops
- Salmon and Halibut (Frozen in the freezer)
Carbohydrates
Fruits and vegetables are wonderfully nutritious especially when compared to grains and legumes. Instead of getting “empty” calories, the fridge is stocked full of nutritious fruits and vegetables. Here are a few examples:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Apples
- Broccoli
- Broccolini
- Mixed Greens Salad Mix
- Bell Peppers
- Red and Yellow Onions
- Cilantro
- Jalapenos
- Lemons/Lime
Fats
As you shift your primary fuel sources from carbohydrate to fat/protein, you learn how to efficiently use good dietary fats for energy. Some of the fats aren’t in the fridge, but here’s a profile of what’s in there and a few things in the pantry:
- Grass fed Pastured Butter/Ghee
- Bacon
- Avocados
- Coconut Milk/Cream
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Almond Butter
- Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, and Pecans)
Drinks
You might think that all we are going to recommend is water, right? You really just need to make sure that whatever you are drinking doesn’t have added sugar or artificial sugar. Well, let’s have a little bit of fun with our beverages.
- Unsweetened Tea (Green, Oolong, or Black)
- Water (Bottled, Filtered, Tap, etc)
- Coconut Water (use sparingly Post Workout, read ingredients to make sure no added sugar)
- Seltzer/Club Soda
- Coffee (don’t get crazy and add a bunch of cream/sugar…try not to over consume)
That about wraps it up. The easiest way that we’ve found to make sure your fridge is stocked is to setup a weekly delivery with FreshDirect. That way, you are never worried that you might not have Paleo-friendly foods available.
How do you plan for the week??? Post to comments.
I get all my veggies through a CSA. I generally get a list on Monday of what will be in the CSA box, which I pick up on Tuesday. I try to plan meals that will incorporate the veggies I’m getting in the box, then I shop for the meat/fish I need to cook those meals. I make the harder meals when I have extra time, and try to save one or two easy recipes for nights I won’t have as much time. For breakfast and lunch, I generally eat whatever’s leftover from the past few nights’ dinners, but I mix up the sides so that I don’t get (too) tired of eating Sunday’s dinner all week.
The other thing I like to do is make egg “muffins” on the weekend that are good, easy-to-travel meal or snack for during the week. Line a muffin pan with muffin papers (or use those fancy silicone cups). Saute some veggies, or use some leftovers, and put them in the muffin tins. You can add some meat, too. Whisk some eggs with a splash of coconut milk, and pour them into the muffin cups. Push the meat/veggies down into the eggs and bake for 25 minutes or so at 350. I eat them right out of the fridge, but you could also probably heat them in the microwave for a few secs.
I brought everything to work with me that I was going to eat for the day, which took a lot of time prepping. It helped, though, and I wasn’t tempted by the food at work. I made Paleo chicken fajitas that lasted me most of the week for lunch and dinner. I also tried garlic cauliflower mashed potatoes, which were great!
This week I’m going to make some egg muffins (from Paleomg), and another chicken recipe.
I think a huge factor, for those who have little to no cooking experience, is to learn to use herbs and spices. One small ingredient can completely change the way a meal comes together. Plus, it’s a good way to stretch that 3 pound bag of sliced frozen chicken throughout a week without getting bored. (As always, make sure you read the ingredients.)
I have found that prepping for the week (at least breakfasts and lunches) has helped me. My schedule involves some late nights and the inability to get back home to make a meal sometimes, so keeping things in ready to go containers is a must. I usually take Saturday afternoons to make most of the food for the week. I, like Gretchen above, also love the egg muffins. I put broccoli and pieces of bacon in mine and I have one or two for breakfast in the mornings. I was never a big breakfast person, but having these ready to pop in the microwave has been outstanding. I also bring most of the food for breakfast and lunch/snacks with me to work. I teach and I am lucky enough to have a mini fridge in my classroom so it is easy for me to quickly heat up a meal. My biggest challenge, as Bennett and I have discussed, is fruit intake. I have pretty much been using fruit as a dessert but this first week I most certainly had too many servings. Hopefully week 2 will be better.
Certainly the thing I’ve done that has had the biggest impact has been cooking in larger portions (since I’m not used to cooking this much), and having leftovers for other meals later in the week. I’ve tried buying meat in bulk, and did some basic seasoning when I cooked about 4lbs of chicken breasts in a crockpot. By going light on the seasonings allowed me to use the chicken for different recipes later… and the cook time was much shorter since the chicken only needed to be reheated.
I think planning ahead and using things like the crockpot make a huge difference. For me, its easier to spend one day a week cooking and getting food ready so I’ll have it through out the week. Having food delivered via Freshdirect is also a great idea, thanks Bennett! The problem I’m having is with snacks. Does anyone have any suggestions for good snacks?! I’m trying not to overdo it with nuts.
What about babaghanouj or another paleo dip with bell pepper strips or celery for dipping? Or hard-boiled eggs?
Since this is not my first challenge I knew what to expect as far as prepping and planning and how important it is in order to avoid any slipups. The easiest thing for me is to plan out meals for the week and prep on Sundays. I have a weekly list of groceries that are standard (chicken, eggs, apples, mixed greens, baby carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.) and then depending on what I’m planning I add in some extras. It does get a little boring, but I always make 5-6 baked chicken breasts to use for lunch, post workout and sometimes even breakfast. I also hard boil 8-12 eggs to keep on hand for the week. I bring a lot of prepared food to work with me on Monday so that I don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the week.
I also recently started getting a weekly CSA box which I’m finding has pros and cons when trying to plan. The pros obviously are that it’s great, fresh, in season produce. The cons are that I find myself rushing around on Tuesday night (I get the box Tuesday and don’t find out exactly what’s in it until Tuesday AM) to try to get to the gym, grocery shop and cook. Going forward, I am going to try to plan on a protein and somehow incorporate whatever is in the box with that.
You’d think I’d have this down to a science by now, but as always this is a learning experience and can be difficult at times but is TOTALLY worth it in the end!
I have been doing a LOT more planning and plan to use the crock pot (thanks for the idea listed previously) for the next couple of weeks to keep bulk stuff available. Bringing my own food to work has helped a ton too. I think the hardest thing to manage is planning enough calories to make sure I am not hungry. Nuts and apples have been my ally.
Being brand new (1 week in) to paleo, I found an incredible book called “Practical Paleo” to supplement the materials received from the paleo challenge. It starts as basic as “what is Paleo?” and then has around 200 recipes towards the latter part of the book. Having a book on hand keeps me motivated and answers any questions I still have being new to the lifestyle. It also keeps things in perspective when I wonder about the science behind paleo.
In terms of planning for the week, this past weekend I bought a ton of fresh vegetables. Before I even put them away, I chopped them up into separate containers so they would be quick and easy to snack on or cook up during the week. I also made a large batch of homemade tomato sauce with crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, s&p, and then chopped up leftover grilled chicken and threw that in. Last night I ate it with zuchinni “pasta” (zuchinni julienned very thin to look like spaghetti)… it was delicious. I plan on incorporating the sauce into dishes for the week such as a paleo meatloaf I plan on making.
What has really helped me is finding creative paleo recipes. This keeps thing fun and avoids getting bored by the same meals day after day.
Just a suggestion, try not to over do it on the bananas, carrots, and sweet pototoes. Yes, they are all paleo but still high on the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a tool that measures the speed of entry of glucose (blood sugar) from a carbohydrate into the bloodstream. The faster the speed of entry, the more insulin the body will secrete in response.
Pick veggies and fruits that are on the lower end of the glycemic index and you will start seeing your body getting shredded in no time.
And on Sunday’s, I prepare my lunch for the rest of the week; grill 3-4 pounds of seasoned chicken and boil 6-7 eggs. Also, this is my first week measuring my food consumption. You’d be surprised how much you really eat.
Hi all! So I visited several different grocery stores to stock my fridge and bought foods that I literally have no idea what to do with… frozen halibut? I guess I’ll give it a whirl! I work for a snack food company and we had a dessert potluck today (you heard me right, a dessert potluck!!) I made paleo cookies and people were less than pleased… but that didn’t stop me from having 2 (or 4).
As a non-cook, I made sure I had plenty of premade, easy to throw together stuff on hand: pre-cooked grilled chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken, greens, cut veggies, berries, nuts – easy stuff to throw together. I also hard boiled a dozen eggs – they are my go-to breakfast, but I’m loving this whole “egg muffin” concept and will definitley be trying that next weekend!
To answer the snack question: I’ve been doing an 1 oz servings of nuts with a piece of fruit, but I also buy the premade guacamole from whole foods and do carrots and bell peppers with that. I just learned (silly me) that guacamole and nuts are fats and not proteins… so I’m trying to find better protein snacks (and the egg mini muffin may be a great solution!)
A question for the group – what do you do when you have to be on the road? Planning at home is one thing, but I’m leaving Friday for a wedding weekend and I’m wondering what I can do to prepare.
I travel a lot for work and will bring things with me (my co workers and friends think I’m crazy but they’ve gotten use to it). I would try to check out the restaurant options before hand and if the are driving to the location maybe bring a mini cooler with you for snacks…raw veggies, guacamole, fruit, almond butter?!?! Or check to see if there is a grocery store in the area
Check out the bottom of this page. You can download lists and tips on everything paleo. I would also suggest purchasing this book. It’s great and it’s stupid easy to read. http://whole9life.com/itstartswithfood/
This is my second go at the challenge so i feel i have been able to adjust a bit easuer then last time but planning is still a MUST. My weekdays can get pretty hectic so I will do my grocery shopping onthe weekend and prep/cook on Sundays. My grocery list is pretty standard, chicken, ground turkey burger, chicken sausage with lots of fresh vegetables and fruits (berries, apples). I make enough grilled chicken and turkey burgers for the week. By the time i get home from work and working out, the last thing I want to is cook. I also plan out my day of eating the night before. I find it helps keep me on track and prevents me from wanting to cheat. This is a must b/c we have free catered food ALL day long in our bistro (breakfast lunch snack w/a fully stocked dessert bar).
Of those of you who do CSAs, are there any that you pick up in Hoboken? The only one’s i’ve heard of deliver in New York and would much rather be able to pick up the stuff in Hoboken.
Also, are there any local places that everyone is able to get grassfed/organic meat?
Thanks for your insight,
Stringfellow,
I buy my organic grass fed bison beef at Costco. I buy my filet mignon at Shoprite. Its from Australia, grassfed, and organic. I buy the whole strip.
Approx. 8lbs of meat. Just ask the butcher to cut it up for you.